Material Recovery
Assessment of the ability of a fibre-based substrate to be processed in a standard pulping system determines its suitability for the circular economy. Paperboard recyclability depends on the ease with which fibres can be separated from coatings, adhesives and inks. If the material breaks down into high quality pulp without clogging the screens, it is considered highly recyclable.
This property is evaluated using standardized laboratory protocols like those from Cepi or PTS.
Repulping Efficiency
Yield of usable fibre after the removal of non-paper components is the primary metric for this evaluation. Excessive use of plastic laminates or insoluble glues can significantly lower the score.
Contamination Threshold
Presence of macro-stickies or fine particles that cannot be removed during cleaning limits the use of the resulting pulp for high grade applications. Many recycling plants reject materials that contain more than a small percentage of non-paper weight. The paperboard recyclability of a product is also affected by the type of printing ink used.
Water soluble inks are generally preferred as they do not stain the reclaimed fibres. Manufacturers must balance the need for functional barriers with the requirement for easy disposal. Certification of this property allows brand owners to use environmental logos on their packaging.
New technologies are being developed to improve the separation of complex multilayer structures.
