Sonoco Partnership Unveils Fresh Opportunities to Recycle Paper Containers

By doing so, the remaining fiber could be converted to usable paperboard for new products, thus ensuring a circular economy.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Hartsville, S.C-headquartered Sonoco- the leading packaging services company announced the recently carried out trials in partnership with Sustana and Kellogg’s have delivered favourable results in exploring fresh opportunities to recycle paper containers.

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The partnership with Sustana has helped Sonoco to validate the idea that paper containers could be processed in the paper stream and made into reusable materials. It confirmed that pulping process could be used to separate fiber components from non-fiber components. By doing so, the remaining fiber could be converted to usable paperboard for new products, thus ensuring a circular economy.

Michael Pratt, Senior Sustainability Specialist at Sonoco noted that the company’s paper containers are made with 100% recycled fiber paperboard, of which 85% is post-consumer recycled content. The third party trials had confirmed that paper containers with steel bottoms can be recycled in the steel stream. The next step was to further increase the recyclability of paper containers in the paper stream, he added.

The finding will provide Sonoco with the opportunity to close the loop within the sustainability economy.