Dive Brief:
- More corrugated boxes are shipped with recyclable alternative coatings than are shipped using traditional wax coatings for the first time since 2005, when the corrugated industry's recyclability protocol was introduced, according to a new study from the Corrugated Packaging Alliance (CPA). The industry shipped 10.6 billion square feet of recyclable boxes vs. 9.8 billion square feet of waxed boxes in 2014.
- Waxed boxes are used as moisture barriers on corrugated containers holding wet or iced products such as fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood. Replacements are being found for all types of the waxed boxes, and as of this month, 47 recyclable wax alternatives have passed certification testing and have been registered with the Fibre Box Association.
- In the past four years, the recovery rate for old corrugated containers (OCC) has been near 90%. More corrugated packaging is recovered for recycling than any other packaging material, CPA reported, citing recovery efforts at supermarkets and retail collection where OCC is baled, then sold.
Dive Insight:
CPA executive director Dennis Colley told Recycling Today: "Corrugated is the most reliable, cost-effective and sustainable package available for transporting most products, including those requiring moisture protection such as fresh produce. Even those boxes can be made with recyclable materials. The continuous decrease in wax coatings means that renewable, recyclable corrugated can be used for even the most demanding applications."
The recycling industry is responding to the newer materials. Pratt Industries in September opened its new material recovery facility (MRF) at its base in Conyers, GA. The system, designed to recover mixed fiber, also can process single-stream, commercial, and industrial material and commercial OCC. Pratt is the fifth largest corrugated box company in the U.S.
Additionally, stores are finding they can sell the baled OCC to generate revenue and to improve store profitability.