Ecodesign guidelines paper and board Packaging

Ecodesign Guidelines

Aside this basic evaluation it is valuable to take in account the following guidelines, when developing packaging :      

• Aim for a homogeneous composition as far as possible.
• Minimise the use of other materials without however loosing the functionality of the packaging.
•  Aim for an easy separation of the different materials used.
• The used materials (adhesives, coatings, films and closures) should be as easy as possible to remove.
•  Avoid the use of materials which are too fragmented in the recycling process and which are thus difficult to remove. Remark : in the production process of packaging made from paper for recycling there is no deinking step, which means a good deinkability is not a requirement (is the case for graphic  paper).
• Optimise weight and formats.
• Provide clear intuitive communication towards the consumers on how to separate the different packaging parts after use, if the end user needs to do so.
• Avoid double sided not water soluble coatings. For a good recovery of the fibres, water needs to have access to the fibres.
• Avoid wet strength paper and board qualities. They do not dissolve in the standard recycling process.
• Use safe chemical substances.  The used chemicals are ending up in solid waste, water effluents or in the product itself. Avoid the use of:  substances of very high concern (SVHC), carcinogenic mutagenic and reprotoxic substances (CMR) and the persistent, bio-accumulating toxic substances (PBT).  Use low migration inks for packaging.
• Aim for pack designs which are easy to sort in automated sorting systems.  The paper for recycling flow coming from households is mainly sorted out in a fraction used for      making graphical paper and in packaging. This sorting is performed in different ways. Valuable to verify if the developed packaging is accurately sorted out with automated optical sorting equipment.
• Choose paper and board made from recycled fibres or based on virgin fibres sourced from sustainably managed forests. Both are necessary and complementary.