AF&PA Updates Voluntary Standard for Coated or Treated Corrugated Fiberboard

SafeGuardSHardgoods, Electrical & Electronics, Automotive, Cosmetics & Personal Care, Personal and Protective Equipment, Softlines, Toys and Juvenile ProductsSep 16, 2025

SG 138/25

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) releases an update to its voluntary standard for coated or treated corrugated fiberboard.

AF&PA has issued a new version of its ‘Voluntary Standard for Repulping and Recycling Coated or Treated Corrugated Fiberboard and its Equivalents in the Old Corrugate Containers (OCC) Recycling Stream’. The updated standard includes a number of revisions, including minor changes to the recyclability portion of the test method. Major changes were also made to the acceptance criteria for the repulpability portion of the method, along with other operational clarifications.

The table below shows the most significant method changes:

Voluntary standard for repulping
2013	2025
Yield greater than 80% based on total weight or Yield greater than 85% based on bone dry charge	Yield greater than 60% based on bone dry charge and Rejects less than 20% based on fiber collected
Maintain 1 inch of head water	Maintain 2.5 inches of head water
No specification on screening temperature	Screening temperature of 60-80 °F
No specification on screen	Specified 200 mesh screen
Reported only percent rejects	Percent fiber yield (charged: 60%)
Reported only percent rejects	Percent rejects (fiber collected: 20%)

A copy of this new standard can be obtained for review here: Voluntary Standard for Coated or Treated Corrugated | AF&PA.

The SGS Appleton lab has extensive expertise in the evaluation of a wide range of disposable consumer products including paper, nonwovens, packaging and other consumer products industries. Contact us to learn more about the updated standard or to learn more about our services, or visit our website.

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