Revised 2025 AF&PA-FBA Voluntary Standard for Corrugated & OCC-Equivalents

Click here to find the revised 2025 Voluntary Standard for Repulping and Recycling Coated or Treated Corrugated Fiberboard and its Equivalents in the Old Corrugated Containers (OCC) Recycling Stream.  

As with the original 2025 Voluntary Standard, this revision is a joint project of AF&PA and Fibre Box Association (FBA). 

The revision incorporates edits that correspond to questions raised by users of the resource since its publication in May. The following are the edits made and the section in the revised Voluntary Standard where each edit can be found: 

• Clarifies that the Voluntary Standardis not intended for testing uncoated or untreated corrugated fiberboard or OCC-equivalents, which are inherently recyclable (Purpose). 
• Removes the exclusion for “Kraft paper bags with poly lining” (Purpose). 
• Clarifies the kinds of hazardous wastes and/or harmful substances in corrugated containers or OCC-equivalents that disqualify the material from certification through the 2025 Voluntary Standard (Scope). 
• Provides examples of what is meant by “OCC-equivalents” (Definitions of Key Terms). 
• Confirms the correct mass requirement for the handsheets used in the Stickies/Spot Count Test (Appendix B: Recyclability Test Procedure). 
• Clarifies that the check sheet (Appendix B: Handsheet Preparation for Stickies/Spot Count Test) is a “consistency check sheet” per TAPPI T-205. 
• Improves consistency of test result descriptions (Appendix C: Pass/Fail Summary) 

One question raised by users of the 2025 Voluntary Standard has not been addressed in this revision: 

• What types of filter papers are to be used for the Stickies/Spot Count Test (Appendix B: Handsheet Preparation)?  

Resolving this question requires additional work including laboratory testing to determine what differences exist in performance across types of filter paper currently in use and how those differences need tobe treated in the Handsheet Preparation test. We will reconvene the project’s Technical Review Team to tackle that.  

The revised 2025 Voluntary Standard and these two extracts from Appendix C of the report will continue to be hosted on the AF&PA and FBA websites and made available to the public: 

• Application and Materials Submission Form(to be completed by material submitter). 
• Test Report (to be completed by certifying laboratory). 

Also on the AF&PA and FBA websites is a list of laboratories that have been certified by FBA to perform testing forthe 2025 Voluntary Standard.  

Our thanks go to the members who volunteered to provide guidance to AF&PA and FBA on this revision by serving on the project working group.  

Please direct any questions about the revised 2025 Voluntary Standard to Brian Hawkinson, Brian_Hawkinson@afandpa.org.