Beverage Cartons Research Articles

Analysis of Mixing Ratio of Used Beverage Cartons in Unsorted KOCC and Recycled Material Flow

Analysis of Mixing Ratio of Used Beverage Cartons in Unsorted KOCC and Recycled Material Flow

Properties of Cementitious Composite Reinforced with Recycled Pulp from Beverage Cartons

This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of the refining level of recycled pulp from beverage cartons (RPBC) on the properties of its cementitious composite. The RPBC with various freeness levels, ranging from 400 to 650 mL of the Canadian Standard Freeness test method (CSF), was prepared using a high-speed fruit blender. The specimens were formed by the slurry de-watering method with 8wt% fiber content and mortar matrix with a sand-to-cement ratio of 1:1. The key findings reveal that the cementitious composites reinforced with the RPBC exhibited a maximum value of flexural strength of 11.17 MPa and the freeness of 550 mL CSF. The fracture toughness values of the RPBC composites were significantly improved compared to that of the control specimen. However, the values decreased by about 14% to 20 % as the freeness reduced from 650 to 400 mL CSF. The bulk density and porosity of the RPBCC were not significantly affected by the freeness of RPBC.

Pyrolysis conversion of multi-layer packaging waste under a CO2 atmosphere: Thermo-kinetic study, evolved products analysis and artificial neural networks modeling

Packaging waste such as beverage carton forms a significant part of municipal solid waste and its pyrolysis behavior, kinetics, and thermodynamics were studied. A four-stage decomposition process was revealed: dehydration below 200 ℃, paperboard degradation at 200–400 ℃, polyethylene devolatilization at 400–550 ℃, and inorganic decomposition at 550–900 ℃. The evolved products included furans and acetic acid during stage II, followed by the presence of 2-butene and 1-pentene in the subsequent stage. Apparent activation energy (Ea) were determined using model-free models, revealing a notable level of comparability among these results. The average Ea was 123.6 kJ/mol within α range of 0.10–0.60, increasing to 233.3 kJ/mol beyond that range. The most probable reaction mechanism was determined, with the one-dimensional model proving more reliable. An artificial neural network model was developed to predict the thermal degradation. The selected topology of 5*15*1 displayed a robust ability to predict the thermal data.

Development of a beverage carton closure cap based on 100% wood pulp fibres

Single-use plastic products have been identified as an environmental challenge. When such products are not recycled, they may end up in nature and thus cause, e.g., marine littering. Thermoformed wood pulp fibre products are gaining more interest to replace fossil plastic products. However, beverage caps made of wood pulp fibres are challenging due to the hygroscopic nature of wood fibres, i.e., they absorb water, deform and loose functionality. Hence, the purpose of this study was to develop a fibre-based beverage cap that could replace plastic tethered cap systems. Both unbleached and bleached Kraft pulp and chemo-thermo-mechanical pulp (CTMP) fibres were tested in thermoforming trials, using tailor-made metal moulds. The results showed that Kraft pulp fibres formed denser structures, with more limited water absorption, compared to CTMP. The mechanical properties of thermoformed specimens were suitable for the application, i.e., the strength, modulus and elongation were between 32 and 36 MPa, 4–4.9 GPa and 1.6–1.9%, respectively, depending on the type of pulp fibre. Additionally, in order to secure that the caps were functional in relevant conditions in contact with liquids (water or milk), the caps were surface modified by silylation and esterification to increase the liquid barrier. The results indicate that surface esterification increased the contact angle to 95°. On the other hand, the surface-modified caps could not entirely limit the liquid absorption over longer periods of time (>∼1 h) when the caps were directly exposed to liquid. However, the liquid barrier was satisfactory when the products were exposed to increased relative humidity in refrigerated conditions (relative humidity >76% and temperature <7 °C).

