Recyclable Wax Alternatives

Traditionally, some corrugated containers have been treated with wax coatings to provide moisture and vapor protection for safely transporting products requiring it (such as broccoli, usually packed in ice). Wax coatings cannot be recycled because they do not dissolve in water, so they create problems in the repulping process. The industry has worked diligently to develop recyclable alternatives, many of which are now becoming commercially available. These can be certified repulpable and recyclable by passing an industry-standard testing protocol.

Voluntary Standard For Recyclable Wax Alternatives

The Voluntary Standard For Repulping and Recycling Corrugated Fiberboard Treated to Improve Its Performance in the Presence of Water and Water Vapor is an industry-standard testing protocol to certify repulpable and recyclable wax alternatives.

Click here to request access the Voluntary Standard.

Click here for the application and materials forms in Microsoft Word format.

Click here for a Fact Sheet about recyclable wax alternatives.

Note: Suppliers have the responsibility to provide sufficient information to their customers to enable them to manufacture product with treatment levels not exceeding the tested/registered maximums. Also, suppliers should advise their customers that in order to use the “Corrugated Recycles – A” symbol, the customers must file an “Option B” registration with the Fibre Box Association. There are no testing or registration costs associated with an “Option B” Registration. The customers also must acknowledge in the “Option B” registration that they have received sufficient information to manufacture their recyclable wet strength products within the tested/registered treatment maximums.

Voluntary Standard Testing Labs

The following are labs running protocol for the Voluntary Standard For Repulping and Recycling Corrugated Fiberboard Treated to Improve Its Performance in the Presence of Water and Water Vapor.

  • Innofibre
    Innovation center of cellulosic products
    Contact: Gaston Michaud
    Mailing Address    :
    Gaston Michaud
    Cégep de Trois-Rivières
    3351 Des Forges Blvd.
    P.O. Box 97
    Trois-Rivières, QC G9A 5E6, Canada
    Telephone: (819) 376-5075      Email: gaston.michaud@cegeptr.qc.ca
  • NC State University
    Department of Wood & Paper Science
    Contact: Kevin Wise, Director of Applied Research and Pilot Plant Manager
    Mailing Address    :
    Kevin Wise
    Dept. of Wood and Paper Science
    North Carolina State University
    Campus Box 8005
    Raleigh, NC 27695
    Telephone: (919) 515-7761      Email: kdwise@ncsu.edu
  • Western Michigan University Pilot Plant
    Contact: Lon E Pschigoda II, General Manager – Pilot Plants (Paper, Coating, Recycling, Printing, Digester)
    Website Address: http://www.wmich.edu/pilotplants/
    Mailing Address:
    Lon Pschigoda
    Western Michigan University
    4651 Campus Drive
    Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5441
    Telephone: (269) 276-3533      Cell: (269) 689-9612      Email: lon.pschigoda@wmich.edu