CPA approves IPS testing experts for Corrugated Recyclability Protocol

The Corrugated Packaging Alliance protocol technical team has approved IPS Testing Experts to perform the testing protocol outlined in the Voluntary Standard for Repulping and Recycling Corrugated Fiberboard. The protocol is used to certify the repulpability and recyclability of wax alternatives for corrugated products that have been treated to improve performance in the presence of water and water vapor.

The approval is the result of a recent audit of IPS Testing Experts’ facilities (Appleton, WI) and those of a subcontractor, the pilot paper machine lab at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point (UWSP). The UWSP will perform certain parts of the Voluntary Standard testing requirements for IPS Testing Experts. If you have an interest in IPS Testing Experts as a potential choice for laboratory certification to the Voluntary Standard testing protocol, contact Chris Reitmeyer at 920-749-3040 Ext 119.

IPS Testing Experts becomes the fourth laboratory approved to perform the Voluntary Standard protocol. Others are NC State University, Department of Wood & Paper Science, in Raleigh, North Carolina; Western Michigan University Pilot Plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan; and Centre Specialise en Pates et Papiers (CSPP) in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada. Complete contact information for all four of the approved laboratories can be found at the CPA web site: http://www.corrugated.org/WaxAlternatives/TestingLabs.aspx .

“The addition of a fourth testing lab will help move certifications forward,” said Dwight Schmidt, Fibre Box Association president and Executive Director of the Corrugated Packaging Alliance, “at a time when the use of recyclable wax alternatives is growing dramatically. A new study showed a 30 percent increase in the use of these alternatives in 2010. As retailers’ interest and faith in these recyclable alternatives grow, and as more viable solutions are developed, it’s important to ensure that the infrastructure necessary to evaluate them keeps up with demand.”

Thirty-eight recyclable wax alternatives have passed certification testing and are registered with the FBA as of July, 2011.