Recovered paper grades (EN 643, OCC 11, ONP, SOP)
Recovered paper and board are classed under the European EN 643 list – e.g. 1.04 supermarket corrugated, 1.05 old corrugated containers – and in US and international trade under ISRI/ReMA codes: OCC 11 (old corrugated containers with kraft liners), DLK (double-lined kraft cuttings), ONP (old newspapers) and SOP/WL (white office paper). Besides fibre quality, price depends on moisture (usually 10–12 % maximum) and unwanted material – plastic, metal, wet-strength paper, known as outthrows and prohibitives. Import restrictions in China and elsewhere have tightened cleanliness standards.
Related terms
Grammage (g/m², GSM)
The weight in grams of one square metre of paper, board, fabric, nonwoven or film (ISO 536, ISO 3801). Typical values: newsprint 40–48, office paper 70–80, kraftliner and fluting 100–440 g/m²; T-shirt jersey 140–200 and denim 300–450 g/m²; a face-mask meltblown layer 20–25 g/m². Grammage drives price and strength directly but is not enough on its own: specifications should also include burst (Mullen), ring crush (RCT) and edge crush (ECT) for board, and tensile and pilling resistance for fabric.
Recycled content (PCR / PIR)
PCR (post-consumer recycled) material comes from packaging and products that have reached consumers and become waste; PIR (post-industrial recycled) comes from production scrap and trimmings. Rules such as the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and brand pledges are setting minimum PCR shares in packaging. Recycled-content claims should be verified with certification such as GRS, RecyClass, EuCertPlast or ISCC PLUS (mass balance); food-contact rPET additionally needs an approved super-clean process.