European database for cartonboard and carton production, 2023

BIOECONOMY
Unit
European database for cartonboard and
carton production, 2023
Report prepared by RISE Bioeconomy
on behalf of Pro Carton
RISE Bioeconomy Report No: Not applicable
Restricted distribution until approved by Pro Carton
Amended 15th December 2023

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Contents
Contents ..................................................................................................... 2
Corrigendum .............................................................................................. 4
Foreword ................................................................................................... 5
Executive summary .................................................................................... 7
Description of the product system .............................................................. 8
Overview ...................................................................................................................... 8
About cartonboard ....................................................................................................... 8
Cartonboard production process ................................................................................. 9
Carton production....................................................................................................... 12
Methodology questions ............................................................................. 14
Boundaries and declared unit – cartonboard .............................................................. 14
System boundaries for carton production .................................................................. 17
System boundaries for the aggregated results ............................................................ 19
Data description ........................................................................................ 21
Questionnaire .............................................................................................................. 21
Data collection for cartonboard ................................................................................... 21
Data collection for carton production......................................................................... 22
Weighted averages ...................................................................................................... 22
Material inputs ............................................................................................................ 23
Material outputs ......................................................................................................... 25
Energy input and output ............................................................................................. 26
Water inputs and outputs ............................................................................................ 27
Transport .................................................................................................................... 28
Emissions to air .......................................................................................................... 29
Emissions to water ...................................................................................................... 30
Data ......................................................................................................... 32
Coverage and comparability of the datasets ............................................................... 32
Relationship to the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF).................................... 32
Results ..................................................................................................... 33
Life cycle inventory for cartonboard and cartons 2021 ............................................. 33
Additional information on energy and fuels ............................................................... 42
Internal fuels .............................................................................................................. 42
Year-on-year trends .................................................................................................... 43
Improvements to the questionnaires ......................................................................... 43
Trends in key environmental parameters ................................................................. 44
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Sustainable forest management ................................................................................. 45
Conclusions .............................................................................................. 45
Peer review .............................................................................................. 47
Definitions ............................................................................................... 48
Annex 1: Peer review statement ................................................................ 49
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Corrigendum
This report replaces the previously issued version of the report. Whilst working with one
of the virgin board manufacturers, it became apparent that they had overstated
purchased electricity consumption by a factor of 10. Therefore the weighted average
electricity consumption for virgin cartonboard production is restated in Table 1. In the
original publication the value was stated at 2.255GJ of purchased electricity per tonne of
virgin cartonboard. The value has been recalculated and restated at 2.093GJ per tonne
of cartonboard. Subsequently, the value for purchased electricity for Aggregated average
board production and carton conversion has also been restated from 2.595GJ per tonne
of cartons to 2.499GJ per tonne of cartons
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Foreword
Pro Carton, the European Association of Cartonboard and Carton Manufacturers is
pleased to present the latest edition of the European Environmental Database for
cartonboard and carton production. The report contains gate-to-gate life cycle inventory
data for the production of cartonboard and conversion of cartonboard into cartons. The
intention is to make available high quality and transparent LCI data for use in life cycle
studies.
The data has been collected, processed, checked and compiled by LCA experts from RISE
(Research Institutes of Sweden). Over the course of multiple iterations of the project a
robust process has been developed in which the data provided is processed and checked
by both industry experts and independent LCA. A working group of technical
representatives from the cartonboard mills and convertors worked closely with RISE to
validate the data. The process and data are then subjected to an independent peer review
by ifeu – Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg GmbH,
Heidelberg, Germany, a leading research institution with experience of life cycle data and
methods as applied in the paper and board sector.
The life cycle inventories presented in Table 2 of this report contain environmental data
for the production of:
• Cartonboard manufactured primarily from primary fibres: Folding Box Board
(FBB) and Solid Bleached Board/Solid Unbleached Board (SBB/SUB) (based on
data supplied by members of Pro Carton)
• Cartonboard manufactured primarily from recovered fibres: White Lined Chip
(WLC) (based on data supplied by members of Pro Carton)
• Conversion of cartonboard into blank cartons, including die cutting, creasing,
printing and where applicable folding/gluing (based on data supplied by members
of the European Carton Manufacturers Association (ECMA))
• An aggregated dataset, which considers the production of average European
cartonboard and the conversion of this average cartonboard into cartons.
The data in this edition of the report represents the weighted averages of the inputs and
outputs from the production sites per tonne of cartonboard paper and per tonne of
cartons for the year 2021. The database handles the production sites as a black box.
Details of the different processes in the production sites are not provided. Emissions etc.
originating from production of resources consumed, energy production outside the mill
or converting plant, transport and waste treatment are not included in the datasets, but
the impacts of these additional unit processes can be added by the user to facilitate full
cradle-to-gate, cradle-to-grave, or cradle-to-cradle life cycle studies.
The data collected for this study covers a significant proportion of the sector:
• For FBB, the collected data represents approximately 93% of the total European
production in 2021
• For SBB/SUB, the collected data represents approximately 62% of the total European
production in 2021
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• For WLC, the collected data represents approximately 53% of the total European
production in 2021
• For carton converting, the collected data represents approximately 8% of the total
European production in 2021.
The high levels of data provision for cartonboard production mean that the datasets
presented are highly representative of the practices and subsequent overall
environmental performance of the sector.
The report is available for interested parties on the condition that the data
in this report may only be used for environmental studies such as Life Cycle
Inventory Analysis, Life Cycle Impact Assessment as separate steps or as a
whole Life Cycle Assessment.
The database may only be used for environmental studies regarding product
development and improvement and the comparison of the entire system of carton
packaging with that of other materials. The database should be used for making
generalised statements on the relative performance of all primary fibre and
all recovered fibre-based materials.
When LCA data is used to make comparative studies, a specific scenario is chosen and
the result can and will vary depending on various parameters. It should be clearly
understood that, whatever the outcome of a comparative study, the conclusion should
not and cannot be generalized. If specific information on a particular cartonboard grade
is required, then this should be requested directly from the manufacturers.
Pro Carton is committed to ongoing and regular updates of the database. The user of the
database should therefore check whether it is the latest edition of the database report
prior to using the information enclosed. The latest version will always be available
through direct contact with Pro Carton.
We would like to thank all participants from the industry for providing the necessary
input from their plants. Collecting, processing and checking the data is a significant
undertaking. The high level of ongoing participation of the membership base of both Pro
Carton and ECMA is highly appreciated.
We are also grateful for the positive response and valuable feedback and comments we
have received from users of the previous editions of the database and reports. We
welcome comments on this report and feedback on the experiences of users
of the database. Such feedback can only help to further improve the quality
and value of future updates!
February 2023
Horst Bittermann/Winfried Muehling
Pro Carton
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Executive summary
This report is the outcome of a major study initiated by Pro Carton (the European
Association of Cartonboard and Carton Manufacturers), with the objective of compiling
and publishing life cycle inventories for cartonboard production and conversion of
cartonboard into cartons. The life cycle inventories presented in this report contain
environmental data for the production of:
• Cartonboard manufactured primarily from primary fibres: Folding Box Board (FBB) and
Solid Bleached Board/Solid Unbleached Board (SBB/SUB)
• Cartonboard manufactured primarily from recovered fibres: White Lined Chip (WLC)
• Conversion of cartonboard into blank cartons, including die cutting, creasing, printing
and where applicable folding/gluing
• An aggregated dataset, which considers the production of average European cartonboard
and the conversion of this average cartonboard into cartons.
The datasets represent the weighted average situation for each of the processes according
to the market and technology situation in Europe in 2021. The datasets are based on
primary data collected directly from the mills and convertors operating the processes.
Participation in the surveys for cartonboard production was high, with a significant
increase in the number of sites participating and the proportion of European production
covered. Participation in the survey for carton converting was also significant, with data
received from twenty-five converting sites. Although this was fewer sites compared to the
previous survey in 2018, the share of European production covered by the participating
convertors represented an increase in coverage with a good geographical spread in
participation. For this reason, there can be a high degree of confidence that the data is
representative of technologies applied across Europe, and therefore representative of the
environmental profile of the sector.
The gate-to-gate life cycle inventories can be used, in conjunction with appropriate
secondary data, to compile cradle-to-gate and cradle-to-gave life cycle assessment
studies of cartonboard and cartons. As such, the inventories will be made available to
providers of life cycle databases, with a view to ensuring that the data available to life
cycle practitioners is current and accurate.
The results demonstrate some interesting features of cartonboard production, including
the fact that a high proportion of the energy requirement for virgin cartonboard is met
through the utilisation of internal, biogenic fuels. Furthermore, the study demonstrates
that the majority of the water required for manufacturing carton board is simply
“borrowed” rather than consumed, and is returned to the environment after purification.
The inventories also demonstrate that the majority of residues arising at the paper mills
are reused or recycled.
These are positive features of cartonboard production, but this does not mean that there
are not improvements to be made in environmental performance. Pro Carton and its
members are committed to updating this study regularly, so trends in environmental
performance can be tracked and improvements can be quantified.
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Description of the product system
Overview
Folding cartons are small to medium sized “cardboard boxes” made from cartonboard.
They are used to package a wide range of products from foodstuffs – such as cereals,
frozen and chilled food, confectionery, bakery goods, tea, coffee and other dry foods – to
pharmaceuticals, medical and healthcare products, perfumes, cosmetics, toiletries,
photographic products, clothing, cigarettes, toys, games, household and electrical,
engineering, gardening and DIY (do it yourself) products.
