rePAPER’s Eco-friendly Certificates! How Are They Different?

 

Each time rePAPER achieves a certificate for each of the product’s environmentally friendly properties, we have been asked how a certificate is different from others and what difference they have. So, we will study and compare the certificates that rePAPER holds today.

rePAPER’s Certificates for Environment-Friendly Properties

Recyclability: Korean Eco Label EL606, UL_UL2485, PTS _ PTS-RH:021/97

Compostability: Industrial Compostable, Home Compostable by DIN CERTCO 


Let’s find out their distinctive features!

 

1.1 Recyclable Certificates

1) Korean Eco Label EL606

Korean Eco Label EL606 is issued for a product that is paper, pulp, or synthetic resin-based with definite supportive evidence for its eco-friendliness such as contribution to improve the resource circulation or to reduce the environmental pollution. Such performance is proven by repulpability analysis.

However, did you know that EL606 standard was initially limited to a product that contains scrap paper only? Later, the Ministry of Environment employed a few exceptional clauses for certain products such as food packaging that the use of waste paper is forbidden due to the hygienic concern. This allowed rePAPER’s coated board, REPA COAT, to be certified for Korean Eco Label.

2) UL 2485 in the US

The standard UL 2485 released by global certification body UL is based on the premise that a paper product with great recyclability will be able to minimize the environmental impact of the product itself and to enhance its lifecycle impact, too. The certificate was based on the TAPPI Method to validate recyclability of food packaging. In fact, rePAPER’s coated board is the first product to achieve the certificate in the world.

3) PTS in the EU

PTS decides a paper-based product’s recyclability under 3 different criteria. They are disintegratability, adhesive impurities, and optical inhomogeneities. PTS checks if the recycled paper is repulpable at a regular recycling facility, if it can be widely used as raw material.


1.2 The Difference of Recyclable Certificates, EL606 vs UL2485 vs PTS-RH:021/97


Quantitative analysis is conducted by observing remaining impurities after handsheeting with recycled pulp and checking the stickiness. However, the test result can vary depending on an inspector and the result may read differently. On the other hand, qualitative analysis is to weigh the accepted and rejected slurry pulp after screening.

For the qualitative test, the certificate is granted for a product with more than 85% of recyclability that the standard is very clear. As it is stated in number, the relevant industries and consumers can intuitively and objectively acknowledge the product’s recyclability.

 

There is a testing institution where recognized the problem of the quantitative analysis and provide the recyclability in figure in Korea. It is KCL, Korea Conformity Laboratories, that evaluates the repulpability of paper-based containers and packaging. The institution analyzes the reject content and the recovery rate of pulp in a qualitative way. It is a positive movement of Korea, establishing specific standards for environmentally friendly properties by adopting the qualitative analysis.

 


2. Compostable Certificate

Compost is organic soil amendment that is obtained by biodegradation of mainly plants residues with a small portion of other organic and mineral materials. In short, it is environmentally friendly compost to grow crops such as fertilizer or manure.


Compost certificate is taking the following steps.


The compostable certificate is achievable if the material passes all of these criteria. There are two kinds of composting certificates, industrial compostable and home compostable and they require the same test process as above. Then, how are they different? It is the temperature for the biodegradation test.

 

The biodegradation test for industrial composting is conducted at 58℃ while it sets at 28℃ for home composting. Microbes are the most active at around 40 - 59℃, but the compost contains a lot of pathogenic bacteria that need to be eliminated. Considering the temperature for the bacteria to die is over 55℃, the most proper temperature for industrial composting is around 55 - 59℃. This means that industrial composting facility controls the temperature artificially for the microbes to be more active. On the other hand, a test for home composting is conducted at 28℃ which is room temperature, and it is a severe condition for microbes to live. Therefore, home-composting certified products can be considered to be compostable under natural condition.

It is not optional, but mandatory to find the ways to save the resource and recycle as much as possible nowadays and rePAPER product’s environmentally friendly technology performing resource circulation can be the key solution. Furthermore, the technology is flexible and can be easily modified according to each country’s condition and request.

rePAPER will continuously prove its environmentally friendly properties and try to take the lead to establish standards for sustainability.

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