Recycled Food Carton Fibres

Recent research from the Quebec Industrial Innovation Center shows that used food and beverage cartons, which are primarily composed of paperboard, demonstrate great potential for recycling and use in the manufacturing process of molded pulp packaging. Currently, no manufacturer of such packaging in North America uses pulp made wholly or partially from fibers derived from recycled cartons.

Cartons come in two variants: long-life cartons, also known as aseptic cartons, and refrigerated cartons, or gable-top cartons. In addition to paper, cartons are composed of thin layers of polyethylene and, for long-life cartons, an additional layer of aluminum. Cartons are commonly used for products such as juice, milk and milk substitutes, soups, water, and wine.

According to applied research, pulp was produced from post-consumer cartons obtained from a material recovery facility. At the end of production and analysis, it was concluded that the strength of carton pulp is significantly greater than that of mechanical pulp, such as that obtained from old newspapers, which is the most frequently used pulp for molded products made from recycled fibers. Additionally, the results also determined that carton pulp would be particularly suitable for industrial manufacturing, given the relatively short production time of items and a shrinkage rate that does not interfere with nesting.

This opens a wide door in the world of carton packaging collection and is a solution that helps the planet’s ecology by reducing pollution and producing pulp packaging that is 100% reusable. For the pulp manufacturing industry, this could mean significant economic savings.