Recent research conducted by Innofibre has revealed the promising potential of using recycled food and beverage cartons in the production of moulded fiber packaging. Surprisingly, no North American manufacturer currently utilizes pulp derived from recycled cartons for this purpose.
During the study, Innofibre, an esteemed applied research center based in Quebec specializing in plant fiber product development, created pulp from recycled cartons and used it to manufacture moulded products through transfer moulding and thermoforming techniques.
Principal researcher at Innofibre, Eric Desnoes, explains, “Our tests have confirmed that recycled carton fiber pulp possesses mechanical and physical properties comparable to virgin kraft pulp, enabling the production of high-quality moulded products.”
Compared to mechanical pulp from sources like old newspapers, carton pulp exhibits significantly greater strength. Additionally, the research suggests that carton pulp is well-suited for industrial manufacturing due to shorter production times and minimal shrinkage that does not disrupt nesting.
Isabelle Faucher, Managing Director of Carton Council of Canada, notes, “Recycled carton pulp packaging has wide-ranging applications in both food and non-food industries for containing and protecting various products.”
In collaboration with Innofibre, the Carton Council aims to foster new local recyclers for cartons collected in Canada, with potential expansion into the U.S. The Council seeks partnerships with pulp and moulded packaging manufacturers in both countries to further explore the possibilities presented by recycled carton pulp.
Download the complete Innofibre research report here for detailed insights.
For additional information, please visit https://innofibre.ca/en.