Many different types of cartonboard are manufactured, all of which can be made in a
variety of different weights (grammages) and thicknesses. The type of cartonboard and
the fibre composition depends on the intended use and the specific requirements.
Usually, cartonboard is made up of several plies (layers) to make the best possible use of
the different types of raw materials and optimise the product performance.
Cartonboard is made from cellulose containing fibres that are produced either from wood
(primary fibres) or from recovered paper and board (secondary fibres). A combination
of the two can be used and there are various types of fibre that produce different
characteristics. For example, shorter fibres generally give a better bulk and longer fibres
give a greater stiffness and so types of fibre are mixed to produce the desired
characteristics.
The fibres can also be treated with various chemicals to improve a variety of properties
such as moisture and grease barriers. Additionally, they can be coated with a range of
barriers to produce cartonboard that can be used in ovens and microwaves and other
specialist packaging.
About cartonboard
There are three main grades of cartonboard:
• Folding Boxboard FBB (also known as GC /UC) – This grade is typically made of
mechanical pulp sandwiched between two layers of chemical pulp with up to three layers
of coating on the top or printing surface and one layer of coating or sizing on the reverse.
Typical uses include pharmaceuticals, confectionery and all kinds of foods.
• Solid Bleached Board SBB, (also known as SBS / GZ) – This grade is typically
made from pure bleached chemical pulp with two or three layers of coating on the top
surface and one or more layers on the reverse. There are also uncoated grades. Typical
markets include cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, graphics, tobacco and luxury packaging.
• Solid Unbleached Board SUB (also known as SUB / SUS) – This grade is
typically made from pure unbleached chemical pulp with two or three layers of coating
on the top surface. In some cases, a white reverse surface is applied. It is primarily used
as beverage carriers for bottles and cans, as it is very strong and can be made resistant to
water. It is used where strength of packaging is important. SUB may also be used in the
production of liquid beverage cartons and liquid food cartons, but this application is
excluded from the scope of the data collected in this report.
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• White Lined Chipboard WLC (also known as GT /GD /UD) – This grade is
typically made using predominantly recovered fibres. It is manufactured in a number of
layers, each of which use selected grades of raw materials. It has up to three layers of
coating on the top or printing surface and one layer on the reverse. It is used in a range
of applications such as frozen and chilled foods, cereals, shoes, tissues, toys.
Cartonboard comprises a significant share of paper and board production in Europe,
representing approximately 11% of total paper and board production in 2021. European
production of cartonboard in 2021 stood at 9.857 million tonnes 1 . The make-up of the
total production in Europe in 2021 was follows FBB 39%; SBB/SBS (excluding
production of board for liquid beverage cartons/liquid food cartons) 12%; WLC 49%.
Cartonboard production process
Raw materials
Cartonboard can be manufactured from primary wood fibres from sustainably managed
forests and/or from recovered fibres from paper for recycling. As a general rule, FBB and
SBB/SUB are manufactured from predominantly primary fibres whereas WLC is
predominantly manufactured from recovered fibres.
SBB/SUB is generally manufactured at an integrated pulp and papermill (meaning that
the pulp and the paper are produced at one single site, and the wet pulp is pumped
directly to the paper machine with no additional drying or transport required). For FBB
and WLC, most production is semi-integrated (meaning that a quantity of purchased
market pulp is used to compliment the pulp produced onsite).
For mills utilising primary wood fibre, most of the wood is delivered in the form of
pulpwood logs from thinning. A proportion is also brought in as wood chips, a by-product
of nearby sawmills. The pulpwood logs have to be debarked and chipped before pulping.
In mechanical pulping, the fibres are separated by applying mechanical force to either
debarked logs (roundwood) or smaller chips (refiner mechanical). The heat generated
softens the lignin and results in fibre separation. The pulp is then screened and cleaned
and any remaining fibre clumps are reprocessed.
In chemical pulping, debarked logs are chipped and treated with chemicals under heat
and pressure. This dissolves the lignin and hemicelluloses of the wood and cellulose
fibres can be separated from the cooking liquor. There is a choice of chemicals for
processing. The spent cooking liquor is drained off and washed out from the pulp. It
contains the wood substance dissolved during the cooking together with the spent
cooking chemicals. The spent liquor is concentrated and burnt as a fuel for energy
production and recovery of cooking chemicals.
When the raw material source is recovered paper and board, fibre separation is achieved
by mechanical agitation in water. Recovered paper and cartonboard has been printed,
sometimes varnished and for packaging applications, often has been glued. In products
1 CEPI Key Statistics 2021
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where high purity and whiteness is important, it is necessary to remove the printing inks,
glues and other impurities.
After the recovered paper and board has been immersed in water, disintegrated and the
fibres dispersed, heat and/or dispersion agents are used to remove any sticky impurities
from the fibre surfaces. Then flotation techniques, screening and washing, and
sometimes additional bleaching, are used to remove the impurities.
For pulps from both primary fibres and recycled fibres, functional chemicals, fillers and
other pulps can be added to give the final paper the properties required.
Energy
Energy sources depend on the way pulp is made and the location of the mill. Where paper
for recycling is utilised as a fibre source, rejects from the recovered paper (plastics, etc)
may be incinerated with energy recovery on-site. Where pulp is produced from virgin
fibres, bark chips from debarking may be used as an internal energy source. Chemical
pulping also results in a by-product (black liquor) which is used as a significant internal
energy source. Finally, biogas from wastewater treatment may also be used as an internal
fuel source. For virgin cartonboard mills, internal fuels account for more than 50% of the
fuels consumed onsite, whereas for recycled cartonboard mills internal fuels account for
less than 1% of the fuels consumed onsite. Where internal fuel sources are not available
or are not sufficient to meet the full energy needs of the mill, external fuels will also be
consumed, including fossil fuels (mostly natural gas, but also heavy fuel oil, light fuel oil,
diesel oil, liquid petroleum gas, and in some cases coal or peat) and renewable fuels (e.g.,
bark, pitch oil).
Fuels consumed onsite can be used to produce both thermal energy and electricity. Some
mills are able to generate enough electricity to meet all of their needs, and may even be
net exporters of electricity, but most mills also purchased some of the electricity needs.
In this case, electricity may be purchased from the national grid, or specific electricity
product agreements (e.g., for electricity produced from renewables and/or zero carbon
electricity) may be in place.
Water
Water is an essential element for paper and board production. Water acts as a bond
between the fibres and in the production process it is needed for transporting, cleaning,
as a solvent, carrying energy in the form of steam and it is used in cooling process units.
Water is usually taken from a nearby surface source such as a lake or river. >95% of the
water used in the industry is cleaned and reused on site. All water is purified (usually at
a wastewater treatment facility operated by the mill) in accordance with European
regulations and standards before being returned to the environment.
Pulping and the paper machine
The fibre is mixed with water in large hydropulpers until a very fine suspension is
achieved. This is then cleaned to remove any contraries, refined to enhance strength and
then pumped to the cartonboard machine where the cartonboard is manufactured. In the
fibre preparation, before the board making, functional additives are used. The additives
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provide some degree of water resistance (hydrophobicity) and add internal and surface
strength to the product.
The dispersed fibres with the functional additives and water mixture from the
preparation plant, is pumped to the cartonboard machine and this very thin mixture (<
1% fibres in water) is put onto several continuously moving wire meshes.
As the water drains away through the wire mesh the fibres begin to 'set' and then each of
the sheets are brought together to form a continuous sheet of cartonboard.
This is then pressed between textile felts by large rollers to squeeze more water out and
then passed over steam heated cylinders to evaporate the remaining water.
When the cartonboard has reached the required moisture content, up to three layers of
coating (typically made of clay/kaolin or starch) are added to the surface of the board.
These coatings improve smoothness and gloss and are required to achieve the highquality
printing that is needed on cartons.
Modern cartonboard machines are large. Typically, they are about 100 metres in length,
about 6 metres wide and 25 metres high. They run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and are
only stopped occasionally for essential maintenance.
Changes of the board to be made and changes of thickness or weight are carried out on
the run and the whole operation is controlled by computers to ensure consistency of
production quality. The effective production time on modern machines is in excess of
95%.
At the end of the cartonboard machine, the cartonboard is wound into huge reels which
are then moved to the finishing department. Here these reels are either cut into sheets of
the size the printer requires or into smaller reels that can be used directly on a reel fed
printing press. After cutting, the cartonboard is packed and dispatched to the carton
producers.
Modern cutting machines run continuously, have full computer control, automatic
counting and stacking of sheets onto pallets. Customer reels and pallets are wrapped in
moisture protective packaging and shipped to customers by ship, train or truck. The
mode of transportation is a balanced choice between degree of service to the customer,
cost and distance.
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Figure 1
Understanding the manufacturing process 2
Carton production
Carton production starts with the cartonboard delivered from the mills. Figure 2 shows
a typical layout for a carton production plant and the types of processes involved.
2 Source: Carton and Board Making: Cartonboard, ProCarton, 2022
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Figure 2
Typical layout of a carton production plant 3
The design for a carton is either sent to the carton producer or developed by them. The
graphics are prepared on a computer and colour separation is carried out. From this a
printing plate for each colour is prepared. At the same time a “layout” is designed, with
the aim of achieving the optimal board usage and therefore minimising shape waste
(many cartons can be printed on each sheet of cartonboard and so a layout is worked out
to ensure that as little cartonboard as possible is left unused). The layout is also used to
prepare the cutting and creasing forms that are used later in the production process.
