How many times can paper be recycled? Is paperboard packaging really sustainable?

The latest on paper recycling and sustainability!

The paper industry has always been considered one of the most energy-intensive industries with its high consumption of resources such as timber and water, and electricity to run powerful dryers.

In the packaging world though, paper is being chosen more and more often as an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic. This is also because paper comes from a renewable source (wood). Today in fact, paper recycling processes are gradually being introduced that limit or completely eliminate the impact on water and energy resources.

Governments over the years have passed legislation in favour of recycled paper that aim to reduce the impact of the paper industry on the environment, also regulating timber harvesting.

According to Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union, in 2019 the recycling rate for these materials was around 85%, far higher than that of other packaging materials. What’s more, the European paper industry set a paper recycling target of 90% for 2030.

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But how long is the life cycle of paper? How many times can the fibres be recycled?

Until recently, in the paper industry it was widely believed that paper fibres could only be recycled up to seven times before they started breaking into fragments that were too small to be used again.

But researchers at the Institute of Bioproducts and Paper Technology (Graz University) debunked this myth.

The research team verified the actual number of times paperboard can be recycled by conducting tolerance tests on waste paper fibres.

The result that emerged after one year of research, was surprising!
Paperboard can in fact be recycled as waste paper a potentially infinite number of times, and loses very little of its original strength.

How can this result be explained?

The Research Team, led by head researcher Rene Eckhart, tested folding paperboard packaging in 25 recycling cycles, studying the behaviour of the larger paper fibres.

The researchers tested paperboard made from different types of waste paper, pre-treated to separate it from any mineral components that could distort the test result, and studied the strength, breaking strength and other characteristics.

The researchers broke the resulting raw material down into its smallest components using a high-tech machine, producing and testing new sheets of paperboard. Even the water was filtered during the sheet-forming process, to be collected and reused.

The test showed paperboard is highly sustainable packaging because only 1 percent of the fibrous material was lost during the entire test. This means paper can be recycled many times without losing its properties.

After 25 cycles of fibre reuse, the researchers were unable to detect any tendency towards limit values. This means the fibres can be recycled a potentially infinite number of times. In an interview for Pro Carton in fact, Rene Eckhart said: “we did 25 cycles, and when it comes to the mechanical properties, I wouldn’t even say that 25 is the limit”.

Paper and paperboard fibres are therefore much more durable than we previously thought: the only limits to paper sustainability are those concerning the amount of material lost during the fibre cleaning process. This can be offset by occasionally adding waste packaging from the food sector to the recycling processes, as virgin fibres are often required for food packaging.

In fact Winfried Muehling, the General Manager of the European Pro Carton Association, said it will always be necessary to collect, sort and recycle a good amount of both virgin and recycled fibres if we want to continually adopt an active circular economy model in the sector.

Conclusions

This experiment confirms paperboard's reputation as a more sustainable material, validating the widespread use for consumers as it comes from a renewable source and can be recycled a potentially infinite number of times.

Paper, cardboard, and paperboard in fact are some of the most-popular materials for recycling-conscious people who care about sustainability.

Here at Tacom we chose to use this material for our products not to follow a trend, but because of the values we’ve always embraced, and it’s a choice embraced by an increasing number of our customers who want products in their range that are sustainable for the environment we live in.

Tacom in fact has always focused on sustainability, and chooses to actively promote paperboard packaging. We’re happy to offer advice on the latest technical solutions that provide the best possible protection for the contents of the carton against moisture and oxidation, developing convenient, resealable opening and dispensing solutions much-loved by consumers all over the world.

To read the full report on Rene Eckhart's study: click here