Recycling compatibility matrix
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(Adapted from Circularity by Design for Fibre-Based Packaging, 4evergreen)
Recycling compatibility matrix with examples
Fully compatible with standard recycling process
Packaging papers
• Corrugated containers and cardboard boxes
• Kraft paper
• Fluting – middle liner in a sandwich of liner board or supplied separately as protective packaging.
• Whitetop liner – white outer surfaces for printing and grey or brown inner surface
• Folding boxboard – board that is folded into various sizes and shapes of packaging for health and beauty products, foods, confectionaries, pharmaceuticals, graphical uses and cigarette packaging.
• Recyclable paper sacks and bags (grocery and take-away bags without wet strength additives)
Printing grades
• Office paper
• Newsprint, magazines
• Coated/graphic papers
Conditionally compatible with standard recycling process
• Items added to the design or use phase of the packaging that can influence the efficiency of the recycling process or compromise the quality of the recycling output.
• For example, temporary wet strength agents, siliconising agents, barrier coatings, adhesives, security labels, etc.
Necessitates a specialised mill or pulping technology and requires more R&D and investment
• Used beverage cartons (liquid board packaging)
• Paper cups and containers
• Frozen food packaging
• Wet strength paper sacks (cement and potato bags)
• Plastic-based label backing papers
• Glassine label backing paper and waste matrix
The sorting of paper categories will be done by collection and sorting infrastructure already available locally. Consumers are not required to sort these items at household level.