The cartonboard, in either sheets or reels, is loaded into the printing machine and
printed in one pass with each colour being added in turn. A variety of printing processes
may be used, including for example offset/lithographic, flexographic and gravure
processes. In some cases, digital printing may also be used. This is an emerging
technology that is expected to become more important for carton production in the
future.
Most cartons are printed using six colours at a time but less or more can also be used. As
well as the colours, a varnish to improve gloss, or to add a highlight, is also usually
printed after the colours.
At the end of the print machine, the sheets are stacked up and moved to the next stage of
production – cutting and creasing. The printed sheets of cartons are taken to a machine
that cuts the cartons and also puts in the creases that enable it to be folded in a later
operation. This is done using a form into which are set knives and creasing rules to
achieve the desired result. It is also possible to add embossing during this operation.
Accuracy is critical to ensure the cuts and creases are in exactly the right position.
3 Source: https://www.procarton.com/why-cartons/carton-production/
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The individual cartons are then stacked up and passed through to the next stage of
production, folding and gluing.
When the cartons have been cut and creased, they are moved through to the gluing line
where the cartons are folded and glued. This is done on high-speed machines that, in one
operation, fold the creases and glue the seams where necessary.
The cartons are then packed for shipment to the carton user who puts them onto their
packing line for filling.
In addition to the typical processes outlined here, additional processes may also be
required for specific design features, such as lamination, insertion of window patches,
etc.
Methodology questions
Boundaries and declared unit – cartonboard
Gate-to-gate life cycle inventories for virgin cartonboard grades and recycled
cartonboard grades are presented in the Table 2 according to the following declared unit:
one air dry tonne (1000 kg) of net saleable paper at the parent reel,
before conversion to finished products
The system boundaries of the life cycle inventories for cartonboard include all activities
within the papermill boundaries, including any integrated pulp production. Thus,
included in the inventory are all the inputs and outputs (from/to the technosphere and
from/to nature) associated with:
• Integrated pulp production from pulp wood/wood chips
• Integrated pulp production from paper for recycling
• Stock preparation, refining, and operation of the paper machine
• Drying
• Reeling and reel winding
• Supporting activities used in paper production, e.g., water and solid waste treatment,
onsite electricity and heat/steam generation.
Figure 3 summarises the system boundaries. These system boundaries are representative
of the core processes.
In cases where the mill produces and sells excess energy (e.g., electricity or steam), this
is treated as a multifunctional situation. The system provides two functions (i.e.,
cartonboard plus energy). In this case, subdivision has been applied – i.e., only the inputs
and outputs that are allocated to the paper production are reported in the life cycle
inventory.
No allocation was made to by-products such as tall oil, turpentine and wood/bark chips,
so the reported inputs and outputs include the production of these by-products.
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For those paper mills producing more than one grade of paper and/or market pulp it is
necessary to allocate inputs and outputs to the different paper grades or pulp. Mill staff
who filled in the questionnaire have made the allocation according to causality.
Data has been collected relating to the following key non-fibre inputs to the pulp and
papermaking processes:
• Sulphuric acid (H2SO4)
• Sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
• Oxygen (O2)
• Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
• Sodium Chlorate (NaClO3)
• Calcium oxide (CaO)
• Chlorine dioxide (ClO2)
• Sodium bisulphite (NaHSO3)
• Ground calcium carbonate (GCC)
• Precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) – purchased
• Clay
• Wet strength agent
• Dry strength agent
• Synthetic binders (latex)
• Binders (other than latex)
• Starch – maize
• Starch – potato
• Starch – corn/wheat
• Starch – cationic
• Starch - other
The total mass of other non-fibre inputs not listed above is below 1% of the paper weight.
In compliance with the defined cut-off criteria, these other non-fibre inputs have
therefore been omitted from the study as insignificant.
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Figure 3
Gate-to-gate system boundaries – production of cartonboard
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System boundaries for carton production
The gate-to-gate inventory for conversion of cartonboard into cartons is presented in
Table 2 according to the following declared unit:
one tonne (1000 kg) of printed, cut, creased, folded and glued cartons
The system boundaries of the life cycle inventory for conversion of cartonboard into
carton include all activities associated with processing cartonboard into cartons. Thus,
included in the inventory are all the inputs and outputs (from/to the technosphere and
from/to nature) associated with:
• Printing
• Cutting and Creasing
• Folding
• Gluing
• Supporting activities used in conversion process, e.g., onsite energy generation, such as
space heating for the factory.
Figure 4 summarises the system boundaries.
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Figure 4
Gate-to-gate system boundaries – production of cartons
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System boundaries for the aggregated results
Also presented in Table 2 are aggregated results which consider and quantify the flows
to and from the technosphere and the environment from the papermill in-gate to
convertor out-gate, as illustrated in Figure 5. In order to complete a cradle-to-gate
analysis for cartons, life cycle data for the items shown in red must be added. The
declared unit for the aggregated results is the production of one tonne (1000kg) of
printed, cut, creased, folded and glued cartons.
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Figure 5
System boundaries for the aggregated cartonboard and converting results
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Data description
Questionnaire
Data collection for cartonboard
The data was collected via a bespoke questionnaire issued to the mills, requesting
information on the flows into and out of the mill. The questionnaire was designed to
cover the main inputs to and outputs from the integrated pulp and papermaking
processes, including the supporting ancillary processes such as energy production,
wastewater treatment, etc. The questionnaires were reviewed by technical experts and
the peer reviewer before issuing to the industry. The questionnaires were issued during
2022, and data was provided representative of production scenarios in 2021.
The data for FBB were collected from fourteen mills owned and operated by six different
companies, representing approximately 93% of the total production of this cartonboard
grade in Europe. These paper grades are produced in large mills, located in the
Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden and the UK. Their total
production was >3,000,000 tonnes net saleable paper in 2021. The mills each have an
annual production of FBB of between 50,000 and 350,000 tonnes net saleable paper.
The data for the production of SUB/SBB were collected from three mills owned and
operated by two different companies, representing approximately 62% of the total
production of this cartonboard grade in Europe. They were provided by paper mills in
Finland and Sweden. Their total production was >630,000 tonne saleable paper in 2021.
The mills each have an annual production of SUB/SBB of between 90,000 and 370,000
tonnes net saleable paper. The data for the production of SUB/SBB includes production
of coated, unbleached kraftboard.
As data from only three mills operated by two different companies is available for
SUB/SBB, for confidentiality reasons it is not possible to publish a separate life cycle
inventory for this grade. Therefore, a single inventory is published for virgin
cartonboard, which consists of both FBB and SUB/SBB, allowing for the relative
production of each grade.
The data for the production of WLC (recycled cartonboard) were collected from eight
mills owned and operated by two different companies, representing approximately 53%
of the total production of this cartonboard grade in Europe. They were provided by paper
mills in Austria, Italy, Germany, Slovenia and Spain. Their total production was
>2,100,000 tonne saleable paper in 2021. The mills each have an annual production of
WLC of between 150,000 and 525,000 tonnes net saleable paper.
For all cartonboard grades, data was collected covering the average market and
technology situation for the calendar year 2021. The collected data was sense-checked by
technical experts and compiled as a weighted average representing production of each
paper grade in 2021.
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Data collection for carton production
In order to gather data relating to converting, a questionnaire was designed covering the
main inputs to and outputs from carton production processes. The questionnaires were
reviewed by technical experts and the peer reviewer before issuing to the industry.
The data on carton production are based on responses from 25 plants. The plants were
located in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the United
Kingdom.
Together they produced 530,000 tonnes of cartons, which is approximately 10% of the
total annual production of cartons in Europe. The production sites have an average
annual production of cartons of 21,500 tonnes, varying from 700 – 75,000 tonnes each.
Weighted averages
The Annex presents the weighted averages of the inputs into and outputs from the sites
(i.e., gate to gate) per tonne net saleable product for virgin cartonboard (FBB and
SUB/SBB, which is primarily made from primary fibres), for recycled cartonboard (WLC,
which is primarily made from recovered fibres) and for cartons for 2021 from the
participating paper mills and converting plants. It is important to understand that the
figures do not represent a certain mill or plant with a certain technology. On the contrary
the figures represent a “virtual mill” and a “virtual converting plant” utilising different
technologies. The technology which is applied in the participating paper mills and
converting plants is not the same.
For example: some mills are fully integrated (produce all pulp required for board
production onsite), some mills are non-integrated (purchase all pulp required for board
production from other pulp mills); some mills are semi-integrated use a combined heat
power generation; some wastewater treatment is external; a large variety of additives is
used. In some cases, this leads to a large variation of inputs and outputs between the
mills. Furthermore, different inputs and outputs are strongly interrelated, so a mill can
be high in one input compared to the others but low in another input, but a mill cannot
be low or high for both. Therefore, no range of the data is given to prevent studies from
being made using a false combination of highest or lowest data.
Due to confidentiality requirements by the mills, it is not possible to split input and
output data per country. Similarly, a split in applied technologies is not possible.
In the aggregated dataset, the separate life cycle inventories for cartonboard and for
carton production are combined to compile the life cycle inventory for an average tonne
of cartons, considering both the production of the cartonboard and the conversion of the
cartonboard into cartons. For this average carton scenario, the following composition
has been assumed:
• Virgin cartonboard 51%
• Recycled cartonboard 49%
These relative shares are calculated from the relative production of virgin and recycled
cartonboard in Europe, and was confirmed by the data collected relating to board
consumption at the converting plants.
