Material Classification
Standardized evaluation systems categorize paperboard packaging based on its ease of processing in conventional recycling mills. The recyclability performance grades define how much fiber can be recovered from a specific carton design under standard laboratory pulping and screening conditions. They run from high-yield uncoated boards to complex multi-layered barriers that require specialized treatment.
This grading system allows brand owners to select packaging that aligns with regional waste collection infrastructure.
Grading Procedure
Assessment of these grades involves simulating the repulping process with a standard disintegration run. The recyclability performance grades are determined by measuring the amount of reject material left on a fractionating screen after a set pulping time. High grades require a low level of rejects and no sticky contaminants that could damage the paper machine.
Formulators use these test results to design and refine barrier coatings that do not interfere with fiber recovery.
Functional Constraint
Low grades are often unavoidable when heavy barrier protection is required. For products that need a long shelf life, the necessity for high oxygen and moisture barriers outweighs the desire for easy recyclability. In these cases, alternative waste streams or specialized recovery lines must be utilized to capture the material.
