GUIDANCE ON THE

IMPROVED COLLECTION
AND SORTING OF
FIBRE-BASED PACKAGING
FOR RECYCLING
December 2023
1. List of abbreviations

EPR extended producer responsibility

FBCP fibre-based composite packaging
HORECA hotel restaurant catering
LWP lightweight packaging
MSW municipal solid waste
OCC old corrugated containers
UBC used beverage carton

2 December 2023
2. Introduction

Goals and overview

These recommendations are written based on best
4evergreen is a cross-industry alliance promoting low- practices and are intended to aid the implementation
carbon and circular fibre-based packaging. By bringing of future collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure,
together the entire value chain, the different workstreams to meet EU legal requirements and realise 4evergreen’s
of 4evergreen aim for a comprehensive outlook on the aspirational target of a 90% recycling rate for fibre-
lifecycle of fibre-based packaging. To enable the recycling based packaging. This Guidance affects all key actors in
of fibre-based packaging waste, effective collection and the fibre-based packaging value chain (e.g. producers/
sorting is crucial. importers, (local) authorities, waste handlers/collectors,
recyclers, NGOs) and is aimed towards policymakers,
This ‘Guidance on the Improved Collection and Sorting local authorities and extended producer responsibility
of Fibre-Based Packaging for Recycling – Version 2’, schemes.
hereafter referred to as the Guidance, is based on input
received from 65 participating companies from all Fibre-based packaging waste recycling
relevant industry segments along the value chain. The rate targets
recommendations are based on a consensus reached
through discussions between workstream participants The EU has adopted material-by-material packaging waste
and experts. recycling rate targets for both 2025 and 20301:

PACKAGING WASTE RECYCLING RATE TARGETS EU

Year All Plactic Wood Ferrous Aluminium Glass Fibre-based

packaging metals
waste

2025 60% 50% 25% 70% 50% 70% 75%

2030 70% 55% 30% 80% 60% 75% 85%

Source: EU Directive 2018/852

Note: Fibre-based packaging is called “paper and cardboard” packaging in the respective directive

These can be considered minimum targets, as EU member states are free to implement more ambitious packaging
waste recycling targets in their respective national legislation (e.g. Germany, Spain and Sweden).

Therefore, 4evergreen strives for the following recycling rate sub-targets of recycling of fibre-based packaging:

Commercial Industrial Household

>90% >90% >85%

50%

0%

1
The UK has also set packaging waste recycling targets, broadly in line with the EU.

December 2023 3
Collection systems today The 4evergreen guidance includes steps that should be
taken by countries, municipalities, and other actors in the
In Europe (EU27 + NO, CH, UK) 47 million tonnes of recycling value chain to make it easier for consumers to sort
fibre-based packaging is consumed each year, of which correctly, allowing the packaging to be collected in the
42 million tonnes are collected. The material collected correct stream and recycled into a new valuable resource.
comes from three different sources: This should reduce the share of fibre-based packaging
• Households (21% – 9 million tonnes) in mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) and increase the
• Industrial (31% – 13 million tonnes) recycling rate of the sorted household stream.
• Commercial (48% – 20 million tonnes)2
4evergreen recommends two streams for the collection
These three sources have significantly different recycling of fibre-based packaging as a guide to implementing
rates with industrial and commercial at 85% and 88% future collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure.
respectively, while household collection is at 55%3. That means one bin for fibre-based packaging suitable
for recycling in standard paper mills and a second bin
As the current recycling rates need to be improved for lightweight packaging (LWP), including fibre-based
to reach an overall recycling rate of 90%, 4evergreen packaging suitable for recycling in specialised mills. In
concludes that more focus needs to be put on household every respect, 4evergreen also supports alternative
collection while maintaining high recycling rates for streams for collection and infrastructures capable of
industrial and commercial collection. meeting the recycling rate (sub)targets.