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Some converting plants use gravure printing processes for high-volume cartons, but this
is less common. Gravure printing is more energy intensive compared to other printing
processes. Therefore, weighted average datasets were prepared for plants with gravure
printing processes on site and for plants without gravure printing onsite, and these were
then combined to produce the overall weighted average for converting processes. In
preparing this overall weighted average, the following shares were considered for gravure
and non-gravure printing:
• Share of sites with gravure printing – 11.1%
• Share of sites without gravure printing – 88.9%
In the aggregated dataset for carton production, the relative virgin and recycled
cartonboard shares are used to calculate the inputs and outputs for the weighted average
cartonboard. The paper production inputs and outputs are then multiplied with the
average input of paper (1.1689 tonnes of cartonboard per tonne of cartons) and added up
to the inputs and outputs per tonne of carton converting as reported in the Annex. This
total includes the production of the cartonboard that is used to produce the cartons,
including the 14.5% losses that are reported as “paper for recycling”. It has to be kept in
mind that the industry averages for inputs of cartonboard, glue, inks, etc are used.
Cartons are far from standardised and inputs of depend on the specific box design.
Material inputs
Raw materials - fibre
The wood input has been reported as bone dry solid wood under bark. The species are
specified, although in the datasets they are reported only as softwood or hardwood.
>80% of the pulp wood used for the production of cartonboard by the companies
returning the survey was certified and third party verified as being sourced from
sustainable managed forests and delivered through a certified chain-of-custody system
(PEFC or similar). A similar proportion of the purchased pulp is also certified and third
party verified as being sourced from sustainable managed forests. The input of recovered
paper has been reported as total weight including moisture and other materials (sand,
metal objects, plastics, wood etc.). In European countries the water content of recovered
paper is generally assumed to be about 10%. The total input of recovered paper is given.
The content of other materials in the recovered paper is about 8%. These materials are
eliminated from the pulp as rejects during the pulping. It is estimated that about a third
of these rejects are materials that were associated with the previous use of the paper (for
example, staples, paper clips, tags, adhesive labels, unrecovered fibres, etc). The
remaining two thirds is material that is not in any way associated with the previous use
of the paper (for example, foreign items such as textiles, plastic packaging, glass, sand
and grit, etc).
Non-integrated and semi-integrated mills buy mechanical and chemical pulp. The pulp
data are reported in bone dry 4 weight, which is normally 90% of the wet (air dry) weight.
4 Bone dry weight: weight without any water
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Chemicals and other non-fibre inputs
Data were collected for chemicals and other non-fibre inputs to the cartonboard mills
which may be used either within the process or as additives. Chemicals are given as dry
weight. Some of the inputs have been reported grouped together according to their
function in the mill. The functional additives, mainly starch, influence the properties of
the paper, whilst process additives are used to guarantee that the process of paper
production runs smoothly or to increase the production. Water treatment additives
include additives used for all water treatment on the site, including the treatment of
water for the power station, paper production and wastewater treatment if this is done
internally. The different mills use a large variety of process and water treatment
chemicals. Those that are commonly used and are above the cut-off criterion per mill are
reported in the database. A very limited quantity of other additives and chemicals are
also used, e.g. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA),
Sodium hypochlorite, Polyvinyl alcohol, Alkyl succinic anhydride (ASA) sizer, talc,
Polyacrylate, PEI, optical brightener, rosin. Collectively, these additional additives and
chemicals account for less than 1% of the material inputs to the manufacturing of
cartonboard.
Other than cartonboard, the main input for carton production is inks and varnish,
followed by glues. However, these inputs account for less than 2% of the overall
composition of the cartons.
Packaging
Data on cores and other packaging materials associated with paper reels was not
collected and updated for 2021. Looking at previous data collections, the values showed
little change over the years and other LCA studies show that the impacts of these
packaging components are relatively small.
Data for packaging materials used around converted cartons (stretch/shrink wrap and
corrugated packaging) was collected and updated for 2021. Pallets are also used in the
logistic operations of the carton industry. However, data on usage of pallets has not been
collected. Previous iterations of the study have shown that the reported data on the use
of pallets are confusing because of the complexity of the matter. Pallets can be returnable
or one-way, only used internally in the plants and produced of wood, plastic or paper/
wood combinations. Previously some plants have reported their use in number of pallets
while others have reported in kilogram pallet per tonne net saleable product, making it
difficult to produce a meaningful figure.
Allocation of raw materials to paper grades when a mill produces multiple
products
The basic data for raw materials and chemical inputs are mainly based on recipes used
for the production of the specific products produced at each mill (i.e., allocation based
on causality). Where this was not possible, allocation was made according to the mass
production of the different papers produced at the mill.
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Material outputs
The main output from the paper mills is of course cartonboard. This includes about 2 kg
of cores and plugs per tonne paper, which are considered and weighed as part of the net
saleable product. The carton converting plants produce cartons. The average moisture
content of the saleable product is estimated at 8% for both virgin cartonboard and
recycled cartonboard. The main saleable by-products from the production of virgin
cartonboard production are tall oil, tall soap and turpentine. In addition, some process
residues are utilised as raw materials in other industrial processes. To aid LCA
practitioners in deciding what burdens should be considered for residues, the end-of-life
management destinations for each residue stream are indicated in the inventories.
Residues
All residues are reported as wet weight, separated according to their basic nature.
Residues are only reported where they leave the system boundaries (i.e., where they are
removed from and managed away from the site). As the mill is considered as a blackbox,
energy and emissions associated with managing residues internally (onsite) are included
within the gate-to-gate inventory data. The treatment option for residues was not
reported by all mills, so extrapolation has been necessary from those mills which did
report this information.
For the residue stream Rejects from paper for recycling, which is mainly rejects from
pulp preparation from recovered paper, it is estimated that about a third is due to
rejected materials that were associated with the previous use of the paper (for example,
staples, paper clips, tags, adhesive labels, unrecovered fibres, etc). The remaining two
thirds is material that is not in any way associated with the previous use of the paper (for
example, foreign items such as textiles, plastic packaging, glass, sand and grit, etc).
Primary fibre sludge and biological treatment sludge from wastewater treatment in mills
are mostly recycled in the process and do not leave the site. Where they are exported
from the site for treatment, they are mostly recycled (e.g. as an input into the production
of construction materials, as an input into corrugated or tissue production, or as animal
bedding), but may also be applied to land as a soil improver (landspreading), composted
or incinerated with energy recovery. No mills reported sending organic sludges to
landfill.
Ashes, green liquor sludge and lime mud are commonly reported residues from the
production of primary fibre-based paper. Ashes are predominantly recycled (as an input
into construction materials) but may also be applied to land as a soil improver
(landspreading). Green liquor dregs may also be recycled (as an input into construction
materials), although a proportion of this residue stream is currently disposed of to
ordinary landfill sites. Lime mud is predominantly applied to land as a soil improver
(landspreading).
For carton production the main waste stream is paper for recycling, which is recycled
and thus should not be called waste but recyclable material.
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Allocation of residues to paper grades when a mill produces more than one
paper grade
Data for material outputs are based on measurements. These have to be done because
the mills have to pay for landfill and incineration or get paid for residues that are reused
or recycled, like lubricants, according to the weight. When of residues between products
was required, this was done on the basis of causality wherever possible. Where this was
not possible, allocation was made according to mass of the different papers produced.
Energy input and output
Fuel inputs to the sites are reported in GJ. The lower calorific heat values have been used
to calculate GJ from m3 or tonnes of fuel. Fossil fuel and biomass fuel have been reported
separately. The energy figures for the sites include both energy for process and energy
for infrastructure. No attempts have been made to differentiate between these two types
of energy usage because process energy dominates (98% or more for the cartonboard
mills, although space heating can be a significant share of the thermal energy consumed
at converting plants).
Input of electricity into the sites is also reported. Electricity produced at the site itself is
not reported. Some mills sell energy externally in the form of electricity, steam or warm
water. The production sites are treated as a black box in the database, giving data on
inputs and outputs only. Because no information is given about what happens within the
box it is not possible to calculate an energy balance with the data in the database. Within
this black box, energy is recovered through the burning of black liquor and bark from the
wood coming in at production sites for primary fibre-based cartonboard production. For
some FBB and SUB/SBB mills, most of the energy used in the process comes from
internal burning of the black liquor. This inherent energy is not reported as part of the
fuel input in the gate-to-gate inventory, although it is reported separately in Table 3. The
total energy input for the process for virgin cartonboard production including the black
liquor burning is around 12.5 GJ/tonne. The total energy input for the production of
recycled cartonboard is around 6.5 GJ/tonne. Combined heat power generation is
applied at most of the production sites, but not always in the same way. The combined
heat power generation can cover all or part of the steam consumption (Figure 6). When
it covers only part of the steam consumption, then additional boilers also produce steam.
The process always uses more heat (steam) than electricity. Therefore, when the
installation is designed to cover the whole steam consumption more electricity is
generated than is needed for the process. The excess of electricity is sold to the public
grid. There are two possible ways of treating this excess electricity in an LCA.
a. The production of electricity is an integral part of the cartonboard production: it would
not be produced if the paper were not produced. Cartonboard is thus considered as the
only “product” of the process. In an LCA this would mean that electricity generation for
the public grid is “saved” when an excess of electricity produced at a paper mill is sold to
the public grid. Thus, environmental inputs and outputs are saved since combined heat
power installation produces electricity with a higher efficiency than the public grid.
b. Another possibility is to consider the paper and excess electricity as co-products.
