The European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO) has issued the Corrugated Packaging Recyclability Guidelines – design for circularity.

With the aim to contribute to the sustainability of packaging, the guidelines provide the industry with a practical set of tools to implement in the recycling of paper and board to ensure the optimal use of natural resources and minimise their environmental impact.

The circular economy needs recycling, waste prevention and re-use to keep materials in the loop and minimise the use of resources. Paper and board are a sustainable, renewable and ecologically sound choice for packaging. In practice, the recyclability of packaging products will be determined by composition. This all starts with their design, followed by the way they are collected, sorted, and presented for reprocessing.

Paper and board recycling in the EU is a success story, with over 83% being effectively recycled. Corrugated packaging is a champion of using recycled paper for new packaging, having 89% recycled content on average.

Eleni Despotou, Director General of FEFCO said “The corrugated board industry provides sustainable and circular packaging products supporting the Green Deal ambition of the European Union. Recovering, recycling, and reusing raw materials can help achieve this. The Corrugated Packaging Recyclability Guidelines provide the industry with an outline to reach our sustainability goals”.