IN EUROPE (EU27 + NO, CH, UK)

Households

Commercial
21%
9 million tonnes

47
million tonnes
of fibre-based
48%
20 million
tonnes 42
million tonnes
is collected
packaging is Industrial

31%
consumed each
year

13 million tonnes

Household collection on its composition and recyclability. The routes from

collection to recycling at paper and board mills are also
The starting point and basis for the Guidance and examined, followed by practical recommendations how
recommendations is separate collection of paper and to optimise collection.
board within households. Here, fibre-based packaging
should be collected in either the standard paper and board Separate collection of fibre-based packaging is
stream or the lightweight packaging stream, depending fundamental, as it enables better quality paper and

2
RISI; Expert interviews; Press search; FAO; OECD; Cepi, team analysis
3
RISI; Expert interviews; Press search; FAO; OECD; Cepi, team analysis

4 December 2023
board to enter recycling streams with less contamination. Consumers need to be empowered and encouraged to
4evergreen endorses collection systems where material recycle fibre-based packaging and paper by separating
is sorted into different streams at the source (e.g. them into the right collection stream. This positively
households), laying a strong foundation for recycling at affects the recycling process and avoids recyclable
suitable paper and board mills. material being sent to incineration plants or landfill. Public
awareness and education on this topic is key. Today, fibre-
Household collection schemes determine suitable recycling based products collected with, and sorted from, residual
streams for various grades of fibre-based packaging and waste streams are not considered suitable for recycling
other paper products, which in turn have a fundamental in paper mills, as fibres may have been contaminated by
impact on the efficiency of paper recycling. In essence, this organic or hazardous substances.
concerns practical matters, such as looking at the number
of recycling streams households are dealing with and what In order to achieve higher recycling rates packaging needs
sort of instructions or information they receive on how or to be circular by design (learn more about this here4).
where to discard what packaging product.
Recycling legislation
In this Guidance, a distinction is made between two
dominant coexisting collection streams for fibre-based The EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) named
packaging waste originating in households (both will be separate collection as a precondition for high-quality recycling.
addressed in more detail in later chapters). Meanwhile, In accordance with the later Packaging and Packaging Waste
further separation at source exists in some countries Directive (2018/852), European member states are required
whereby additional fractions being collected deliver high to implement national extended producer responsibility
quality and volume for recycling. schemes (EPR) by the end of 20245. This obliges affected
stakeholders (e.g. municipalities, producers) to develop,
It is important that the collection and sorting set-up guides among other things, the required infrastructure to collect
the different paper grades towards the right recycling fibre-based packaging separately at source (households).
process and end use in order to secure the highest quality Minimum requirements for such schemes have been set out
and yield of recovered material across different types of in the latest amendment of the Waste Framework Directive
recycling mills processing different types of fibre-based (EU Directive 2018/851; article 8a).
materials. Moreover, each paper mill will have its own
special recipe and appropriate technical equipment related Implementation of separate collection and adequate sorting
to the properties of the intended end products. of fibre-based packaging and other paper and board
products is not only necessary to comply with European law,
The highest efficiency and recycling rates will thus be but also important to create qualities of paper for recycling
obtained by ensuring that paper mills have access to that match suitable paper mills, thus increasing the recycling
fibre-based material collected and sorted into different rate and delivering the best overall environmental solution
feedstock fractions, with sufficient quality to create the for European consumers and the planet.
required recipe for their own products.
4evergreen is in support of legislative initiatives that
Connecting packaging and the full recycling incentivise more investment and the wider participation
system of all relevant stakeholders in separate collection and
post-collection sorting actions aimed at increasing the
There are several key elements in achieving fibre-based recycling rate of fibre-based packaging.
packaging waste recycling rate targets. In principle, all
fibre-based packaging is recyclable, the vast majority Moreover, 4evergreen supports EPR-fee structures which,
in standard mills. However, not every paper or board to the largest extent possible, reflect the real net recycling
mill can recycle all types of fibre-based packaging, as costs for each type of packaging material. An economic
their processes and equipment vary. As such, a certain assessment should take into account (a) collection costs,
packaging item for one type of mill could be considered (b) need for and cost of sorting/processing, (c) actual cost
recyclable, and for another mill it could be considered of recycling, and (d) the value of recyclates.
non-recyclable. Therefore, effective and efficient recycling
depends on the correct fibre-based packaging reaching
the correctly designated paper or board mills.

