Testing for recyclability

A new inhouse laboratory for testing recyclability of fibre-based packaging will speed up the process of innovating new solutions.

The design-for-recycling criteria under PPWR sets specific requirements for packaging materials to be easily collected, sorted, and processed into high-quality recycled materials that can be put back into the loop. To make sure that a material really is designed for recycling, i.e, have the composition that makes it comply with current recycling infrastructure and to understand which type of fibre recycling mill is most suitable, you need to test the materials first. Many fibre-based packaging materials need a thin coating to give the needed barrier properties. Finding the optimal level – one that provides the needed barrier properties for the specific application but is recyclable under the PPWR in a standard recycling mill – is not that straightforward. We are talking about small tweaks: adding a few percent more of the barrier layer may result in a larger reject ratio. Testing small batches before large-scale production and market launches is essential to verify the recyclability. At Walki, this has been done at external laboratories, but it is quite time consuming.

To speed up the process of innovating and validating new solutions, Walki has invested in an internal laboratory where new materials can be tested for reject rates and other criteria related to recyclability.

Shohei Sanada has been actively involved in the project as his work at Walki revolves around future package design and recyclability of paper in relation to EU regulation. Together with the working teams, he set out to understand the recycling evaluation and make a specific plan and schedule for the project of setting up the laboratory.

“There were various work phases like standardizing evaluation procedures, running equipment tests and setting up the request and reporting system”, he explains.

Coordinating and validating the method and equipment with external evaluation agencies was an important phase in the project as there is not yet an EU standardized method for testing. There are, however, widely accepted industry best practices. As Walki is a member of the industry alliance 4evergeen that brings together the whole value chain to promote fibre-based packaging for easy recyclability, the choice fell on its CEPI protocol (Standardized Evaluation Protocol for Improved recyclability). It is a framework that helps assess and improve the recyclability of fibre-based packaging, providing scientific and harmonized testing methods to evaluate how well different packaging materials perform in real life recycling processes.

A dream team at work

Setting up the laboratory was a team effort. While Shohei Sanada, whose background is in researching pulp and paper, oversaw setting up the laboratory, he got invaluable help from his team. Pernilla Stubb’s extensive experience in quality controls and laboratory work came in handy when it came to applying the recycling evaluation. Henrik Byggmästar used his knowledge of creating a modern and efficient working environment and selecting laboratory equipment to determine the optimal setup for the laboratory.

“Setting up a new evaluation system in-house was very challenging, but by using our expertise and working together as a team, we could make the project go smoothly. I think this was the key to our success”

Shohei Sanada
Development Manager

Sanada moved to Finland from Japan when Walki became part of the Oji Group. He lives in Pietarsaari with his family where they enjoy various sporting activities like football together as a family.

“Life in Pietarsaari is very fulfilling. I love the beautiful nature, rich culture, delicious food, and kind and warm people of Finland.”

He also enjoys his work in the Walki R&D team.

“We have a great project team. It’s really fascinating to work with future packaging design.”