Focus on better recyclability and closed-loop capability

Environmental friendliness, recyclability and sustainability are fundamentally high on Palamo's agenda. You can see this in our portfolio. Many of the packaging solutions offered there are up to 100 percent recyclable and often consist of recycled materials.

The recyclability and circularity of our products are traditionally close to our hearts. In this regard, the European Confederation of Paper Industries ( CEPI for short) has published an updated version of its test procedure for the recyclability of fiber-based materials, such as corrugated board.

This new version standardizes the corresponding framework conditions for material properties on a European level. In the following article, we would like to introduce you to the updated CEPI test method and explain its significance for the packaging solutions of the future.

Background: What is the meaning of the abbreviation CEPI?

The pan-EuropeanConfederation of European Paper Industries(CEPI) represents the forest fiber and paper industry as an umbrella organization and has a wide-ranging portfolio of tasks. CEPI has been in existence since 1992.

The organization emerged from the merger of EPI (European Paper Institute) and CEPAC (Confédération Européenne de l'Industrie des pâtes, papiers et cartons). CEPI unites a total of 18 national associations with almost 500 companies. Germany, for example, is represented in the pan-European association by the Verband Deutscher Papierfabriken (VDP) and Austria by the Vereinigung der Österreichischen Papierindustrie (AUSTROPAPIER).

The companies that are part of the association operate around 950 pulp and paper mills throughout Europe, producing not only paperboard, pulp and paper but also other bio-based products.

CEPI thus represents around 82 billion euros in annual industry sales in Europe, 22 percent of world production and 175,000 directly employed staff. CEPI is also an active member of ICFPA. This abbreviation stands for the International Council of Forest and Paper Association.

CEPI's task portfolio and areas of responsibility

CEPI's task portfolio and areas of responsibility

Traditionally based in Brussels, the Confederation of European Paper Industries represents its members to the relevant institutions in Europe in the areas listed below:

• Sustainability
• Recycling
• Circular economy
• Energy & Climate Change
  
• Bioeconomy
• Innovation
• Transportation
• Environment
• Competitiveness & Trade
• Resource efficiency
• Forestry
• Employment & Skills

What exactly do the CEPI-CTS testing service and CEPI testing method represent?

The Comparative Testing Service of the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI-CTS) is a testing service with comparative functionality. The service provides reference materials for various areas.

The testing service focuses on pulp and paper mills, board and corrugated board manufacturers and converters, suppliers, research institutes, and the printing industry. Especially in the paper and board industry, this Round Robin program has been firmly established since 1976 and is carried out continuously.

By regularly monitoring the test procedures, companies can optimize their own quality assurance. This is because the CEPI test procedure puts everything to the test, including the qualification of the personnel, the condition of the test equipment or the conformity with test procedures and standards.

At a glance - these are the most relevant goals and tasks of CEPI-CTS

• Optimization of product quality
• Improvement of workflows in the laboratory
• Quality planning
• Quality control
• Quality assurance
• Quality improvement

The first laboratory test method for recyclability

CEPI already published the first version of a special laboratory test method for recyclability in January 2021. The laboratory method developed emulates the most relevant phases of a typical paper mill.

These phases are the individual areas of pulping, screening and sheet formation. The actual testing covers the most common paper and board grades. However, no special features such as deinking technology (for removing printing ink from printed waste paper) are taken into account.

Further development through the organization 4evergreen

The values determined by means of this test subsequently served as a basis for optimizing further developments. In concrete terms, this means that the method and the values generated from it were adopted by the 4evergreen organization in order to develop a protocol for the detailed assessment of the recyclability of fiber-based cartons, boxes and other packaging solutions.

The name 4evergreen stands for a cross-industry alliance cross-industry alliancewhich aims to optimize fiber-based packaging in terms of circularity. With this development work, the alliance wants to contribute to a sustainable and climate-neutral society.

The goal is to increase the overall recycling rate of fiber-based packaging to 90 percent by 2030. As an alliance, 4Evergreen brings together industry representatives from the entire value chain with a connection to fiber-based packaging.

The spectrum here ranges from board, pulp and paper producers and recyclers, manufacturers, retailers, brand owners and waste management companies to chemical suppliers, technology providers and leading research institutes.

The updated laboratory test method for recyclability

During further development work, numerous tests were carried out on the methodological basis of the first-generation CEPI test procedure. During this period, the test institutes gathered helpful information and valuable experience in order to optimize the procedure in a targeted manner.

In July 2022, the time had come: CEPI published the second version of the laboratory test method for recyclability. With the help of the current CEPI test method, you can now simulate processes even more accurately and specifically under laboratory conditions and thus simulate the processes in paper recycling factories on an industrial scale.