4
https://4evergreenforum.eu/about/guidelinesandprotocol/
5
The UK has indicated that it will implement similar EPR legislation.

December 2023 5
3. S
 tandard and deinking mill
route
Recycling of fibre-based packaging into new paper and is for graphic paper products, typically with deinking, and
board is an established technique in widespread use. In the larger one for fibre-based packaging. Since deinking
fact, fibre-based packaging and paper can go through processes are designed to remove ink but not to bleach
multiple cycles of production, use and recycling. The naturally coloured fibres, the graphic cycle is sensitive to
recycling processes are designed to maintain the quality unbleached material. The packaging cycle also receives
of the fibres, thus allowing multiple cycles. In every cycle, some graphic material – directly via mixed paper and
the fibrous material is cleaned of non-paper constituents, indirectly via white top layers of corrugated and solid
such as staples, barrier and adhesive applications as well board. Also, packaging produced on bleached, mostly
as loose non-paper components. virgin substrates often goes directly into packaging
grades of paper for recycling. The key quality parameters
The basic processes to treat paper and board for recycling for recycled packaging paper or board are strength
are similar. The raw material and the end product properties.
manufactured determine the recycling technology
required and level of complexity of the processes. The main volume of paper and board for recycling is from
Common in all mills is a repulping stage which disintegrates post-consumer sources, being industrial and commercial
the structure of paper and board into individual fibres, outlets, households and offices. All but the households
followed by cleaning and screening stages. provide rather pure material, either graphic or packaging
products. Collection from those sources is often well
Mills with standard equipment typically treat old established with the help of service providers and leaves
corrugated containers (OCC) and/or mixed paper. They little room for augmentation.
mainly reject non-paper constituents and non-paper
components. The output is a greyish and brownish There is definite scope for improvement in household
pulp. This pulp is typically used to produce brown paper and board recycling – the focus of this Guidance.
containerboard and inner layers of cardboard. Households provide used packaging as well as graphic
products, but the collection rate is not as high as from the
Deinking mills have similar cleaning and screening stages other three post-consumer sources.
but apply additional processes to remove ink, and they
typically have more sophisticated equipment to improve Recommended system: separate collection
the cleanliness of the pulp. Inputs here are paper and
board products on bleached substrates, and the output Separate collection of paper and board for recycling is
is a white or off-white pulp. This pulp is typically used for generally accepted and supported by the paper and
graphic and for hygiene papers as well as for white top board industry. It is also the prevailing system in Europe.
layers of liner and cardboard. The collection system should be comprised of all used
paper and products which can be utilised in standard
More than three quarters of the paper and board for and deinking mills. The key to a high recycling rate is
recycling utilised in Europe consist of corrugated, kraft implementation of kerbside collection systems for
and mixed grades. Most of this material is used in standard households.
mills to produce packaging paper and board. Another 15-
20% are graphic grades mainly treated using a process Drop-off systems such as ‘bring banks’ and recycling
to remove the ink and enhance the optical properties. centres have the advantage of lower collection costs for
Both processes are well designed to handle recyclable the municipality, but they require more effort by citizens,
paper and board products, which are typically non-wet- resulting in lower collection rates.
strength and are limited to no more than a one-sided
barrier application. An important aspect is the quality of the collected
paper and board for recycling with respect to non-paper
Optimum paper and board recycling occurs in two co- components and other contamination. The collected
existing and interlinked material cycles. The smaller cycle material should be as clean and dry as possible, without