Cartonboard and electricity are then both “products” from the process. In an LCA this
would require allocation of inputs and outputs to both products.
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The reported weighted averages of the fuel consumption and emission to air associated
with the cartonboard production are calculated according to method b, as this has
become common practice at the mills. This means that the fuel consumption and
emissions to air reported in the inventories do not include the production of the sold
electricity and the amount of the sold electricity is not reported. This was calculated as
follows: the fuel consumption and emissions to air associated with the total heat
production and the net electricity used on site were allocated to the cartonboard
production
Figure 6
CHP, Combined heat and power generation
Diesel or gasoil/LPG used for internal transports are also reported in the inventories.
Allocation of energy to paper grades when a mill produces more than one
paper grade
Purchased energy and fuels are measured, because they paid for. Allocation for fuels and
electricity input is calculated according to energy (heat and electricity) required for the
production of the different paper grades. Allocation of the other fuels, such as diesel oil
used for internal transportation, was calculated according to mass production of each
paper grade.
Water inputs and outputs
When paper mills use water, they do not consume this water during the production
process. After (re)use it is returned to the rivers, lakes or seas as cooling water and
purified effluent water. A limited amount of water is evaporated (about 1-1.5 m3/tonne
nsp) in the drying section of the paper production. The water debate focuses on the
impact of water consumption. This is best reflected in the local water availability rather
than in the amount of water taken into the mills. Therefore, the appropriate indicator is
the net difference of water taken in and water returned to the rivers or lakes (water
consumed, not taken in).
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Transport
The transport distances of wood raw materials from the harvesting sites in the forests to
the mills have been reported separately for trucks, rail and ships. The trucks and rail
wagons are normally loaded to full capacity but go back empty. The trucks carry 40-44
tonnes of wood. This information has been collected on a species-by-species basis for
each mill, considering the wet weight of the wood. Data has also been collected for the
delivery of sawmill residues and similar sources of fibre. Distances and tonnages of wood
delivered have then been used to calculate the total t.km for delivery of wood by each
mode of transport (truck, rail and boat). This is then used to calculate the t.km/t of
production for each grade at each mill, calculated on a mill-by-mill, input-by-input basis.
A weighted average t.km is then calculated based on the relative production share of each
mill.
A similar approach is applied for calculating the transport requirements for recovered
paper. Transport distances from point of origin of the recovered paper bales to the mills
have been reported on a recovered paper grade-by-grade basis for each mill. Distances
and tonnages of recovered paper delivered have then been used to calculate the total t.km
for delivery of recovered paper by each mode of transport (truck, rail and boat). This is
then used to calculate the t.km/t of production for each grade at each mill, calculated on
a mill-by-mill, input-by-input basis. A weighted average t.km is then based on the
relative production share of each mill. Generally, the lorries are loaded to full capacity.
On the return trip it is estimated that 40% of the trucks return empty. Assuming this is
transported by a truck with a loading capacity of 40 tonnes this means that this figure
has to be used in combination with data on inputs and outputs for transport by a 40t
truck.
Similar data has also been collected and applied to estimate the transport associated with
non-fibre inputs. Transport data has been collected for the most important non-fibre
inputs (sulphuric acid, sodium hydroxide, oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, sodium chlorate,
calcium oxide, chlorine dioxide, sodium bisulphite, synthetic binders (latex), ground
calcium carbonate, precipitated calcium carbon (purchased), clay, wet strength, AKD
sizer, and starches).
Data has also been collected regarding the average transport of the residues from the
paper mill to the residue treatment process. Where no data was available relating to the
transport distance for selected residue streams, a worst case scenario of 100km is
assumed.
Data was also collected from the papermills on average delivery distances and modes of
transports to their customers. This data was provided on a product-by-product basis and
was used to calculate a weighted average t.km for delivery of cartonboard to the carton
converting plants. However, any one carton converting plant will of course source the
substrates they use from many different suppliers. Therefore, the values presented in the
inventory are only indicative and in practice users of the data may wish to consider
delivery of materials on a case-by-case.
Internal transport is included in the energy input.
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Emissions to air
Emissions from fuel combustion (transport, electricity generation for the public grid)
outside the mill are not included in the data. In case the site sold electricity, the emissions
associated with the sold electricity are not included. Emissions to air from the sites have
been reported. For dust, TRS (H2S), NOx and SOx the figures from the paper mills are
mostly based on measurements. For CO2, the figures reported are based on emissions
reported to authorities where provided, or where these were not provided they are based
on calculations considering the rules consumed. CO2 emissions are reported separately
for fossil and biomass origin.
Carton converting plants have no measured air emission data to report. Therefore, the
air emission figures for carton converting reported in the inventory are calculated from
reported figures for consumption of different fuels in the converting plants. Unless the
sites reported a specific emission factor, the emission factors in Table 1 were used for the
calculations.
Table 1 Default factors for calculating CO2 emissions to air from fuels
Fuel type
Emission factor (kgCO2/GJ)
Fossil fuels
Natural gas 56
Heavy fuel oil 77
Light fuel oil 74
Diesel oil 74
LPG 65
Hard coal 95
Brown coal (lignite) 101
Brown coal (briquettes) 98
Peat 106
Bio-based fuels
Wood, bark 125
Black liquor 110
Biogas 55
Emissions to air in the flue gas from the CHP power station are given for the mills that
use combined heat power generation. Emissions from the incineration of rejects with
energy recovery at the mill are included. Emissions in the steam from the drying section
of the paper machines are not included. When mills have anaerobic wastewater
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treatment on the site, biogas originating from this process is used as a fuel by the mill.
The emissions to air originating from the use of biogas as fuel are included.
Very few mills were able to report any figures for emissions to air such as metals etc.
Where data was reported the same substances were not always covered and where
common emissions were reported these showed a large variation per mill, primarily due
to differences in measuring/monitoring and/or calculation regimes. Therefore, this
information has not been included in the datasets. For conducting their own LCI or LCA
studies, users of the dataset are advised that they should include such emissions. These
can be estimated through the application of standard emissions data for the combustion
of different fossil fuels, together with the amount of fossil fuels used in the processes (as
indicated in the inventories). This will allow an estimation to be made of the order of
magnitude of these emissions.
Allocation of emissions to paper grades when a mill produces more than one
paper grade
Emissions to air are calculated from measurements, applied technology, permit values
or from the input of fuels. Necessary allocations were done in the same way as for energy
input.
Emissions to water
Water that is taken in must be treated before it is used in the process, and it is again
treated after the process before it is released as effluent to a recipient. The substances in
the effluent after wastewater treatment are reported. All mills have some sort of effluent
water treatment, either mechanical treatment by sedimentation or in addition biological
anaerobic and aerobic or chemical treatment of the effluent. A few mills send their
effluent water to an external communal treatment plant. The volume of effluent water is
reported separately for treated process water and thermally polluted effluent (e.g.,
cooling water). All mills have reported the figures for outgoing effluent water to the
recipient body (i.e., effluent water after final treatment). The amount of substances
(COD, BOD, suspended solids, AOX, Total N, Total P) per m3 of effluent from the
different mills show very little variation when the efficiency of the waste water treatment
station is the same. The amount of substances per tonne paper production may however
vary according to the amount of effluent, depending on specific circumstances in the
paper production process in the different mills. In the questionnaire for data collection,
a number of other emissions were reported by some mills, such as oils, nitrates, acids,
chlorate, chlorides, borates, phenol, Hg, Pb etc. However, few mills reported these
figures, probably because there are no or few measurements. Subsequently, only COD,
BOD5, suspended solids, total nitrogen and total phosphorus, which are based on data
from most mills, in addition to the total volume of effluent waters are reported. Due to
the water treatment it is possible that the content of certain substances per m3 is higher
if the water is taken from a river than in the effluent released into the river. In an LCA
this would mean that the production of paper could be credited for the reduction in
substances, although in practice this rarely happens. This principle is illustrated in
Figure 7.
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Figure 7
Potential credit for reduction of substances in the effluent water
Since only a few mills analyse their incoming water the available data cannot be
considered as representative. Therefore, only data for the emissions to the recipient are
given, without taking into account the substances in the incoming water. Most of the
cartonboard plants have internal wastewater treatment, and in some cases this is then
further treated externally afterwards. In case the wastewater is not further treated
externally and released to the environment, the emission level of substances is so low
that reporting them is not required by authorities.
Besides the substances reported in Table 4, very few plants have also given data on some
of the following emissions: metals (Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, Nickel, Iron, Boron,
Aluminium), Chlorine and Phosphorus. The amounts are below 0.001 kg/tonne nsp and
are not reported in the inventories.
Allocation of emissions to paper grades when a mill produces more than one
paper grade
As far as waterborne emissions per m3 are measured for a mill, these data are well
documented. The figures reported are usually based on continuous measurements
according to control programmes set by official authorities. Given emissions to water are
generally measured according to standard methodology, although for COD and BOD
results can be significantly different if measured on a homogenous sample or on a settled
sample. Where necessary, allocation between paper grades is done according to mass of
produced paper grade.
Data on emissions to water from the carton converting plants were also collected.
However, the converting plants are not subject to Industrial Emissions legislation, and
therefore the quantity and quality of available data is inconsistent. This is further
complicated by the fact that the cartonboard plants do not all have their own effluent
treatment facilities or treat only certain aspects of the wastewater associated with specific
processes (for example, ink recovery). Many plants discharge a proportion of their
wastewater under specific agreement to public effluent treatment facilities and therefore
do not have access to data on the releases to the environment (after final treatment). For
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this reason, data representative of emissions after a public wastewater treatment plant
should be considered for the waste emissions from the converting plants.
