Recycling Standard
European regulations govern the recovery and material recycling of packaging to promote circularity. The requirements of repulpability EN 13430 define the criteria that a paperboard must meet to be considered recyclable in industrial pulping systems. This evaluation tests whether the packaging can disintegrate into fibres without leaving non-pulpable residues.
Process Evaluation
Industrial recycling processes rely on water and mechanical agitation to break down used carton packaging into a slurry. When assessing a material under repulpability EN 13430, the presence of plastic coatings or metal foils can interfere with fibre separation and clog the screening equipment. The standard requires that a high percentage of the original dry weight is recovered as usable fibre during the pulping phase.
Materials that generate excessive rejects or sticky contaminants fail this test and cannot be marketed as fully recyclable in paper streams.
Barrier Design
Packaging designers must balance the need for moisture barriers with the recycling requirements of the standard. Water-based dispersion coatings are often chosen over polyethylene lamination to improve the chance of passing the test. These advanced coatings disperse during pulping rather than forming large plastic flakes that must be screened out.
Achieving compliance with the standard enables brands to print recycling logos on their packaging and avoid eco-tax penalties.