6 December 2023
food residues and only with light stains, if any. In general, these systems are already established, they should
the quantity of non-paper components and unwanted continue.
paper/board increases when the collection process is • 
Separate collection of paper and board (including
more anonymous. Other influencing factors are size used liquid packaging cartons; not supported by
and the shape of container openings, housing structure, 4evergreen Alliance).
the environmental consciousness of users, frequency of Regionally, this variant of separate collection is in
residential waste collection etc. place. Here, subsequent sorting into standard paper
Consumers play a vital role in sorting the material at and board for recycling in standard mills and used
source, therefore public education is key. liquid packaging cartons for recycling in specialised
mills is expected.
The quality of the collected paper and board for recycling • 
Commingled collection (not supported by 4evergreen
determines whether a subsequent sorting should take Alliance)
place. If part of the material is destined for a deinking In some regions, commingled collection systems
mill, sorting is inevitable. where dry recyclables (e. g. plastic, paper, metal,
glass) are all collected in the same recycling stream
Other collection systems in place are common. Even after sorting, the resulting paper
fraction rarely meets the quality requirements of
• Selective collection of paper and board European standard paper mills – in terms of unwanted
These systems can be organised by placing separate materials and cross-contamination.
containers, bins or baskets at the point of collection,
in recycling centres, as part of a campaign, or in The following picture shows the two main sub-routes
participating shops, etc. Collectively, they provide for collected paper and board in standard grades from
rather low quantities but higher purity with less households to paper mills. Typically, large and heavy
contamination, e. g. graphic paper products as well non-paper components are removed from the paper
as packaging based on bleached substrates. Wherever stream during the sorting process.

Household collected
paper & board (PB)
> Separate collection
> Both packaging and other paper & board
(e.g. newspapers and magazines)
> Excluding used beverage carton and
certain6 fibre-based composite packaging.

PB

Pressing/ Deinking
quality checks sorting line

OCC Deinking
grade

Standard Deinking
mill mill

December 2023 7
European Standard (EN 643)

The European Standard EN 643, ‘Paper and board – For paper and board collected from households and used
European list of standard grades of paper and board in standard or deinking mills, the following grades are the
for recycling’, defines general requirements for paper most relevant in terms of volume:
and board recycling and individual grades within five
groups. The grades in groups 1 to 4 are suitable to be
used in standard and/or deinking mills. Grades in group
1.01.00, 1.02.00 mixed paper and board
5 typically need an adapted process and thus should go
(after inspection
to specialised mills.
and/or sorting)

The definitions and the general requirements in EN 643 are: 1.04.00, 1.05.00 OCC (in different quality
(incl. subgrades) levels)
• Source of the material
If the paper and board for recycling comes from 1.11.00 deinking grade graphic paper
commingled collection, it has to be specifically
marked. If it originates from refuse collections, it is not
suitable for the paper and board industry.
• Prohibited materials For the American market, the corresponding document to
Any materials considered hazardous for health, EN 643 is ISRI SPECS, which is updated on an annual basis.
safety and the environment are forbidden, with zero
tolerance. Fibre-based packaging innovations are being developed
• Unwanted materials at a rapid rate, largely in response to legislation, taxation,
There are two tolerance levels in each grade for and restrictions on plastic packaging. Such innovations
non-paper components and for the total unwanted are resulting in a complex mix of fibre-based composite
material. packaging (FBCP) products – containing non-paper
• Moisture components – being placed on the market. It is not always
There is no limit but clearly stated that any moisture clear which collection system is best suited to these
above 10% may be deducted from the final weight and new products. In this situation, 4evergreen recommends
claimed back from the supplier. the ‘Recyclability Evaluation Protocol’ and ‘Design for
• Form of delivery Recycling Guidelines’ as a reference. As a rule of thumb,
Shredding should be avoided and limited to material with the following characteristics should be
requirements for confidentiality. collected via LWP: wet-strength fibre, two-sided barrier
• Deinking grades application (such as liquid packaging cartons), and high
These grades have additional requirements in terms of percentage of non-fibre content. For such materials, the
their ‘deinkability’ and the age of the material in the specialised mill route is recommended.
case of newspapers.

The EN 643 standard lists around 100 grades by number,

name, and a corresponding description of its content
and two tolerance levels. One parameter is for non-paper
components (loose non-paper material) that can be
removed by dry sorting. The second parameter is the total
unwanted material; the sum of non-paper components,
paper and board detrimental to production, paper and
board not matching the grade definition, and (in deinking
grades) paper products not suitable for deinking.

