Recovery Series - Topic 1: Designing Trash, Paperboard Contamination
- Filed in:
- Carded packaging,
- Folding cartons,
- Recycling
sean sabre
Hello All
I have a question ...
A recent AF&PA (American Forest & Paper Association) survey reports over 85% of the citizenry has access to paper recycling either curbside or drop off. The EPA reports that over 50% of paper is recovered in the waste management stream by recycling (they also state that 33% of municipal waste that get's land filled is paper). With all of these statistics around "paper" knowing that a clear majority of bailed recylcate flowing out of MRF's to brokers/buyers is OCC (old corrugate container), ONP (old newspapers), SOP (sorted office paper) and OMG (old magazines) where does paperboard fall within this slew of stats? This leads to my question ...
What % of paperboard packaging (printed and coated SBS, CCKB, CCNB and Litho-Laminate folding cartons and cards) do YOU think is recycled in the US?
OCC is predominately comprised of low VOC inks, coatings and water soluble glues to ensure wastewater toxicity and skimming contaminants are minimized to recover the most fiber as possible. ONP/OMG/SOP may have minor contaminants such as staples that are easily removed in the re-pulping process as well. OCC is typically long fiber softwood based and the rest is short fiber hardwood based, causing the MRF's to separate the "browns" from "whites" like your laundry at home but paperboard can make its way into both categories and at high %'s of commingling may be categorized as a contaminant (I anticipate backlash here) by the brokers/buyers pulling the bails from the MRF's if they aren't sorting out paperboard packaging with windows, foil/polymer film laminates and non water soluble glues which are contaminants in the re-pulping process .
I wonder if the average packaging engineer is cognizant of the recovery implications ... and more importantly if they accurately depict the recovery messaging on their packaging accurately as per the FTC 260 guidelines. Why isn't this industry moving towards a more recoverable design portfolio and how come noone is talking about it? Can you not substitute foil stamping for foil board? The FSEA (Foil Stamping and Embossing Association) seems to think their recent LCA analysis data proves it to be a better solution. Why can't you get the same POP with matte Aqueous vs satin films? Why are non water soluble glue used in joints still prevalent?
I look forward to seeing what those of you who read this think about the attention this issue gets within the sustainable packaging movement.
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Paperboard recycling
Frank R. Perkowski...Sean:
You raise a very good issue and you are rtight that these grades are not recycled at anywhere near the level of the other grades you mention. I am not sure what the recycling rate and I have not seen any oficial estimates but my guess is that the rates are in the 20-30% range if that!
The reason is that these boards are used in consumer packaging which are trashed by the vast majority of consumers as there are no organized recycling programs or efforts to collect this type of material. Because the assumptionis that the materials are landfilled, there is little effort spent in the design phase to make them more recyclable. That is not an excuse just the reason. All of the other papers are sold primarily into businesses which have collection programs in place (usually at some economic benefit) or are the focus of local recycling programs (newspaers and magazines).
I am not surprised that companies in the industry or its associations have not focused on some of the opportunities you mentioned in any significant way. However, with people like you raising the issues and making buying decisions based on these considerations, it is just a matter of timne (and I predict we ere talking months and not years) before these issues get addressed.
Frank Perkowski
770-643-9081
Recovery Series - Topic 1: Designing Trash, Paperboard Contamina
sean sabre
Hello Frank
20-30% ... interesting. That rivals aggregate glass and plastics recovery statistics as per the EPA and is quite ambitous.
Regarding your comment "Because the assumptionis that the materials are landfilled, there is little effort spent in the design phase to make them more recyclable.", take a look at the plethora of Mobius loops on paperboard packaging next time you are in the retail environment. I would have no issue with people throwing their hands in the air and saying "hey, it's landfilled why try" as long as they weren't misleading the consumer to beleive it is via recoverable messaging. Quite similar to the recoverable messaging put on PET packaging that is NOT in a threaded narrow neck form factor ... my issue is with the negligent and sometimes fraudulent deception perpetuated on poor ol SuzieQ who continues to put her paperboard and PET clamshells in her recylcle bin curbside thinking it's off to get recycled.
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