Show off your knowledge of recycling paper and paperboard packaging facts in this quiz




 

Paper cups, takeout boxes, frozen food packaging and more – how much do you know about repulping and recycling paper and paperboard packaging?

 

Question 1

What is the difference between repulpable and recyclable paper? Knowing in advance there are different methodologies in different countries, and different standards even in the same country.

Question 2

Why is paper and cardboard packaging often sent to the landfill?

Question 3

How many tons of paper and paperboard containers and packaging are thrown out in the United States each year?

Question 4

What are six major steps in the paper recycling process?

Question 5

When was the first takeout container patented?

Question 6

True or false? The ink is removed in the paper recycling process.

Question 7

Bonus question: What is the chemical formula for polyethylene?

Thanks for taking the quiz!
 

We hope you learned something new. Here's one more fact you may not have known: BASF has developed a series of solutions to help formulators bridge the gap between paper packaging, repulping and recycling. To learn more about this new technology, check out our in-depth feature or speak to a BASF rep.

A Recyclable means to form a new paper with recovered fiber. Repulpable means that can undergo the process of fiber recovery.

B Repulpable processes are more complicated than recyclable ones

C Repulpable means creating a new sheet of paper and recyclable means the process of recovering the fiber.

Exactly. According to the Voluntary Standard of the Fibre Box Association (FBA) for Repulping and Recycling there is a corrugated standard to improve the paper and paperboard performance. Recyclable means used paper, including in-plant and post-consumer wastepaper and paperboard, which is capable of being processed into new paper or paperboard using the process (and it relates to the number of stickies after a screening process in the newly formed paper sheet with the recovered fiber). Repulpable means the test material can undergo the operation of re-wetting and fiberizing (related to the fiber yield recovery at least 80% based on the total weight, or 85% based on the bone-dry fiber charge to the pulper).
Next Question
Not really. According to the Voluntary Standard of the Fibre Box Association (FBA) for Repulping and Recycling there is a corrugated standard to improve the paper and paperboard performance. Recyclable means used paper, including in-plant and post-consumer wastepaper and paperboard, which is capable of being processed into new paper or paperboard using the process (and it relates to the number of stickies after a screening process in the newly formed paper sheet with the recovered fiber). Repulpable means the test material can undergo the operation of re-wetting and fiberizing (related to the fiber yield recovery at least 80% based on the total weight, or 85% based on the bone-dry fiber charge to the pulper).
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A Consumers throw paper packaging in the recyclable stream.

B Paper and cardboard packaging biodegrades naturally in landfills, so it doesn’t need to be recycled.

C It’s difficult to separate polyethylene from the stock paperboard in standard packaging.

Exactly. Polyethylene is considered a contaminant, and it is not recyclable through the paper waste stream in most paper recycling facilities. For that reason, some paper packaging is sorted out and sent to the landfill.
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No. Polyethylene is considered a contaminant, and it is not recyclable through the paper waste stream in most paper recycling facilities. For that reason, some paper packaging is sorted out and sent to the landfill.
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A 41 million tons

B 80 million tons

C 125 million tons

Nailed it! According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, 41.9 million tons of paper and paperboard containers and packaging were thrown out in 2018.
Next Question
That was tough. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, 41.9 million tons of paper and paperboard containers and packaging were thrown out in 2018.
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A Pick-up, sorting, soaking, washing, drying, and folding.

B Pick-up, sorting, re-pulping, screening, de-inking, and creating new products.

C Sorting, cleaning, chopping, marinating, simmering, and taste testing.

The alternatives were a bit silly, but you got it! Recycling paper is a complex, multi-step process with several outside factors that affect it, such as local government policies and access to recycling markets (e.g. paper mills and plastic processors).
Next Question
Sorry – recycling is not quite like doing laundry or cooking. It is a complex, multi-step process with several outside factors that affect it, such as local government policies and access to recycling markets (e.g. paper mills and plastic processors).
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A 1870

B 1894

C 1908

Yup - takeout packages have been around for a while. When you consider that 60 percent of today’s US consumers order takeout or delivery at least once per week, it’s no wonder we throw out so much packaging.
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Not quite, but you get the point: packaging has a long history. These days, 60 percent of US consumers order takeout or delivery at least once per week. Thankfully, modern technology means we now have viable ways to recycle packages.
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A True

B False

You got it! Any ink printed on the paper packaging is removed during the repulping and recycling process to make a new paper sheet.
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Actually, it’s true. Any ink printed on the paper packaging must be removed before it can be repulped and reused in a new paper product.
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A (C8H8)n

B (C3H6)n

C (C2H4)n

Wow, you knew that? From one group of scientists to another, nice work!
Next Question
Nope, sorry. Thankfully, you don’t need to know that – our scientists handle all the heavy formulaic stuff.
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