8 December 2023
4. Specialised mill route
As highlighted previously, separate collection of fibre- the predominant material is paper. Depending on
based packaging from households sets a strong foundation product design and the type and amount of non-paper
to recycle different fibre-based packaging into suitable constituents used, part of these products could be suitable
paper and board mills, creating the highest yield and for collection via the household paper and board stream,
quality in the recycling process. and then recycled in standard mills. Specific information
on this topic will be provided in a forthcoming 4evergreen
In the previous chapter, it was explained that clean guidance in 2024.
(packaging and non-packaging) paper and board,
including certain6 fibre-based composite packaging – Recommended system: collection
ideally collected separately in order to be recycled in of lightweight packaging
a standard paper mills. Paper and board intended for
recycling, but which cannot be recycled efficiently in a Collection systems for lightweight packaging are well-
standard mill, needs a special process. This is why used established in some countries and provide a solution to
beverage cartons (UBC) and certain7 other FBCP are to capture UBC and certain9 FBCP in an efficient way, as
be recycled in a specialised paper mill. existing (and future) sorting technologies can separate
qualities suitable for recycling in specialised paper and
Input qualities for specialised mills board mills. As such, it is 4evergreen’s recommended
collection system for this packaging. In LWP collection,
Although specialised mills are designed to recycle specific targeted material may include plastic packaging, metal
paper grades, it does not mean they can all be recycled packaging, UBC and certain10 FBCP. Glass should be kept
together. Input qualities need to be adapted to the separate.
specific technology used and should consider the end
products for which the fibres will be used. UBCs are already being collected with LWP in many
countries across Europe (mainly together with plastic
Here, UBCs are an already well-established recycling and metal packaging), separated at source from other
process in a specialised mill. Typically, this is a two-sided paper and board. In some countries, such as Germany,
laminated paper, with or without a metallised layer, which other FBCP is also accepted in the LWP collection.
requires a specialised pulping action and a reject system Typically, LWP is sent to a dedicated sorting plant capable
handling higher quantities. The technology used by these of separating the LWP into different fractions ready for
mills is designed to optimise paper-recovery, hence recycling. For fibre-based packaging, two qualities need
providing an almost fibre-free reject quality. If the variety of to be separated for recycling in a specialised mill, i.e. UBC
products is low, such as in the treatment of UBC, additional and other FBCP.
process steps are often in place to recover and recycle the
non-paper constituents as well (e.g. ‘polyal’ from UBC). Industry commitments on input requirements

Specialised mills can recycle certain types of non-standard The EN 643 standard lists the grades of ‘Paper and Board
grades of paper and board for recycling, including FBCP. for Recycling’, including barrier-coated, fibre-based
They often have longer repulping times and increased packaging such as liquid packaging board or cups. As
screening and cleaning capacity. the variety of fibre-based packaging is increasing, adding
non-paper constituents, recycling needs to be considered
Similar processes can be adapted and optimised for for the non-paper constituents as well.
wet-strength products and certain 8 other FBCP, i.e. Industry is committed to drive and increase recycling
packaging composed of two or more materials, where for the variety of fibre-based packaging. Specialised

6
Specific information on this topic can be found in the 4evergreen Fibre-based Packaging Evaluation Protocol.
7
ibidem
8
ibidem
9
ibidem
10
ibidem

December 2023 9
recycling mills are applying bilateral commitments onto
specific input requirements beyond EN 643, which are
consequently a guideline for sorting plants to produce
these qualities. An example from Germany can be
highlighted; specification n° 512 concerns recycling in
dedicated specialised mills for UBC, while specification
n° 550 covers those mills also capable of processing other
FBCP.

Sorting is a vital step in the process, as specialised

recycling mills are not necessarily capable of recycling all
fibre-based packaging types. A specialised mill developed
to recycle UBC, or materials with a similar composition,
will not automatically be able to recycle other FBCP. The
technology being used in a specialised mill is linked to
repulping time, fibre quality and properties, additives,
agents, adhesives, fillers, and non-fibre components.

Household collected
lightweight packaging (LWP)
> Separate collection
> Including used beverage carton (UBC),
plastic packaging and metal packaging
and certain10 fibre-based composite
packaging (FBCP).

