Paper and board recyclability testing by European industry standards

According to the European Union’s upcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, all packaging on the EU market should be reusable or recyclable in an economically viable way by 2030.¹ In the case of paper and board, materials are considered recyclable when they can be effectively recovered at scale through standard industrial paper recycling processes.

Measurlabs offers several testing options for evaluating the recyclability of paper and board-based packaging materials by harmonized European test methods.

European recyclability standards and test methods

EU harmonized standard 13430, Requirements for packaging recoverable by material recycling, establishes the criteria for recyclable packaging under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive.² To comply with the standard, the supplier must produce a declaration stating the percentage (by weight) of the packaging unit that can be recycled using existing recycling technologies.

There are several laboratory test methods for assessing the recyclability of paper and board packaging in accordance with EN 13430. Some of the most commonly applied ones include:

• CEPI recyclability test method, version 2, by the Confederation of European Paper Industries. 

• PTS-RH 021/2012 method, category 2, by the German paper industry research and service institute (Papiertechnische Stiftung).

Parameters assessed during recyclability testing

Recyclability testing is designed to emulate typical disintegration and repulping procedures at paper and board recycling mills. The ease at which fibers are separated and new sheets formed out of the recovered fibers is assessed, along with the proportion of material that cannot be reprocessed and the visual quality of the resulting paper or board.³

The results of the CEPI recyclability assessment can be presented in a scorecard format, giving a recyclability score out of 100 to the assessed material. A score of 90 or more indicates excellent recyclability, while lower scores indicate a varying degree of repulpability, visual quality, or adhesion issues. When following the PTS-RH method, the material is classified as recyclable, limitedly recyclable, or not recyclable at the end of the testing procedure.

Designing recyclable paper and board packaging

Producers of paper and board packaging should consider future recyclability throughout the design and manufacturing processes. Some steps that companies can take to improve recyclability include:⁴

• Using the minimal quantity of non-paper constituents that is required to ensure the functionality of the packaging.

• Ensuring laminates, barriers, and adhesive labels are easy to separate from the main material.

• Ensuring that polymer dispersion or metal coatings can be removed through conventional screening processes.

• Avoiding the use of excessive amounts of inks or adhesives and ensuring they do not contain mineral oils or other persistent chemicals.

Measurlabs provides recyclability testing by the CEPI and PTS-RH methods to confirm packaging materials’ compatibility with standard repulping procedures. If you want to learn more about our services, do not hesitate to get in touch with our experts using the form below.