Processing Old Corrugated Containers (OCC) for Recycling
Old corrugated containers (OCC) is the single largest source of and most recovered paper grade in the waste stream. Demand for OCC by mills usually increases in the summer when businesses gear to ship Christmas goods in cartons. OCC is used to make new corrugated cartons, linerboard, paperboard and wallboard.
Quality control is very important in processing OCC for recycling. Generally the buyer of OCC will be interested in the baled weight, moisture content and contaminants.
Brokers and mills have different requirements on bale weights. You'll need to contact several brokers and/or mills to see what their specific requirements are on bale weights. Some may require that bales be a minimum of 1,200 pounds while others can accept bales at 800 pounds.
Bales or corrugated containers should be wrapped with 12 gauge bale wire. Bales should be tagged with proper bale tags indicating seller and bale weight and accompanied by a bill of lading with specific information.
Moisture content is generally limited to 10% or less. Special equipment is available to check moisture content but the buyer will generally determine the need for such testing. Since paper is most often bought by the ton, a high moisture content would mean the buyer is paying too much for a load of wet paper. Also, if paper remains wet for extended periods, the fibers can degrade.
Contamination is also a serious issue with OCC processing. Contaminants to OCC is known as outthrows and prohibitive materials. Outthrows are usually paper of a different type, a small percentage of which may be acceptable. Newspapers are a common outthrow that is acceptable while wax/plastic coated cartons, chipboard/boxboard (cereal and tissue boxes), magazines, carrier stock (soda/beer cartons), and feed sacks (wet strength or plastic lined) are unacceptable outthrows. Outthrows are limited to 5% contamination. Prohibitive materials are usually non-paper items such as metals, plastics, glass, food, wood and dirt. Prohibitives are limited to 1% contamination. Paper grocery bags are acceptable in corrugated bales. Staples and most tapes do not have to be removed.
Baled OCC can be stored inside or outside for an extended period of time and depending on buyer requirements. Sunlight and rain can overtime degrade OCC bales but it can take several months depending on the time of year.
If you have any questions, comments or need assistance regarding the processing of old corrugated containers for recycling, contact the Recycling and Solid Waste Reduction Program staff at MDEQ.
|