LWP

LWP sorting plant

Other FBCP UBC

Specialised Specialised Other material

FBCP mill UBC mill flows

10 December 2023
5. P
 ractical recommendations
for collecting and sorting
fibre-based packaging
for recycling
4evergreen’s ambitious target to exceed EU legal While separation of materials for recycling is required
requirements by recycling 90% of all fibre-based to be undertaken by consumers at source, it is the most
packaging by 2030 is dependent upon achieving a step effective method of limiting cross-contamination of
change in household recycling across Europe. These recyclable materials and maximises the opportunity to
Guidelines set out the preferred collection and sorting recycle all the packaging recovered. It should also be
processes to achieve, but it requires the commitment of noted that any material collected in either the blue or
all stakeholders in the supply chain, as well as consumers yellow bins should be clean, dry, and free of residue.
and governments.
In addition, where consumers have frequent and
4evergreen advocates two recommended systems that scheduled household curb-side collections, there is less
can work harmoniously to deliver an effective system for need to take recyclables to community recycling points
collecting paper-based packaging: or ‘bring banks’, which typically results in higher volumes
being collected for recycling.
Household curb-side collection; ‘two-bin’
system for fibre-based packaging Community and on-the-go collection points

Collection of packaging waste generated at the home is Community and on-the-go collection points can play an
essential, with the fibre-based packaging separated in to important role in the required infrastructure to achieve
two streams. The first stream, identified as the ‘blue bin’ 90% recycling rates for fibre-based packaging. They can
should contain paper and board, fibre-based packaging be a great complementary solution for consumers that
and certain FBCP which is suitable for recycling at have too much packaging to recycle through their home
standard paper mills (as described in Chapter 2). This system, and for packaging waste generated ‘on-the-go’.
makes up the majority of all fibre-based packaging However, the Guidelines discourage national and local
emanating from households. governments from relying solely on systems that require
an ever-increasing commitment from citizens. In places
The second stream identified as the ‘yellow bin’ contains that rely on community waste-collection infrastructure,
LWP, including certain fibre-based packaging which is the relative rate of recycling is usually lower. Exceptions
recyclable only in specialised paper mills. Examples of or special arrangements may therefore be needed for
which may include UBCs, and certain FBCP (as described high-rise buildings and high-density areas where effective
in Chapter 3). Sorting of this packaging fraction is household collection can be challenging.
needed to produce the quality of feedstock required
for specialised mills. Effective on-the-go recycling systems should include
bins that match the materials and colours of household
4evergreen will provide a more detailed description of bins, to ensure consistency and harmonisation. Equally,
such packaging upon the conclusion of Version 3 of the capacity and collections should be optimised, limiting
‘Recyclability Evaluation Protocol’ in 2024. the risk of fly tipping, or dumping of material outside
the container. Attention should also be given to locating
Separation of fibre-based packaging into these two bins where packaging waste is likely to be generated –
streams reduces the need for unnecessary sorting for the typically public places such as parks, railway stations and
standard mill route, and produces higher quality paper shopping centres.
for recycling in both standard and specialised paper
mills. Examples of best practice exist in public places where
source separation is in place, and it is 4evergreen’s view

December 2023 11
that this should be expanded more widely. 4evergreen public administrators. A dual-stream system is necessary
will be providing more detailed recommendations and to ensure that the quality of material is maintained
examples of best practice for HORECA and on-the-go and only material that requires sorting is economically
recycling in the 2024 update of these Guidelines. separated through existing sorting technologies, and
recycled in the correct type of paper mill.
One practical example to maximise capacity of
community and on-the-go collection points is to provide To be successful at scale, consistent dual-stream
underground storage for waste that is put into bins at collection systems need to be available and accessible
street level. This results in higher payloads and greater to the majority of the population and supported by
efficiency for collectors, and is most effective in areas of manufacturing infrastructure capable of reprocessing
high population density. the material.