Solvent-targeted recovery of all major materials in beverage carton packaging waste

Liquid packaging boards are widely used for beverage packaging, but their complex composition poses challenges for recycling. These composites are occasionally recycled through hydropulping. However, this method only allows for partial recovery of the paperboard and produces a reject mixture of aluminium, plastics, and residual paper fiber. This study demonstrates the first process to purify all main components of beverage carton packaging waste derived from a commercial pulp mill using solvent-targeted recycling with multiple green solvents, such as p-cymene and ionic liquids. By utilizing this solvent-based process, all major components from the waste were recycled to their original forms in excellent purity, particularly aluminum—an essential industrial metal typically obtained through energy-intensive methods. Furthermore, the solvents used in our material recycling system can be recycled in high purity and reused in the fractionation process. The recovered paper fiber could be converted to the versatile platform chemical levulinic acid in good yield.

Recycling of multilayer packaging waste with switchable anionic surfactants

Switchable Anionic Surfactants (SAS) were used for delaminating flexible packaging waste composed of various plastic layers and aluminium, thereby promoting the recycling of such waste streams from a circular economy perspective. The delamination protocol was optimized on de-pulped food and beverage cartons containing low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and aluminium, varying the carboxylic acid and its counterion constituting the SAS (C8C18 carboxylic acids as the anionic part; inorganic bases and primary, secondary and tertiary amines as the cationic one) their molar ratio (carboxylic acid: base molar ratio from 1:1 to 1:3), SAS concentration (0.15, 0.3 and 0.5 wt%), time (0.5–3 h) and material weight in input (1–10 wt%). High-quality LDPE and aluminium were separated and recovered by using a diluted solution of a surfactant based on lauric acid and triethanolamine (C12-TEA), with performances not achievable with other anionic or cationic surfactants available on the market. The C12-TEA solution was then applied to a large variety of multilayer waste materials composed of polypropylene and aluminium, polyolefins/polyethylene terephthalate/aluminium, giving a material separation dependant on the structure and composition of the material in input. At the end of the process, lauric acid was recovered from the aqueous solution used for washing the separated materials by tuning its water solubility with CO2.

A historical-technical analysis of packaging waste flows in Vienna

Urban waste management plays an important role in providing secondary raw materials for packaging waste recycling. To assess measures for this provision, material flows of packaging waste for 2006–2020 in Vienna were modeled and evaluated by the separate collection rate and sorting rate. Results showed increasing separate collection rates for the years 2006-2020 for plastic bottles (20%-35%), aluminum beverage packaging (10%-22%), and beverage cartons (10%-18%) achieved by commingled collection and more collection points. Values for other aluminum (6%-5%) and ferrous metal packaging (18%-16%), however, decreased. Glass packaging increased slightly (53%-55%) and paper packaging remained constant (56%). The sorting rate of metal packaging increased significantly due to bottom ash sorting. To increase the provision of secondary raw materials, better communication with consumers and the improvement of technical sorting of mixed waste and bottom ash should be implemented. Door-to-door collection of beverage cartons, metals, and plastics should be carefully tested and evaluated before implementation.

Effect of content and particle size of used beverage carton pieces on the properties of HDPE composites

This study investigated the tensile properties and thermal behavior of virgin and hot press molded HDPE composites filled with different particle size and content of used beverage cartons which were the Tetra Pak® cartons. The mechanical properties of the composites were positively influenced by particle size of the used beverage carton, such that the smallest particle size gave the highest tensile strength and tensile modulus. The tensile strength of the specimens decreased with increasing filler content (40 to 70 wt%), while the tensile modulus rose. Furthermore, the filler size and its content affected the thermal behavior of the specimens. Calorimetry analysis of composite specimens showed that melting temperature and enthalpy values of virgin HDPE and recycled-HDPE decreased with increasing Tetra Pak® content. In all composite groups produced by adding Tetra Pak®, the degree of crystallinity decreased as a function of Tetra Pak® addition compared to the pure HDPE. Increasing particle size adversely affected the crystallization degree, which decreased with increasing particle size while the HDPE maintained its crystalline form. As for the recycled-HDPE composites, the degree of crystallization was reduced by increasing the Tetra Pak® content, but this was still noticeably higher than that of the HDPE.

