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Joy at Pro Carton: cartons can be recycled 25 times

Pro Carton is pleased with the results of a study by Graz University of Technology on the recycling of wood fibre-based packaging material. According to the study, cartons can be recycled over 25 times.

Wood fibre-based packaging material - paper, cardboard, carton and folding boxes - can be according to the latest independent studies about 25 times with little or no loss of Recycle material integrity. This is the result of a new university study on the number of recycling loops for wood fibre-based packaging.

In the 2021 study conducted by Graz University of Technology in Austria, folding boxboard was recycled several times to determine whether and which Effects on the mechanical properties of the material, including its strength and pressure resistance. „In this study, no negative influence on the concerned mechanical properties can be demonstrated. The Swelling capacity of the fibre showed no negative trend“, reports the university.

Putting an end to the myth

„The results decisively dispel the widespread myth that packaging made from wood fibre can only be recycled four to seven times before it loses its integrity. They prove that the materials used for paper and cardboard Wood fibres are much more resistant than previously assumed. Rene Eckhart, leading scientist at Graz University of Technology and head of the study, believes that the The limit for recycling paper, cardboard and paperboard is determined more by the stock preparation process and the collection and recycling rate achieved becomes.“

Winfried Mühling, General Manager from Per Carton, of the European Association of the Cartonboard and Folding Carton Industry

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Winfried Mühling, General Manager of Pro Carton, the European Association of the Cartonboard and Folding Carton Industry
Winfried Mühling, General Manager of Pro Carton, the European Association of the Cartonboard and Folding Carton Industry, comments on the Graz University of Technology study on the recycling of cartonboard. (Image: Pro Carton)

The TU Graz study emphasises once again the important Cardboard's contribution to the circular economy and his role in improving the sustainability of companies and brands. The current Recycling rate for paper and cardboard packaging in Europe is around 84.2 per cent and the European cartonboard industry has set itself the goal of achieving this by 2030. on 90 per cent to increase. Cardboard is also biodegradable, a process commonly referred to as „organic recycling“.

Fresh fibre is here to stay

The report of the TU Graz also emphasises the environmental benefits of a larger number of recycling loops stand out. „The more often the same packaging can be recycled, the more positive its impact on the environment,“ the study states.

„In order to keep our circular business model running, we always need a Healthy mix of virgin fibres and recycled material. Some customers have specific product requirements that only allow virgin fibres and require, for example, packaging for direct contact with moist or fatty foods such as chocolate. Other examples are luxury packaging with special specifications for ‚whiteness‘ or ‚stiffness‘ of the material, for which only virgin fibres are used.“

Winfried Mühling

Source: Per Carton

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