Further considerations 4evergreen defines packaging as recyclable at scale if:

The 4Evergreen recommendation of two recycling • The material is collected by specific national or
bins for collection of household and on-the-go fibre- regional collection systems
based packaging is key for optimising the already well- • Sorting technologies for the packaging are in place
established recycling system across Europe. and accessible
• Processing technology for the material exists, and
The consistency and harmonisation of collection systems enough capacity is available and accessible
is essential not only at the local level, but also the • There is market potential for the resulting secondary
national level, and long-term aspirations for European- raw materials11
wide harmonisation should be considered. Properly
organised, homogeneous collection and sorting systems Where capacity within EU member states is insufficient,
across EU member states will produce high-quality, fibre- global commodity markets provide a ready outlet for
based recycling streams at relatively low social cost, high-quality materials. 4evergreen notes that future
bringing high value to the economy and reducing the regulation may hinder export of paper-based packaging
carbon impact on the environment. waste outside the EU and, as such, consideration for
increasing mill capacity within the EU is needed.
Other less granular collection methodologies, such as
comingled collection, have proven to cause unnecessary More and better data is needed for reporting on
and sometimes unacceptable levels of contamination, material collected for recycling. This should align with
rendering normally recyclable material unrecyclable and potential revisions under the Packaging and Packaging
undermining the overall objective of 90% recyclability for Waste Directive, and the introduction of EPR and eco-
fibre-based packaging. modulation across member states. Necessary quality
inspections should start at the point of collection and
A key responsibility in this optimised chain lies with the continue throughout the value chain until the point of
consumer and the need to separate paper packaging recycling in a paper mill. Data should be made available
into two streams at the point of collection: either paper to monitor leakage of valuable resources from within the
and board (blue bin) or LWP for sorting (yellow bin). system and highlight areas of improved efficiency which
Harmonising such systems across Europe will require could be made.
public engagement from consumers and must be led by

11
See P12 of 4EG Circularity by Design Guideline for Fibre-based Packaging Version 2, published June 2023

12 December 2023
Education and communication to consumers is key, with
access to information on sorting instructions for local and
national areas combined with education programmes
and public awareness campaigns to drive long-lasting,
generational improvements. Consumers must be
encouraged to understand the importance of their role
in the recycling process. Together with a harmonised
collection system, this will deliver transparency and trust for
consumers. Other such methods to improve engagement
and enforcement include the use of penalties/incentives to
drive change. As seen in some EU member states, this can
be an effective method to boost recycling rates.

For any of these recommendations to take hold,

there must be clear and complete national legal and
operational frameworks implemented to support these
activities, including:

• The citizen’s responsibility to sort their waste for

recycling
• The municipality’s obligation to collect and recycle
the material collected
• Targets to reduce municipal residual waste are issued
• Responsibility and ownership regimes for the material
(e.g. EPR)
• Transparent reporting on recycling rates, and an
improvement in data
• Translation of European legislation into (more
ambitious) national recycling targets
• Enforcement of regulations

Throughout this process, the quality and consistency of

output from the system is paramount.

4evergreen believes that to maximise our use of

resources, optimise recycling systems, minimise energy
and reduce carbon emissions, it is necessary to adopt
a standardised and harmonised separate collection
infrastructure across EU member states, starting at local
and national level.