The organizations and companies involved in 4evergreen developed the new annexes in the process. To support the efforts of the testing institutes, various working groups have already subjected the updated method to everyday testing.

In addition, 4evergreen has announced the publication of a protocol for evaluating recyclability. This is intended to provide packaging developers with the decisive passage criteria for recyclability based on the current test method.

The primary purpose of such a protocol is to provide sustained support for the industry's ambitions to produce fiber-based packaging

The evaluation and test criteria of the CEPI test procedure

The criteria of the current CEPI test method are even broader compared to the previous version and cover all relevant areas in concrete form.

With a view to laboratory-scale studies, materials are to be investigated in this way as part of material processing in waste paper recycling and improved where necessary.

For example, the respective defibering behavior after a time-limited disintegration is closely examined. For corresponding results, the coarse and fine rejects must be determined.

Visual and adhesive impurities are also in focus, as they have a great influence on the quality of the recyclate. Adhesive impurities can be connected modularly, for example, by a macrosticky analysis.

Comparison with existing methods and classification in limit values

In addition, the COD release can be determined and thus the chemical oxygen demand in the water phase. The so-called evaporation residue of the defibered feedstock also represents an essential criterion.

In principle, it should be noted here: Only materials with a minimum fiber content of 50 percent are accepted for testing. At the end of the procedure, the material is assessed by comparison with existing methods and other reference values. For this purpose, a classification into limit values is also carried out.

The test results can increase the understanding and knowledge of the properties of one's own sample material. This in turn can contribute to increased recyclability in the product development phase.

These properties can typically be tested with the CEPI test method

1. Basic features:

• Thickness
• Thickness corrugated board
• Mass per unit area
• Moisture content

2. Stiffness properties:

• Bending stiffness according to the two-point method and the resonance method
• Stiffness alignment
• TSI / TSO
• Tensile stiffness index

3. Strength properties:

• Breaking load, breaking strain
• Breaking load / breaking strain / TEA / tensile stiffness (1924-3)
• Bursting strength paper and cardboard according to Mullen
• Bursting strength cardboard and corrugated board
• Concora Medium Test (CMT30)
• Penetration energy (PET) and tear resistance according to Elmendorf
• Fold resistance according to Köhler-Molin and Schopper
• Flat crush resistance (FCT) and edge crush resistance (ECT)
• Strip crush resistance (SCT), ring crush resistance (RCT) and wet crush force
• Splitting strength according to Scott Bond
• Tear resistance according to Brecht-Imset

4. Printability properties:

• Dennison wax test
• Pressure gloss and pressure penetration (IGT method)
• Ink location / ink transfer
• Heliotest (Gravure)
• Linearity check
• (pressure unevenness (mottling)
• Optical density
• Pick resistance and knock away

5. Optical properties:
   

• Brightness / CIE Whiteness,
• Color location / Gloss
• ISO-Brightness
• Opacity
• RX, RY, RZ and RX, RX, RZ Value check

6. Chemical properties:

• pH value (cold extract)
• Alkali reserve / Kappa number
• Residue on ignition

7. Surface properties:

• Smoothness after Bekk
• Contact angle
• Roughness
• Slip angle / coefficient of friction

8. Structural properties:

• Air permeability according to Gurley, Bebdtsen and Bekk

9. Tissue properties:

• Breaking load / breaking strain / wet breaking load (Finch)
• Single sheet thickness / stack thickness
• ISO-Brightness
• TSA Softness
• Water absorption time and capacity

10. Other features:

• Drainage behavior
• Fiber width / fiber length
• Initial adhesion / release force at slow take-off
• Adhesive strength test
• Water absorption in cardboard and corrugated board
• Relative humidity

 

CEPI test method and its great importance for the packaging industry

For the paper packaging industry, the CEPI test procedure is of particular importance. This is due not least to the rapid development in this segment. This is because many paper-based packages can already boast high recycling rates, but at the same time now also increasingly offer new features and functions.

These new realities must be taken into account by the respective brand owners, provided they aim for higher performance or quality in terms of sustainability and recyclability of their products.

CEPI and 4evergreen have developed assessment protocols and design guidelines in this regard to specifically support their members' efforts in this direction. In this way, all paper packaging is to be made recyclable by 2025.

Thus, the updated harmonized CEPI test method provides a solid basis for improving sustainability and recyclability. In addition, the test method standardizes paper products throughout Europe by checking their recyclability under identical conditions.

FAQ

1. What is CEPI?

   The Confederation of European Paper Industries is the umbrella organization of the forest fiber and paper industry in Europe. It has existed in this form since 1992.

2. What is the aim of the CEPI test procedures?
   

   The procedure is designed to help companies optimize quality on a comparable basis throughout Europe.