Supply chain followership: the case of Tetra Pak’s recyclers in China

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore an under-researched topic of supply chain followership (SCF) in the context of recycling chains.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a multiple case study approach, the authors conducted interviews with Tetra Pak senior managers and recyclers who recycle used beverage cartons (UBCs) in China.FindingsBased on the dimensions of critical thinking and active engagement, the authors classify SCF into four types. Focal companies could evaluate their suppliers’ behaviours and followership types to initiate corresponding strategies to better manage their relationships. In addition, the authors found SCF to be a dynamic concept, which can be constantly evaluated.Originality/valueThis study is one of the earliest efforts to empirically explore the concept of SCF. The paper extends the followership concept from an individual level to an organizational level in the recycling chain context and presents a useful concept of followership for companies seeking to manage their supply chain relationships.

Material flow analysis of a post-consumer plastic packaging recycling system in The Netherlands: a focus on beverage carton

AbstractDeveloping material flow models of waste and recycling streams can be crucial to determining the inefficiencies of post-consumer plastic packaging recycling systems. Currently, there is no such material flow model of beverage carton packaging waste in The Netherlands because beverage carton management is inherently difficult to measure and calculate. This paper presents a material flow model of beverage carton packaging waste in The Netherlands by calculating potential, collected, sorted, and recycled beverage carton dry weight. The results show that of a potential 60,000 tons of beverage carton material, 47,124 tons are recycled while 12,876 tons end up incinerated. This quantification does not only serve as a starting point for additional research and environmental policy considerations to improve the sustainability of the post-consumer plastic packaging recycling system, but it can also contribute to research in similar settings, leading to a more complete overview of the municipal solid waste recycling system. Graphical abstract

Bioleaching/enzyme-based recycling of aluminium and polyethylene from beverage cartons packaging waste

Multilayer materials are frequently used in food and beverage packaging, delivering favourable properties for storage and protection. However, their complex construction, consisting of several layers of plastics, aluminium and paperboard (i.e., beverage cartons) makes them difficult for complete material recycling. Currently, the common treatment process used is hydropulping, resulting in partial recovery of the paperboard only. The so-called beverage carton reject fraction, consisting of plastics, aluminium, and some fibres, is incinerated for energy recovery, leading to the loss of secondary resources. Here a novel recycling procedure based on enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose, followed by bioleaching of aluminium finally allowing recovery of pure polyethylene is presented. Application of a cellulase cocktail resulted in the release of 15 mM glucose within 24 h, followed by over 95% aluminium bio-extraction within 3–7 days using bacterially produced sulfuric acid. Dissolved aluminium could afterwards be completely recovered by selective precipitation at pH 6.4, resulting in the formation of aluminium hydroxide. Pure polyethylene at the end of the process was used in re-processing and film production, showing comparable results to commercially available materials. Additionally, scaling up in a 1 L stirred tank reactor proofed the feasibility of the process in reject recycling. With this innovative, environmentally friendly recycling method, maximum material recovery could be achieved, leaving a minimum of impurities for incineration (<5%) behind.

A Study on the Improvement Strategy for the Relevant Recycling System based on the Occurrence Status of Used Beverage Cartons

Beverage cartons are made of natural pulp and, if recycled, can be used as high-quality resources that generate high economic profits and low carbon emissions. However, as of 2020, the recycling rate for beverage cartons was 16.1%, the lowest level since the extended producer responsibility system was introduced in 2003. This study diagnosed a problem with the beverage carton recycling system and proposed a plan for improvement. Through a nationwide on-site survey (n=41), this study identified the discharge ratio of used beverage cartons by region (metropolitan city), housing type (sale, lease), discharge method (separate, mixed), collection type (daily, regular), and the current status of beverage carton-related collection and recycling companies. According to an analysis of the discharge characteristics of used beverage cartons, the proportion of aseptic cartons in densely populated areas in Seoul and other metropolitan regions was high (37.1% to 40.4%). Furthermore, the disposal rate of aseptic cartons was high in the following order : lease > sale > lease + sale. The difference in the aseptic carton waste generation rate by collection method was not statistically significant. Still, the difference in discharge type was 4.8 percent point higher than that of mixed discharge when disposed separately. According to an on-site survey of carton pack-related collection and recycling companies, the poor collection rate, low collection quality, and lack of market for recycled sanitary paper were recognized as significant challenges. Following the prospect of delivered and imported ratio of aseptic cartons raise to 50% in 2024 and 80% in 2035, this study proposed to split the separate discharge system for gable-top cartons and aseptic cartons to diversify recycled products like other foreign countries.