December 2023 13
  lossary
6. G

14 December 2023
Deinking Paper
Process of ink removal from pulp during the recycling Range of materials in the form of a coherent sheet or
process. web, made by deposition of pulp from a fluid suspension
onto a suitable forming device. Pulp fibres are generally
Deinking Mill of vegetable origin, typically cellulose. For specialties,
Deinking mills have been designed for pulping, cleaning other origins are possible. In the generic sense, the
and deinking of graphic paper grades, typically term “paper” may be used to describe both paper and
newspapers and magazines like grade 1.11.00 and other board as well as moulded pulp products. The primary
grades defined in EN 643 as intended for deinking. The distinction between paper and board is normally based
deinking process also has the capability of processing upon thickness or grammage, though in some instances
white/bleached fibre-based packaging papers if they fulfil the distinction will be based on the characteristics and/
the brightness and general quality requirements. The vast or end-use. Papers may be coated, impregnated or other-
majority of deinking processes worldwide use flotation wise converted, during or after their manufacture, without
deinking processes. A washing step is commonly added necessarily losing their identity as paper. In conventional
in the deinking process, which also has to remove the papermaking processes, the fluid medium is water; new
minerals (e.g., for tissue papers). developments, however, include the use of air and other
fluids. Sheets or laps of pulp as commonly understood for
EN643 - European List of Standard Grades of Paper paper making or dissolving purposes are excluded.
and Board for Recycling
The European List of Standard Grades of Paper and Board Paper and Board for Recycling
for Recycling gives a general description of the standard Natural fibre based paper and board suitable for recycling
grades by defining what they are allowed and not allowed and consisting of - Paper and board in any shape -
to contain. Products made predominately from paper and board,
which may include other constituents that cannot be
Fibre-based composite packaging (FBCP) removed by dry sorting, such as coatings and laminates,
Packaging composed of paper and a considerable share spiral bindings, etc.
of non-paper elements that by design are not separated
after use. Pulp
Fibrous material, generally of vegetable origin, obtained
Fibre-based packaging with various processes from raw materials in different
Product, based on paper and/or cardboard, suitable to forms and made ready for use in further manufacturing
pack filling goods. Design and properties of the fibre- processes. Examples for raw materials are wood, wood
based packaging typically are specific for the respective chips, plants, paper and board for recycling, textiles, etc.
filling goods.
Repulping
Kraft paper Process for treating dry pulp, paper, board, or paper for
Paper of high mechanical strength made entirely from recycling with water in order to prepare a suspension of
sulphate chemical pulp – can be either MF-paper, MG- fibres.
paper or sack kraft paper
Recycling
Liquid Packaging Boards The mechanical reprocessing of Paper for Recycling in a
Board intended for the manufacture of packaging for paper and board mill as part of a production process into
liquids. new products, materials, or substances.

Liquid Packaging Carton Sorting

A closed composite packaging suitable for packaging The dry segregation of discarded material into specified
liquids or foods, other than drinking cups, for which liquid streams, either at the source or at a dedicated facility, in
packaging board is the main component. order to support effective and efficient recycling.

December 2023 15
Specialised recycling mill Standard recycling mill
These mills treat a mix of special grades (group 5 of EN Such mills typically produce high quality end-products
643) and grades from other groups (1-4 from EN 643). based on EN 643 groups 1 to 4 . In large mills, repulping
Each recycling mill determines the optimal mix and adds is done with drum pulpers or continuous vertical pulpers.
one or more piece of dedicated equipment, such as a Often such processes operate deflakers to separate fibre
horizontal high consistency drum pulper, a separate batch bundles into individual fibres, as well as coarse and fine
pulper with longer pulping time, de-inking, fine cleaners, screening and cleaners. The aim is to separate the fibre
hot dispersion, special process and waste water systems. from the other material. The final result is fibrous material
These specialised recycling mills can treat fibre-based suspended in water ready for papermaking (=recycled
packaging that has been coated with non-water soluble pulp). This process is set out in Chapter 2 of 4evergreen’s
products such as wax, plastic film or other layers such Circularity by Design Guideline.
as aluminium, polyester and polyethylene entering the
recycling process in homogeneous lots. Some specialised Yield
recycling mills can also treat wet strength grades (labels). In 4evergreen the yield in fibre-based packaging
recycling is defined as the percentage of fiberous material
In order to optimise the recycling process, fibre-based recovered in the lab test procedure according to the
composite packaging, which cannot be handled in formulas provided in the test and evaluation protocol (in
standard processes, should be delivered to specialised parts I, II and III).
paper mills in EN 643 identified flows. As in standard mills,
the result of the process is also very high quality fibrous
material suspended in water ready for papermaking.

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ABOUT 4EVERGREEN

4evergreen is a cross-industry alliance perfecting the circularity

of fibre-based packaging to contribute to a climate-neutral and
sustainable society. Our goal is to raise the overall recycling rate
of fibre-based packaging to 90% by 2030. We bring a particular
focus on packaging with a lower circularity performance today,
namely the types used for household, out-of-home and on-the-
go consumption.

The alliance brings together industry representatives from across

the fibre-based packaging value-chain, from pulp, paper and
board manufacturers and recyclers to packaging producers
and converters, including brand owners, retailers and waste
management companies. It also comprises non-fibre material
suppliers (e.g., adhesives, inks, coatings), technology providers
(e.g., machinery, collection, and recycling solutions), and leading
research institutes.

For general enquiries please contact 4evergreen@cepi.org