Division 3.4 Deinkability

This criterion applies to printed paper products and envelopes based on white paper.

The deinkability shall be proven.

The printed product is considered compliant with the requirement if all individual parameters analyzed have a positive score and the final score is at least 51 on the EPRC Deinkability Scorecard, or equivalent. Envelopes shall be exempted from performing deinkability test.

For envelopes, internal printing shall only be used for the privacy reasons and in envelopes composed of paper with a grammage of less than 135 g/m², or with opacity level lower than 98 %. The internal printed surface shall be less than 80 % of the total interior surface minus the glued area and shall be printed with light colour shades.

Assessment and verification: the applicant or ink manufacturer shall provide a declaration of compliance with deinkability scores according to the guidelines of the European Paper Recycling Council (EPRC). The declaration shall be supported by deinking test results according to INGEDE Method 11, or equivalent standard methods that are accepted by the competent body as providing data of equivalent scientific quality.

For envelopes, the applicant shall provide a declaration of compliance with the requirement, supported by specifications of the weight/m² of the paper used according to UNE-EN ISO 536 or opacity according to ISO 2471, colour of printing ink, and % coverage of any internal printing pattern.

Printing technologies and material combinations listed in the Annex of the ‘Assessment of Printed Product Recyclability, Deinkability Score’ shall be considered compliant with the requirements.

Testing of printing technologies or inks must be performed on the paper type(s) that is used in a product. The test certificate can be used for prints with the same ink on the same type of substrate if the ink coverage is equal or lower than on the tested product.