Sustainable Cellulose-Aluminum-Plastic Composites from Beverage Cartons Scraps and Recycled Polyethylene.

The sustainable management of multilayer paper/plastic waste is a technological challenge due to its composite nature. In this paper, a mechanical recycling approach for multilayer cartons (MC) is reported, illustrating the realization of thermoplastic composites based on recycled polyethylene and an amount of milled MC ranging from 20 to 90 wt%. The effect of composition of the composites on the morphology and on thermal, mechanical, and water absorption behavior was investigated and rationalized, demonstrating that above 80 wt% of MC, the fibrous nature of the filler dominates the overall properties of the materials. A maleated polyethylene was also used as a coupling agent and its effectiveness in improving mechanical parameters of composites up to 60 wt% of MC was highlighted.

Status of beverage carton waste management in Thailand: Challenges and opportunities

Status of beverage carton waste management in Thailand: Challenges and opportunities

Time dynamic climate impacts of a eucalyptus pulp product: Life cycle assessment including biogenic carbon and substitution effects

AbstractThe forest sector can play a pivotal role in mitigating climate warming by decreasing emissions to the atmosphere and increasing carbon removals. In an expanding bioeconomy, the pulp and paper industry provides opportunities for various low‐carbon wood products with promising substitution effects. However, assessing climate effects of wood product systems is complex and requires a holistic approach. The objective of this study was to advance time dynamic climate impact assessment of a bioeconomically promising wood product from a system perspective. For this purpose, a time dynamic life cycle assessment was conducted on a pulp‐based beverage carton. The assessment included fossil value chain emissions from cradle to grave, effects from biogenic carbon in a eucalyptus plantation, and credits from substitution. A polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle was considered for material substitution (MS) and differing marginal electricity and heat mixes for energy substitution. The results revealed dominating climate warming from value chain emissions and slight offsetting by biogenic carbon from standing biomass and soil organic carbon, and short‐term carbon storage in the beverage carton. MS and displacing marginal energy mixes transformed the climate warming into a substantial total cooling effect. However, substitution effects varied strongly in terms of substitution factors and temperature change with varying replacement rate of the beverage carton and different marginal energy mixes. A climate cooling range of −0.8 · 10−15 to −1.8 · 10−15 K per unit of beverage carton by 2050 was found, highlighting potential relevance for climate policy making. Thus, production and use of wood‐based beverage cartons over PET bottles can have climate cooling effects. Further assessments on alternative forestry systems (e.g., Nordic forests) are needed to identify the role of biogenic carbon in holistic climate assessments, with dynamic substitution effects included to increase the validity.

The Use of Polyethylene-grafted-Maleic Anhydride as a Compatibiliser for Composites from a Mixture of Poly-Aluminum and Fibers

Used beverage carton (UBC), is one type of used paper/cardboard that has potential as a recycled fiber source. UBC is composed of 3 components, namely paper, polyethylene and aluminum foil with a composition of 74-80%, 20-21%, and 5% respectively. UBC recycling initially aimed to recover fiber component which is the largest component that can be reused as paper/paperboard raw material. However, the UBC recycling also obtained by-products in the form of polyethylene (PE) and aluminum that can be used as composite raw materials. In general, a composite is expected to have high strength but light weight. The PE-aluminum composite has high strength but is rather heavy. So that, the experiments of making PE-aluminum composites with the addition of fiber have been done. The usage of PE-g-MA (polyethylene-grafted-maleic anhydride) as a compatibiliser was also studied. Composites from a mixture of PE-aluminum and fiber (ratio 4:1) have been made with the variations of 0-5% PE-g-MA. The temperature of hot press were also varied 140 o C and 165 o C. As a control, composite of 100% PE-aluminum without PE-g-MA was also made. The resulting composites were tested for density (SNI ISO 534:2011), moisture content (SNI ISO 287:2009), water absorption (SNI 01-4449-2006 Item 8.2.5), and dimensional stability. The presence of fiber in the PE-aluminum composite was able to reduce the density, moisture content and water absorption properties of the resulting composite, but the dimensional changes after being immersed in water for 24 hours increased. The addition of PE-g-MA as an additive to a mixture of PE-aluminum and fiber composites, at a hot press temperature of 165 o C, further reduced the water content and water absorption of the composites with a density close to the density of PE. The role of PE-g-MA as an interface component between the fiber phase and the PE-aluminum phase were shown in the 50x magnification of the composite cross-section using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) although its distribution in the composite is still uneven. Keywords: PE-g-MA, composite, compatibiliser, polyethylene-aluminum, fiber, UBC DOI: 10.7176/CMR/13-2-04 Publication date: September 30th 2021

