by Massimo Medugno General Manager Assocarta
CEPI has adopted a standing position explaining why the paper industry is opposed to the commingled collection of paper and board and in favour of separate collection (http://www.cepi.org/system/files/public/documents/positionpapers/recycling/2018/CEPI_position_seperate_collection.pdf)
But what does the “separate collection” mean?
It’s clear that the term “separate collection” is understood in different ways by stakeholders and governments.
For CEPI and the paper industries “separate collection” means collection of paper and board separate at source from residual waste and from other recyclables
In fact, the purpose of paper recycling is to produce high quality recycled paper, responding to the high quality specifications required by paper users either from the graphic, hygiene or packaging sectors.
For this raison any collection scheme shall be designed in a way to provide grades of paper for recycling adapted to the requirements of a high value recycling, according to the EN 643 to the paper industry, either directly or after sorting. The Cepi position should provide guidance to decision makers on household waste collection and the collection of paper waste from small shops, on-the-go food shops and offices. This paper targets decision makers in countries, where separate collection systems are not yet well established and guidance is needed. The considerations of this paper are driven by the objective of maximising the recycling rate and best efficiency in all steps of the recycling chain: easiness of understanding for the final consumer, cost-efficiency in the collection and sorting, maximum recycling rate and process efficiency at the final recycling by the paper mill. Annex 1 will give examples on the collection and recycling of these specific paper products.
And finally, we have an european solution for the pizza boxes! Paper packaging (as pizza boxes) that is stained or marked is recyclable: it should be collected with the paper and board stream.5
Good recycling at all!