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Research and Development

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Research and Development

Fibre Circle as PRO for paper and paper packaging has established a research and development programme aimed at funding university and industry research projects to improve the industry’s competitiveness within the packaging sector as well as supporting the industry with its EPR compliance. The relevant core obligations in terms of the regulations are:

  • Environmental labelling, informing on packaging recyclability
  • Life cycle assessments, informing on packaging material’s end of life and production impact
  • Redesign of packaging to use less raw materials, improve its recyclability and reduce its environmental impact

    • The research and development programme currently funds the following university projects, some with co-funding from the Department of Science and Innovation’s (DSI) Sector Innovation Fund (SIF). The projects focus on delivering key data and methodologies needed to comply with the EPR regulations as well as projects focussed on advancing packaging materials to reduce food waste and investigate recycled fibre as feedstock for food contact packaging suitability. The projects are listed in the table below:

    Projects
    Project Title and Institution Project Description Benefit to Industry Funding Model
    Establishment of pilot scale testing to determine recyclability of fibre-based materials, at Mpact Operations, Springs Mill. The project will make available crucial equipment needed to test the recyclability of paper packaging and to investigate methods for recycling complex packaging materials. The equipment will include a Kadant Autolab system, in which the hydrapulper conditions can be simulated.
  • Improve compliance with EPR regulations
  • Guide industry on product redesign for recyclability
  • Ensure the sector remains competitive in the packaging industry
  • Inform towards development of South African repulpability standard
    		•  50% Fibre Circle
    50% DSI SIF III
    Reactor studies to measure decay factors of paper products under optimal anaerobic conditions, by Thaakira Jabaar (MEng) at Stellenbosch University The project focusses on the methane generation from the 7 categories of paper and paper packaging under anaerobic landfill conditions, on lab, pilot and circulation trickle bed scale.
  • Input towards Life Cycle Assessments of post-consumer paper and paper packaging waste when disposed of at landfill
  • Understanding decomposition of paper and paper packaging in landfill and the associated greenhouse gas release
    		•  50% Fibre Circle
    50% DSI SIF III
    LCA model and interface for the paper & paper packaging industry in accordance with EPR legislation, by Edwin Botha (PhD) at University of the Witwatersrand The project focusses on creating standardised methodologies for performing life cycle assessments on paper and paper packaging products in South Africa, as well as submitting South African datasets to the international databases on LCAs
  • Improve compliance with EPR regulations
  • Enabling producers to test various scenarios and their impact on LCA for the paper-based products for the post-consumer market
  • Relevant local datasets, taking the South African climate, energy mix and waste sector into account
    		• 50% Fibre Circle
    50% DSI SIF III
    Impact of repulping processes on chemical contamination in recycled fibres, by Conrad Erasmus (MEng) at Stellenbosch University The project focuses on the decontamination of recycled fibre packaging and the fate of chemical contaminants to determine the possible use of recycled fibre in food contact packaging.
  • Understanding the degree of decontamination during mill processes
  • Use of locally recycled fibre for food contact materials instead of expensive imported virgin fibre
  • Establish a basis to inform new legislation on food contact materials
    		• 50% Fibre Circle
    50% DSI SIF III
    Enhancing the performance of modified atmosphere storage for climacteric fruits with compounds and biosensors, by Vejonepher Baard (MEng) and Zamokuhle Ngcoko (Meng) at Stellenbosch University The project has two students focussed on different approaches to produce modified atmospheric packaging to prevent early ripening of climacteric fruits and thereby reducing food waste. One approach investigates a structural bio-based film as insert to conventional boxes while the other investigates a bio-based coating for incorporation into the box structure.
  • Bio-based film/coating enhanced paper packaging to improve post-harvest shelf-life of fresh produce across the value chain
  • Reduces food waste & promotes food security
    		• 50% Fibre Circle
    50% DSI SIF III
    Valorisation of difficult-to-recycle paper and paper packaging waste, by Juliana Naude (MEng) at Stellenbosch University The project investigates the waste to energy potential of various common paper and paper packaging waste streams. The approaches include anaerobic digestion to produce biogas, pyrolysis to produce bio-oil and bio-char, and fermentation to produce bio-ethanol.
  • Identify viable green and sustainable energy sources for industry using packaging waste not currently recycled
  • Increased diversion from landfill and avoiding greenhouse gas emissions during landfill decomposition, compliance with EPR
    		•  100% Fibre Circle