Data
Coverage and comparability of the datasets
Pro Carton has previously surveyed the environmental performance of the cartonboard
and carton industry. Inevitably, over time the coverage of the surveys has changed:
• Old paper mills and converting facilities have closed and new mills and converting
facilities have opened
• Mills may change the grades of board they are producing
• Additional mills and converting facilities may have opted to participate in the survey
whilst others have dropped out of participation, changing the coverage and
representativeness of the datasets
In particular, for the 2021 survey compared to the previous survey in 2018:
• 9 mills producing approximately 3,000,000 tonnes of WLC contributed to the 2021
survey compared to 8 mills producing approximately 2,000,000 tonnes participating in
the 2018 survey
• 14 mills producing approximately 2,250,000 tonnes of FBB contributed to the 2021
survey compared to 10 mills producing approximately 2,000,000 tonnes participating in
the 2018 survey
• 3 mills producing approximately 630,000 tonnes of SBB/SUB contributed to the 2021
survey compared to 4 mills producing approximately 1,000,000 tonnes participating in
the 2018 survey
• 25 converting plants producing approximately 530,000 tonnes of cartons contributed to
the 2021 survey compared to 33 converting plants producing approximately 450,000
tonnes participating in the 2018 survey.
With the exception of SBB/SUB production, the share of the market covered in the
surveys has been increased. These changes in participation in the survey mean that the
weighted averages generated are therefore more representative of average European
production, and therefore represents an improvement in the quality of the datasets. This
change in coverage of the surveys should be borne in mind when comparing the weighted
average results in the previous editions of the report.
Relationship to the Product Environmental
Footprint (PEF)
Over the course of multiple iterations of the project a robust process has been developed
in which the data provided is processed and checked by both LCA practitioners and
industry experts. The process and data are then subjected to an independent peer review.
This experience has led to the generation of a well-respected and transparent life cycle
inventory dataset for the production of cartonboard and the conversion of cartonboard
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into cartons. This process and the data collected mirrors the data collection and life cycle
inventories presented by other sectors in the paper and board packaging industry 5 .
Therefore, Pro Carton intends to continue to collect and process the data using the same
methods and present the information in the same format.
More recently, the European Commission has proposed the Product Environmental
Footprint (PEF) as a common way of measuring environmental performance 6 . To
facilitate the adoption of the PEF methodology, the European Commission is developing
a database of life cycle inventory data. Category rules for compiling life cycle studies in
compliance with the PEF methodology are also in development. PEF category rules have
already been published for Intermediate Paper Products 7 , but no category rules have
been published covering the conversion of these into end products.
The PEF methodology is still in development and open to discussion, and category rules
are currently only available for the production of base papers not including conversion.
Therefore, whilst the data for this life cycle inventory has been collected with reference
to the PEF and, where relevant, the Product Category rules for Intermediate Paper
Products, no claim of compliance with the PEF methodology or data requirements is
made.
Results
Life cycle inventory for cartonboard and cartons 2021
Table 2 presents the gate-to-gate life cycle inventories for:
• Production of cartonboard manufactured primarily from primary fibres: Folding
Box Board (FBB) and Solid Bleached Board/Solid Unbleached Board (SBB/SUB)
• Production of cartonboard manufactured primarily from recovered fibres: White
Lined Chip (WLC)
• Conversion of cartonboard into blank cartons, including die cutting, creasing,
printing and where applicable folding/gluing
• An aggregated dataset, which considers the production of average European
cartonboard and the conversion of this average cartonboard into cartons.
5 e.g., European Database for Corrugated Board Life Cycle Studies, FEFCO and Cepi
Containerboard, 2021
6
https://eplca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/EnvironmentalFootprint.html?msclkid=d1c44024bd6311ec9a316
02979545205
7 Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules: Intermediate Paper Products, CEPI, October
2018
© RISE Research Institutes of Sweden

Recycled
cartonboard
Virgin
cartonboard
Carton
conversion
Aggregated
average board
production and
cartton
conversion
34
Table 2 Gate-to-gate life cycle inventories
PRODUCT &
REFERENCE
FLOW
tonne net
saleable product
1 1 1 1
SOLD BYPRODUCTS
Tall oil/Tall soap kg/t 0.00 0.39 - 0.23
Turpentine kg/t 0.00 0.11 - 0.06
RAW MATERIAL
Wood consumption
as bone dry
weight (= 45% of
transported total
wet weight)
Softwood logs – total t/t 0.006 0.380 - 0.230
Hardwood logs t/t 0.000 0.153 - 0.091
Sawmill residues softwood t/t 0.031 0.125 - 0.093
Sawmill residue hardwood t/t 0.000 0.005 - 0.003
Total wood t/t 0.037 0.633 - 0.398
Recovered paper
as wet mass
Mixed grades t/t 0.707 0.017 - 0.415
Corrugated and Kraft, preconsumer
t/t 0.024 0.000 - 0.014
Corrugated and Kraft, postconsumer
t/t 0.019 0.000 - 0.011
Newspaper and Magazines t/t 0.018 0.000 - 0.010
Other grades t/t 0.077 0.003 - 0.045
Total recovered paper t/t 0.845 0.020 - 0.496
Purchased pulp consumption as bone dry
weight
Bleached kraft pulp, eucalyptus kg/t 0.0 10.8 - 6.4
Bleached kraft pulp, hardwood kg/t 1.0 154.9 - 92.9
Bleached kraft pulp, softwood kg/t 0.0 40.9 - 24.4
Bleached sulphite pulp, hardwood kg/t 0.0 38.7 - 23.1
Mechanical wood pulp kg/t 26.1 0.0 - 15.0
Semi-chemical wood pulp kg/t 0.5 99.8 - 59.7
Thermomechanical pulp kg/t 0.0 18.9 - 11.3
Unbleached kraft pulp, softwood kg/t 0.0 0.7 - 0.4
CTMP kg/t 0.3 1.8 - 1.2
Other kg/t 5.8 12.5 - 10.8
Total purchased pulp kg/t 33.6 378.9 - 245.2
Paper consumption for
carton production
Total t/t - - - 1.169
© RISE Research Institutes of Sweden

Recycled
cartonboard
Virgin
cartonboard
Carton
conversion
Aggregated
average board
production and
cartton
conversion
35
PRODUCT &
REFERENCE
FLOW
tonne net
saleable product
1 1 1 1
ENERGY INPUTS
Purchased energy
Purchased heat/steam GJ/t 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000
Bought electricity GJ/t 0.609 2.093 0.902 2.499
Purchased fossil fuels
Natural gas GJ/t 5.168 2.056 0.246 4.432
Heavy fuel oil GJ/t 0.000 0.068 0.015 0.055
Light fuel oil GJ/t 0.000 0.076 0.018 0.064
Diesel oil GJ/t 0.026 0.003 0.007 0.023
LPG GJ/t 0.002 0.651 0.000 0.389
Coal GJ/t 0.703 0.263 0.001 0.561
Lignite GJ/t 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000
Peat GJ/t 0.000 0.132 0.000 0.078
Refuse derived fuel (RDF) - fossil GJ/t 0.000 0.126 0.000 0.075
Others GJ/t 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.001
Total fossil fuels GJ/t 5.899 3.374 0.288 5.679
Purchased renewable fuels
Bark GJ/t 0.000 0.997 0.000 0.595
Scrap wood GJ/t 0.000 0.479 0.000 0.286
Total renewable fuels GJ/t 0.000 1.476 0.000 0.880
Total purchased fuel GJ/t 5.899 4.850 0.288 6.559
© RISE Research Institutes of Sweden

Recycled
cartonboard
Virgin
cartonboard
Carton
conversion
Aggregated
average board
production and
cartton
conversion
36
PRODUCT &
REFERENCE
FLOW
tonne net
saleable product
1 1 1 1
WATER INPUTS
Ground water (non-renewable) m 3 /t 0.00 0.35 0.04 0.25
Ground water (renewable) m 3 /t 5.34 0.08 0.01 3.11
Surface water - lake m 3 /t 0.48 27.98 0.00 16.95
Surface water - river m 3 /t 3.88 10.98 0.00 8.77
Sea water m 3 /t 0.00 0.32 0.01 0.20
Municipal water m 3 /t 0.03 0.42 0.16 0.426