Recycling of Aseptic Beverage Cartons: A Review

Aseptic beverage cartons are multilayer polymer-coated paperboards with a layer of aluminum foil. Due to their multilayer structure it is commonly assumed that they cannot be recycled. This is not the case and this review details the multifarious processes that are used to recycle aseptic beverage cartons. Hydrapulping to recover the paper fibers that constitute 75% of the carton is the most widespread process, followed by the manufacture of construction materials such as boards and tiles which utilize the complete carton. A range of mechanical, chemical and thermal processes are used to separate the PolyAl (polyethylene and aluminum) residual that remains after the paper fibers have been recovered. The simplest process involves agglutination followed by extrusion to obtain pellets that can then be used in industrial and consumer products or combined with other materials such as lignocellulosic wastes. Chemical approaches involve the solubilization of polyethylene and the removal of aluminum. Various thermal processes have also been investigated and a novel microwave-induced pyrolysis process appears the most commercially viable. It is concluded that the focus in future years is likely to be on recycling cartons into construction materials where there is a theoretical yield of 100% compared with 75% for hydrapulping.

Empty fruit bunches, potential fiber source for Indonesian pulp and paper industry

Empty fruit bunches (EFB) is one of solid waste from crude palm oil (CPO) mill. It’s about 20-22% from fresh fruit bunches (FFB) or equal to the CPO yield. Indonesian CPO production in 2019 was 51.8 million tons; increased by 9% compared to 2018. So, about 51.8 million tons of EFB was available in 2019. EFB is a potential lignocellulosic material for pulp and paper. The utilization of EFB fibers for papermaking has been studied extensively. The use of EFB for printing and writing papers tends to cause pitch problems and poor visual appearance. The most potential use of EFB fibers is for packaging papers. EFB fiber is classified as short up to moderate fibers, so its usage must still be mixed with other fibers to improve the sheet strength. Many experiments have been done regarding the mixture of EFB fibers with other fibers such as OCC (Old Corrugated Containers) and UBC (Used Beverage Cartons) recycled fibers. Other types of paper from EFB are still being developed, including for nursery bags and active packaging papers.

Recycling of post-consumer multilayer Tetra Pak® packaging with the Selective Dissolution-Precipitation process

Tetra Pak cartons, i.e. multilayer packaging consisting of paper, low density polyethylene (LDPE) and aluminium, are widely used as aseptic packages in the food and beverage industry. Paper can be easily recovered from this type of post-consumer beverage cartons (PCBCs) by the pulp industry. The remaining LDPE/aluminium by-product, however, cannot be easily separated to its constituents so currently it is mostly downcycled or used for energy recovery. The aim of this work is to develop an effective process that separates and recovers LDPE and aluminium of high purity and good quality from Tetra Pak cartons. To this purpose, following paper recovery by hydropulping, LDPE and aluminium are separated using a selective dissolution-precipitation (SDP) process. The recovered LDPE is characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning (DSC) and melt flow rate (MFR) measurements. The findings reveal that the SDP separation process is an effective method to recover LDPE and aluminium from PCBCs.

Assessing Management of Plastic Straws Attached with used Beverage Cartons - A Case Study of 3 Metropolitan Cities of India

Assessing Management of Plastic Straws Attached with used Beverage Cartons - A Case Study of 3 Metropolitan Cities of India