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Paperboard and Packaging
The paperboard and packaging category covers two major types of board: "containerboard" used to make corrugated shipping containers, and "paperboard," used in a wide variety of packaging applications such as folding cartons, "blister cards," beverage carriers, book and report covers, mailing tubes, and video cassette boxes, to name just a few.
Containerboard (corrugated board) is actually a composite paperboard made by sandwiching fluted "corrugating medium" in between layers of linerboard. Linerboard, made primarily from both virgin and recovered fiber from old corrugated containers (OCC), is used to make the inner and outer walls of a box. The inside, fluted "medium" layer in the middle is made almost exclusively from postconsumer recovered fiber from OCC, old newspapers (ONP), used office paper, and mixed papers.
Paperboard containing recovered fiber is a multi-ply material, formed in layers of recovered fiber. Often grey in appearance, a white top layer made from recovered office paper is often used to provide a clean printing surface. Paperboard mills use more recovered fiber than any other segment of the paper industry to manufacture a wide variety of product packaging (folding cartons), beverage carriers, mailing tubes, industrial paperboard (cores, drums, tubes, and cans), and many other items.
Kraft padded mailers, Kraft bags, and wrapping paper made from OCC also fall under the packaging category.
| Item | Postconsumer Fiber (%): | Recovered Fiber (%): |
|---|---|---|
| Corrugated containers: ¹ | ||
| - (<300 psi) | 25-50 | 25-50 |
| - (300 psi) | 25-30 | 25-30 |
| Solid Fiber Boxes | 40 | 40 |
| Folding Cartons ² | 40-80 | 100 |
| Industrial paperboard (e.g., tubes, cores, drums, and cans) | 45-100 | 100 |
| Miscellaneous (e.g., pad backs, covered binders, book covers, mailing tubes, protective packaging) | 75-100 | 90-100 |
| Padded mailers | 5-15 | 5-15 |
| Carrierboard ³ | 10-15 | 10-100 |
| Brown papers (e.g., wrapping paper and bags) | 5-20 | 5-40 |
¹The recovered fiber and postconsumer fiber content is calculated from the content of each component relative to the weight each contributes to the total weight of the box.
²The recommended content ranges are not applicable to all types of paperboard used in folding cartons. Cartons made from solid bleached sulfate or solid unbleached sulfate contain no or small percentages of postconsumer fiber, depending on the paperboard source.
³Carrierboard made from
unbleached kraft contains up to 25% recovered fiber, while
carrierboard made from recycled paperboard contains up to
100% recovered fiber.
NOTE: The content levels should be read as X% recovered fiber, including Y% postconsumer fiber and not as X% recovered fiber plus Y% postconsumer fiber.
Product Information:
GSA Advantage!
Paperboard and packaging can be ordered through the
General Service Administration's (GSA's) online ordering
system. In addition, GSA publishes various supply catalogues,
guides, and schedules for recycled-content products available
through the Federal Supply Service.
Additional Links:
Technical Background Documents
Sample
Calculation
Sample calculation of postconsumer
fiber content.
