The Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA) has confirmed the release of a new report detailing the results from a newly completed study on the recycling of fibre-based materials with transfer metallic decoration.
In 2020, as sustainability issues came to the forefront of the print decorating industry, FSEA commissioned a study to be undertaken by the Georgia Tech Renewable Bioproducts Institute. The comprehensive testing demonstrated that transfer metallic decorated paper and board do not create problems in the recyclability/repulpability of paper and/or board in a common repulping process. The new study now available through FSEA has taken a further step to test transfer metallic decorated fibre-based materials and demonstrate that it actually is being recycled by MRFs throughout North America. Through extensive testing at the Van Dyk Technology Center, the study demonstrates that fibre-based transfer metallic decorated materials are recyclable and currently are being sorted by MRFs to be included in the recycling stream.
The testing and results are intended to provide broad direction and to point consumers, CPGs, MRFs and marketers toward resource-efficient recycling data for fibre-based packaging and printed materials. This study demonstrated how transfer metallic decorated materials can be collected, separated and recovered from the waste stream and be efficiently recycled. Various products and packaging formats with metallic decoration have been questioned in the past. The Van Dyk study proves reprocessing and repurposing of transfer metallic decorated materials don’t fall into the misinformation trap.
“FSEA believed it was vitally important to take an additional step in our sustainability efforts and demonstrate that transfer metallic decorated paper/board is being recycled at the MRFs,” stated Jeff Peterson, Executive Director, FSEA. “Having the first study on how metallic decorated paper/board is recyclable and now this report confirming that it is beingrecycled helps the association tell the full story to brand owners, PSPs and consumers.”
For further information or to receive a copy of the study, email [email protected]
