Recyclable Wax Alternatives BY MARY DRAIN
ter and Water Vapor that identifies wax alternatives that have been tested and proven, certified recyclable for mills to readily process. The development of recyclable alternatives has in- creased the amount of corrugated packaging that can be recycled. In 2019, the corrugated industry shipped 19.1 bil- lion square feet of boxes using recyclable wax alternative coatings. Progress has been made in replacing wax im- pregnated and curtain-coated boxes with recyclably treat- ed corrugated boxes. Fifty-seven recyclable wax alterna- tives have passed certification testing for repulpability and recyclability and have been registered with FBA. The synergy of our industry’s continued focus on en- vironmental-performance improvement and retailers’ rec- ognition of the marketing and sustainability opportunities of which using wax alternatives is an example, has made minimal non-recyclability of corrugated products an attain- able goal. The wax-alternative recyclability standard has served the industry well for the past 15 years, but FBA is looking into ways to adapt it to modern packaging needs. This is where you come in. If your company manufac- tures boxes with wax alternatives or if you still use wax coatings, we need your help. Any feedback you can pro- vide on updating the standard to ensure progress con- tinues in the elimination of non-recyclable boxes is much appreciated. Mary Drain is the Director of Technical Services at Fibre Box Association (FBA). Reach her at mdrain@fibrebox.org.
For the corrugated packaging industry, every day is cor- rugated recycles day. It’s true - recycling boxes is a key
element in our business model, with over 90 percent of box production recovered and the average box con- taining 50 percent recycled content. Are there boxes that can’t be re- cycled? Yes, a small amount, BUT the industry continues work to ensure that only boxes with specific condi-
Mary Drain
tions – such as HazMats – enter the landfill in the future. The corrugated industry has traditionally used wax as a moisture barrier to preserve the strength of a corrugated container holding wet or iced products such as fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood. Wax coatings cannot be easily recycled for the same reason they’re used - because they do not dissolve in water. To develop recyclable alternatives, the corrugated in- dustry worked for a decade in partnership with suppliers and containerboard mills who use old corrugated contain- ers (OCC) as feedstock. In 2005, Fibre Box Association (FBA) published a recyclability standard, Voluntary Stan- dard for Repulping and Recycling Corrugated Fiberboard Treated to Improve Its Performance in the Presence of Wa-
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February 1, 2021
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