Rainwater m 3 /t 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Other water received m 3 /t 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
Input total m 3 /t 9.73 40.13 0.22 29.71
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cartonboard
Virgin
cartonboard
Carton
conversion
Aggregated
average board
production and
cartton
conversion
37
PRODUCT &
REFERENCE
FLOW
tonne net
saleable product
1 1 1 1
NON-FIBRE INPUTS (PROCESS CHEMICALS AND ADDITIVES), DRY MASS
AKD sizer kg/t 0.25 0.30 - 0.33
Alum (Al2(SO4)3 kg/t 0.003 1.93 - 1.15
Binders (other than latex) kg/t 2.68 0.00 - 1.54
CaCO 3 – GCC (Ground calcium kg/t 46.99 74.82 - 71.53
carbonate
CaCO 3 – PCC (Precipitated calcium kg/t 0.00 6.73 - 4.01
carbonate, purchased)
Calcium Oxide (CaO) kg/t 0.00 3.67 - 2.19
Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) kg/t 0.00 0.00 - 0.00
Clay kg/t 17.31 16.39 - 19.69
CO 2 kg/t 0.50 0.20 - 0.40
Dry strength agent kg/t 0.00 0.00 - 0.00
Hydrogen peroxide (H 2O 2) kg/t 1.13 3.73 - 2.87
Oxygen, O 2 kg/t 0.00 2.72 - 1.62
Sodium bisulfite (NaHSO 3) kg/t 0.00 1.71 - 1.02
Sodium Chlorate (NaClO 3) kg/t 0.003 4.58 - 2.73
Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) kg/t 0.61 9.51 - 6.02
Sodium sulphate (Na 2SO 4) kg/t 0.53 0.00 - 0.30
Starch, corn/maize kg/t 1.89 4.17 - 3.57
Starch, potato kg/t 0.67 1.29 - 1.15
Starch, wheat kg/t 3.24 10.80 - 8.30
Starch, other kg/t 0.00 3.25 - 1.94
Starch, modified kg/t 3.75 3.58 - 4.28
Sulphuric acid (H 2SO 4) kg/t 0.00 7.14 - 4.26
Synthetic binders (latex) kg/t 12.90 14.20 - 15.85
Wet strength agent kg/t 0.000 0.016 - 0.010
Adhesives for laminating kg/t - - 1.20 1.20
Aluminium printing plates kg/t - - 1.55 1.55
Glue, cold for boxmaking kg/t - - 1.68 1.68
Glue, hot melts for boxmaking kg/t - - 1.62 1.62
Ink, flexo kg/t - - 0.21 0.21
Ink, gravure kg/t - - 0.97 0.97
Ink, offset kg/t - - 3.05 3.06
Laminating films kg/t - - 0.27 0.27
Varnish for printing kg/t - - 8.54 8.54
© RISE Research Institutes of Sweden

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cartonboard
Virgin
cartonboard
Carton
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Aggregated
average board
production and
cartton
conversion
38
PRODUCT &
REFERENCE
FLOW
tonne net
saleable product
1 1 1 1
TRANSPORT OF RAW MATERIALS
Wood and wood chips
Wood with truck t.km/t 10 178 - 111
Wood with rail t.km/t 8 119 - 74
Wood with ship t.km/t 0 16 - 9
Wood with barge t.km/t 0 71 - 42
Recovered paper
Recovered paper with truck t.km/t 211 2 - 121
Recovered paper with rail t.km/t 0 0 - 0
Recovered paper with ship t.km/t 0 0 - 0
Recovered paper with barge t.km/t 0 0 - 0
Purchased pulp
Purchased pulp with truck t.km/t 4 65 - 40
Purchased pulp with rail t.km/t 0 7 - 4
Purchased pulp with ship t.km/t 2 158 - 94
Purchased pulp with barge t.km/t 0 3 - 2
Non-fibre inputs to
papermills
Non-fibre inputs with truck t.km/t 29 77 - 62
Non-fibre inputs with rail t.km/t 28 498 - 310
Non-fibre inputs with ship t.km/t 0 1,005 - 594
Non-fibre inputs with barge t.km/t 0 6 - 4
Cartonboard to converting
plants*
Cartonboard with truck t.km/t - - 886 886
Cartonboard with rail t.km/t - - 45 45
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cartonboard
Virgin
cartonboard
Carton
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Aggregated
average board
production and
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conversion
39
PRODUCT &
REFERENCE FLOW
tonne net
saleable
product
1 1 1 1
EMISSIONS TO AIR
Particulates, 2.5µm and kg/t 0.00076 0.0211 - 0.0130
10µm kg/t 0.0040 0.0102 - 0.0084
CO 2 (fossil) kg/t 354.5 177.4 16.9 325.7
CO 2 (biomass) kg/t 2.4 728.8 0.0 435.9
CO kg/t 0.047 0.000 - 0.027
NOx (as NO 2) kg/t 0.199 0.584 - 0.462
SOx (as SO 2) kg/t 0.118 0.135 - 0.148
TRS (H 2S as S) kg/t n/a n/a - n/a
© RISE Research Institutes of Sweden

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cartonboard
Virgin
cartonboard
Carton
conversion
Aggregated
average board
production and
cartton
conversion
40
PRODUCT &
REFERENCE FLOW
tonne net
saleable
product
1 1 1 1
EMISSIONS TO WATER
Water output m 3 /t
Process water directly to offsite
m 3 /t 0.95 0.00 0.22 0.77
(third party) wastewater
treatment
Process water to third party m 3 /t 1.66 0.00 0.01 0.96
wastewater treatment after
internal waste water treatment
Process water to m 3 /t 3.41 8.88 0.01 7.25
freshwater/transitional waters
after internal treatment
Process water to coastal, sea or m 3 /t 0.00 12.15 0.00 7.24
ocean after internal treatment
Thermally polluted water to m 3 /t 2.44 11.44 0.00 8.22
freshwater/transitional waters
Thermally polluted water to m 3 /t 0.00 4.13 0.00 2.46
coastal, sea or ocean
Total water out m 3 /t 8.46 38.63 0.24 28.12
Water balance (water in m 3 /t 1.26 1.52 0.004 1.63
minus water out
Waterborne emissions (to
freshwater)
AOX kg/t 0.0003 0.0047 n/a 0.0030
BOD5 kg/t 0.011 0.146 7.12e-6 0.093
COD kg/t 0.347 2.306 0.134 1.708
Suspended solids kg/t 0.040 0.204 0.019 0.164
Total Nitrogen kg/t 0.016 0.040 0.057 0.090
Total Phosphorous kg/t 0.0016 0.0031 n/a 0.0028
Waterborne emissions (to
seawater)
AOX kg/t 0.000 0.012 0.000 0.007
BOD5 kg/t 0.000 1.157 0.000 0.690
COD kg/t 0.000 4.501 0.000 2.683
Suspended solids kg/t 0.000 0.894 0.000 0.533
Total Nitrogen kg/t 0.000 0.052 0.000 0.031
Total Phosphorous kg/t 0.000 1.275 0.000 0.760
© RISE Research Institutes of Sweden

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cartonboard
Virgin
cartonboard
Carton
conversion
Aggregated
average board
production and
cartton
conversion
41
PRODUCT & REFERENCE
FLOW
tonne net
saleable
product
wet weight
1 1 1 1
RESIDUES
Calcium carbonate kg/t 0.00 2.26 - 1.35
Dry content % - 81% - 81%
Method of disposal or
100%
landspreading
recovery
Green liquor dregs kg/t 0.00 3.04 - 1.81
Dry content % - 52% - 52%
Method of disposal or
recovery
-
41% recycled
(construction
material), 59%
ordinary
landfill
Inorganic ashes (10 01 01) kg/t 0.99 8.50 - 5.63
Dry content % 72% 92% - 82%
Method of disposal or
recovery
Not specified
80% recycled
(construction
material), 20%
landspreading
Lime mud Kg/t 4.84 6.41 - 6.60
Dry content % 75% 22% - 48%
Method of disposal or
recovery
-
Not specified 5% recycled
(construction
material), 95%
landspreading
Lubricants and oil Kg/t 0.04 0.44 - 0.29
Dry content % - - - -
100% recovery 100%
Method of disposal or
-
/recycling recovery/
recovery
recycling
Organic sludges (03 03 01 kg/t 46.58 29.96 - 44.54
and 03 03 11)
Dry content % 58% 46% - 52%
16% recycled
Method of disposal or
-
for corrugated
recovery
and tissue
70% reused/
recycled as an
input into the
cement/ tile/
brick industry,
30%
incineration
with energy
recovery
manufacture;
19% recycled
(construction
material); 9%
recycled
(animal
bedding); 27%
landspreading
; 12%
composting;
17%
incineration
with energy
recovery
Rejects, paper related** kg/t 22.46 0.58 - 13.20
Dry content % 45% 50% - 48%
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Method of disposal or
recovery
99%
incinerated
with energy
recovery, 1%
recycled
100%
incinerated
with energy
recovery
Rejects, other*** kg/t 44.91 1.14 - 26.40
Dry content % 45% 50% - 48%
99%
100%
Method of disposal or
-
incinerated incinerated
recovery
with energy with energy
recovery, 1%
recycled
recovery
Aqueous liquid waste kg/t - - 0.59 0.59
containing ink
Dry content % - - n/a
Not specified
Method of disposal or
recovery
Aqueous sludges
kg/t - - 3.02 3.02
containing ink
Dry content % - - n/a
Not specified
Method of disposal or
recovery
Paper for recycling kg/t - - 169 169
Dry content % - - 90% 90%
100%
100%
Method of disposal or
-
recycling recycling
recovery
Paper packaging waste kg/t - - 2.06 2.06
Dry content % - - n/a
100%
Method of disposal or
- -
recycling
recovery
Plastic packaging waste kg/t - - 3.29 3.29
Dry content % - - n/a
100%
Method of disposal or
- -
recycling
recovery
«na» not available
*As this life cycle inventory is intended to be representative of average European production, only transport
from European paper mills to European carton converting sites has been considered in the weighted average.
