Study supports use of recycled cartons in molded fiber production

A recent study conducted by Quebec-based research firm Innofibre suggests postconsumer recycled food and beverage cartons can be used to manufacture “high-quality” molded fiber packaging, noting that recycled carton fiber pulp has similar properties as virgin pulp and therefore can be used in similar applications.

The study was commissioned by the Ontario-based Carton Council of Canada.

According to the study, no molded fiber packaging manufacturer in North America currently incorporates pulp made from recycled cartons into its products.

For the research, Innofibre produced pulp from recycled food and beverage cartons and used the pulp to created molded products using transfer molding and thermoforming.

“Our tests confirmed that recycled carton fiber pulp has similar mechanical and physical properties to virgin kraft pulp,” says Eric Desnoes, principal researcher of the study. “This means that we can manufacture high-quality molded products with it.”

Desnoes says the strength of carton pulp is significantly higher than that of mechanical pulp, like that made from old newspaper, which currently is the pulp most frequently used for molded packaging made with recycled materials.

The research concludes 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.

“Packaging made of recycled carton pulp could be used to contain or protect a wide variety of products in the food and nonfood industries,” says Isabelle Faucher, managing director of the Carton Council of Canada.

The group’s partnership with Innofibre aims to encourage the emergence of new local recyclers for cartons collected in the U.S. and Canada.

“The Carton Council hopes to collaborate with pulp and molded packaging manufacturers in both countries who would be willing to further explore the possibilities offered by recycled carton pulp,” the group says.