About this article
Across Europe, as much as 79,3% of all paper and cardboard brought to the market is collected and recycled. However, not all packaging that’s been in contact with food or drinks can go in the paper recycling bin. Michiel Adriaanse from the Royal Association of Dutch Paper and Cardboard Manufacturers (VNP) explains how it works.
With over 30 years of experience in the paper industry, Michiel can tell us a lot about paper recycling. Why does this topic matter? “A package that’s perfectly suitable for recycling in the paper recycling bin right after production, might not be anymore after it’s been used for serving food or drinks. As a consumer, you have quite an influence on this,” Michiel says. He’ll explain what you should look out for.
When is paper recyclable?
“Paper fantastically suits within a circular economy: it’s renewable, highly recyclable and paper fibers last a long time. While almost all paper-based products can technically be recycled, they might need to go through different processes,” Michiel explains. So, when a paper-based product is ‘recyclable’, this doesn’t necessarily mean it belongs in the paper recycling bin.
He breaks down four key steps that determine whether your discarded paper or cardboard can be recycled:
- Collectable: Is there a system in place for you to dispose of your used paper? For example, can you dispose of it in the paper recycling bin?
- Sortable: Can your discarded paper be sorted?
- Reprocessable: Can a paper mill extract the fibers from your discarded paper to make something new?
- Reusable: Is the quality of the processed material sufficient to create a new product?
How is paper for recycling collected?
This might differ per region and country. In general, there are two main collection streams: from households and from businesses. “Businesses generate the majority of paper for recycling—think of shipping boxes from stores, office paper, and paper offcuts at manufacturers. This paper is usually homogeneous and unpolluted. Therefore, it will be sorted and selected carefully into different types and qualities, to be used in many new applications,” Michiel says.
“The paper you and I separate at home in the paper bin—household paper for recycling—is much more mixed and contains more contaminants: from newspapers to packaging boxes and from gift wrapping paper to toilet rolls. At sorting facilities, high-quality ‘white fiber’ material is separated from ‘brown fibers’. Recyclers buy the material they can use: almost all paper collected gets a new life. Most of our household paper for recycling belongs to the ‘brown fiber’ group and ends up being used for new packaging boxes.”
Can paper bags, boxes, and trays that held food go in the paper recycling bin?
“Yes, as long as they are clean and dry,” Michiel says. With some examples, he will illustrate what this means. Please note that these are general guidelines: there might be differences in recycling possibilities between regions and countries. For specific questions, it’s always wise to consult your local paper recycler.
A clean pizza box can go in the paper recycling bin, while a pizza box with food leftovers cannot. Michiel explains: “You can think of it as the difference between 2D and 3D contamination. If there’s just a grease stain in a paper tray, it can still be recycled. But if there are leftover bits of sauce, crumbs, or toppings on the packaging or if the bottom is completely soaked with stains, it shouldn’t go in the paper recycling bin.”
Packaging that consists largely of materials other than paper should also be disposed of differently. “A staple, a bit of glue, or a small window in an envelope isn’t a problem—they’re filtered out during processing. But when a package is mostly made of other materials than paper fibers, like a bread bag that’s half plastic, it doesn’t belong in the paper recycling bin.”
Used coffee cups also don’t belong in the paper recycling bin. “Paper coffee cups with a single-sided moisture barrier—to make them leakproof—are generally recyclable but require an adapted process. They should therefore be collected using a separate process and not be disposed of in the paper recycling bin,” Michiel explains.
Several industry groups have come together to set up a dedicated recycling process for used coffee cups—and with success! For this, the cups need to be collected separately and need to be clean and dry. Want to know more or get involved? Contact us at info@verive.eu or reach out to your local Verive partner.
Can printed paper packaging still be recycled?
“Yes, it can. But adding ink to your packaging can affect the recycling process and the quality of the recycled material. And beyond recycling, it also has an impact on people and the environment,” Michiel says. “To recycle paper back to high-quality ‘white’ fibers, de-inking is required.”
Not all printed paper packaging is equally easy to de-ink. That’s why the International Association for Deinking Industry (INGEDE) and the European Paper Recycling Council (EPRC) developed a test procedure, rating packaging as ‘Good’, ‘Fair’, ‘Tolerable’, or ‘Not suitable for de-inking’.
“New white products can only be made from white, bleached paper fibers, while brown products can be made from both white and brown fibers. So, if printed paper isn’t de-inked, it can still get a new life, but only as a brown product,” Michiel explains.
Does paper recycling work the same way in all European countries?
“No, the processes and streams can vary quite a bit,” he says, and shares some examples. “In the Netherlands and Belgium, there’s a separate paper recycling stream, but in France and the UK, paper is collected together with other recyclables and sorted afterwards,” Michiel says.
“There is, however, a recyclability test for final packaging products that’s recognized across Europe. The most widely used is the CEPI recyclability laboratory test method. Several labs can carry out the test. 4evergreen explains in this report how to interpret the results. If the packaging passes the standard CEPI recyclability test, and it’s clean and dry, it’s generally accepted in the household paper recycling bin.”
If you are in doubt whether a paper item is suitable for the paper recycling bin, you can ask for a CEPI recyclability test. Our semi-transparent paper bags have been tested accordingly, with positive results. In some regions, check lists or decision trees are available to help you assess a packaging product. An example is the ‘Recycle Check’ of the KIDV (Knowledge Institute of Sustainable Packaging) in the Netherlands – which is also available for other types of materials.
What does legislation say about the recyclability of paper packaging?
There are several European laws and regulations regarding recyclability of paper packaging.
The Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) restricts the use of plastics in single-use products, which also affects food packaging. This has led to various claims about plastic-free packaging in the market. “But don’t be fooled: packaging labeled as ‘plastic-free’ by the manufacturer isn’t always recyclable with waste paper. Always follow the advice in the sorting guide and, if in doubt, ask for a recyclability test,” Michiel warns.
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is a piece of EU legislation aimed at reducing the average amount of packaging waste per EU citizen. Design for recycling and recyclability play a key role here. By 2030, a package – including paper packaging – must be at least 70% recyclable, and by 2038, at least 80%.
Want to learn more?
“When it comes to paper recycling, we’re doing really well in Europe. At the same time, we’re seeing a shift from plastic to fiber-based packaging, which brings its own challenges for collection. These types of packaging can’t always go in the paper recycling bin, but often there isn’t a suitable collection channel available yet,” says Michiel.
Want to know more about our paper and cardboard packaging, or about how to dispose of them properly? Feel free to send us a message at info@verive.eu or via the contact page.
Jet Kolkman
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