Transport associated with export of paper outside of Europe has not been considered
**Rejected materials that were associated with the previous use of the paper (for example, staples, paper
clips, tags, adhesive labels, unrecovered fibres, etc)
***Material that is not in any way associated with the previous use of the paper (for example, foreign items
such as plastic packaging, glass, sand and grit, etc)
-
Additional information on energy and fuels
Internal fuels
The energy inputs presented in the life cycle inventories in Table 2 only to external fuels
supplied to the process. However, many papermills also produce their own internal fuels
as a by-product of the pulping processes or from the management of waste streams. In
particular, the following are the main internal fuels relevant to the papermaking process:
• Black liquor – a by-product from chemical pulping processes when
digesting pulpwood into paper pulp. It is an aqueous solution of lignin residues,
hemicellulose, and the inorganic chemicals used in the process
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Virgin
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43
• Bark – from the debarking process
• Biogas and bio-sludge – from the wastewater treatment process
• Refuse-derived fuel – from the rejects associated with processing of paper for recycling
The consumption of all fuels and energy (purchased fuels and electricity and internal
fuels) for production of cartonboard is summarised in Table 3. This data is for
information purposes only and should not be added to the life cycle inventory for each
paper grade as it refers to fuels that are generated and consumed within the “black box”
of the papermill. The internal fuels will be used for production of heat (in the form of
steam) and electricity at the mill.
Table 3 External energy inputs and internal fuels consumed for the production of
cartonboard
EXTERNAL ENERGY INPUTS
Steam GJ/t 0.000 0.000
Bought electricity GJ/t 0.609 2.255
External fuels – fossil GJ/t 5.899 3.374
External fuels – renewable GJ/t 0.000 1.476
Total external energy inputs GJ/t 6.508 7.105
INTERNAL FUELS
Black liquor GJ/t 0.000 3.730
Bark and wood GJ/t 0.000 1.558
Biogas and biosludge GJ/t 0.034 0.060
Refuse derived fuel (RDF) GJ/t 0.000 0.000
Other internal fuels GJ/t 0.000 0.073
Total internal fuels GJ/t 0.034 5.421
TOTAL ENERGY (BOUGHT ELECTRICITY, PURCHASED
STEAM, EXTERNAL FUELS, INTERNAL FUELS)
Total energy GJ/t 6.542 12.526
Year-on-year trends
Improvements to the questionnaires
A number of improvements were made to the data collection questionnaires for the 2021
compared to previous studies. These changes have resulted in more consistent and
reliable data provision across mills. In particular, the following changes are highlighted:
• For the mills that produce and sell energy (electricity and/or heat and steam), the mill
experts completing the questionnaire were asked to allocate resources and emissions
between the co-products of board and energy. This approach means that, unlike previous
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surveys, it is no longer necessary to calculate net energy consumption at the mills and/or
provide a credit for sold energy. This approach should result in a more consistent life
cycle inventory which is easier to interpret
• For purchased pulp, pulp nomenclature was clarified, resulting in consistent naming of
different pulp types across the survey
• For non-fibre inputs, data was requested on the dry mass percentage of the input to
ensure that the consumption is always considered according to the active substance. Data
was also requested regarding the transport distances and modes of transport for nonfibre
inputs, resulting in a more complete understanding of transport associated with the
raw materials consumed by the paper mills
• For water consumption, inputs of sea/coastal waters were requested. Similarly, releases
of water to sea/estuaries were requested. This information may be important as the
impact assessment categories for water develop
• Further detail was requested regarding the management of residues arising from the
paper mills. Previous experience with life cycle data providers has shown that
assumptions regarding the management of some residues streams (particularly organic
sludges, lime mud, green liquor dregs and calcium carbonate) can be very influential on
the results achieved when using the gate-to-gate life cycle inventories to compile cradleto-gate
life cycle inventories. In particular, assumptions that these residue streams are
sent to landfill and/or incineration can contribute significantly to the impact assessment
results achieved. Collecting more detailed data relating to the management of residue
streams has demonstrated that in fact the vast majority of residues arising at the paper
mill are reused and recycled in some way.
Trends in key environmental parameters
The life cycle inventory presented in Table 2 represents the average European production
of cartonboard and cartons, based on the data received during from mills and plants
participating in the 2021 survey. As previously explained, the coverage of the market is
noticeably increased for the 2021 survey compared to the 2018 survey. Whilst this means
that the life cycle inventory presented in this version of the report is more representative
of the weighted European average production, it also means that care should be taken
when comparing this current inventory directly with previous versions of the dataset.
If mills with large production capacity join the survey or drop out of the survey, then
changes in the coverage of the papermills participating in the survey can be influential
on the results achieved. This should be borne in mind when comparing the results of the
2021 survey and the 2018 survey.
Nonetheless, it is still valuable and informative to look at the trends in key environmental
interventions over time. In particular, if we compare the 2018 survey and the 2021
survey:
• For the production of virgin cartonboard, total energy (purchased grid electricity plus
external fuels plus internal fuels) required has been reduced by 14% in 2021 compared
to 2018. For the production of recycled cartonboard, total energy has stayed relatively
unchanged, with a 2% decrease observed.
• This improvement in energy efficiency, combined with changes in the energy mix
employed, has resulted in an 18% reduction in fossil carbon dioxide emissions arising at
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the mill per tonne of virgin cartonboard and a 7% reduction in fossil carbon dioxide
emissions arising at the mill per tonne of recycled cartonboard
• Fossil carbon dioxide emissions from fuels consumed at converting operations have been
reduced by 38% in 2021 compared to 2018.
• Total water input per tonne of recycled cartonboard is reduced by 33% from 14.43 m 3 per
tonne to 9.73 m 3 per tonne.
• There has been an improvement in efficiency of board use at the converting plants. In
2021, 1.169 tonnes of cartonboard were required to produce 1 tonne of cartons, compated
to 1.245 tonnes of cartonboard per tonne of cartons required in 2018.
Sustainable forest management
There is currently no life cycle impact assessment methodology for biodiversity impacts
of forest management to produce primary fibres for fibre-based products. Nevertheless,
biodiversity impacts are an essential element of forest industry products. Sustainable
forest management practices have been developed to protect and maintain the ecosystem
services in managed forests and plantations. The voluntary sustainable forest
management certification schemes have been designed to address relevant practices that
help protect ecosystem services such as biodiversity or those that are impacted by land
use and their implementation has been verified through an accredited, independent third
party. These practices set a proxy for mitigating land use impacts and protecting
biodiversity.
The data collection revealed that >80% of the pulp wood used for the production of
cartonboard by the companies returning the survey was certified as being sourced from
sustainable managed forests. Predominantly, primary fibres are FSC or PEFC certified.
A similar proportion of the purchased pulp is also certified and third party verified as
being sourced from sustainable managed forests.
Details of the specific countries of origin and species of wood used are not provided in
this report. The data provided by incomplete and when reviewed it was not deemed
representative of the complete situation.
Conclusions
This report presents the gate-to-gate life cycle inventories for the production of
cartonboard, manufactured primarily from primary fibres, the production of
cartonboard manufactured primarily from recovered fibres, the conversion of
cartonboard into blank cartons, (including die cutting, creasing, printing and where
applicable folding/gluing) and an aggregated dataset, which considers the production of
cartonboard and the conversion of this cartonboard into cartons.
The datasets represent the weighted average European situation for each of the processes
according to the market and technology situation in 2021. The datasets are based on
primary data collected directly from the mills and convertors operating the processes.
Participation in the surveys for cartonboard production was high, with a significant
increase in the number of sites participating and the proportion of European production
covered. Participation in the survey for carton converting was also significant, with data
received from twenty-five converting sites. Although this was fewer sites compared to the
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previous survey in 2018, the share of European production covered by the participating
convertors represented an increase in coverage with a good geographical spread in
participation. For this reason, there can be a high degree of confidence that the data is
representative of technologies applied across Europe, and therefore representative of the
environmental profile of the sector.
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Peer review
The study presented in this report has been subject to a peer review by ifeu - Institute for
Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg GmbH. The peer review concludes that:
• the methods used to compile the database are scientifically and technically valid,
and consistently used.
• the data used are appropriate and reasonable in relation to the goal of the LCA
database.
• the LCA database report is transparent and consistent.
The full peer review statement is available as Annex 1 of this report.
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Definitions
Allocation - Technique used in life cycle assessment for partitioning the inputs and
outputs of a system amongst products.
Effluent - Water leaving the mill after treatment.
Incineration + energy - Incineration of residues with energy recovery.
Functional additives - Additives that influence the properties of paper.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) - Compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and
the potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle.
Life Cycle Impact Assessment - Phase of the life cycle assessment aimed at
understanding and evaluating the magnitude and significance of the potential
environmental impacts of a product system.
Life Cycle Inventory Analysis - Phase of the life cycle assessment involving
compilation, and the quantification of inputs and outputs, for a given product system
throughout its life cycle.
Packaging materials - Materials bought and used for the packaging of the saleable
product (wrappings, pallets).
Paper for recycling – paper collected for repulping at a papermill to produce papers
containing recycled fibres. Paper for recycling may originate from pre-consumer sources
(e.g., process waste) or post-consumer sources
Primary Fibre - Virgin fibre, fibres that have not been recycled before use in paper
production.
Process additives - Additives that are used to guarantee that the process of paper
production runs smoothly or to increase the production.
Rejects - Material in recovered paper, which is eliminated during pulp preparation.
Recovered fibres / secondary fibres – fibres produced from recycled paper ready
for use in paper production
Tonne nsp (net saleable product) - 1 tonne of cartonboard/cartons sold to the
customer.
Transport distance of recovered paper - Distance from recovered paper supplier
to the paper mill.
Transport distance of wood - Distance from harvesting site to the paper mill.
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Annex 1: Peer review statement
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