How to Check that Luxury Boxes are Recyclable or Not?

In the contemporary business environment, luxury boxes are everywhere. They have always been present, but their use has become more common due to the rising demand for premium product presentation. Reasonably, this huge rise in the fame and popularity of these packages has led to some questions related to their sustainability. Today, most people are intrigued to know about the recyclability of these widely used packages, but they are unable to find a satisfactory answer. That is why we have compiled a comprehensive write-up that will disclose the facts about checking the recyclability of the luxury packages. 

See the materials utilized:

One of the fundamental steps in checking the recycling capability of the luxury boxes is to consider their manufacturing process. If the manufacturers are using some plastic materials in their construction, there are no chances that these packages will be recyclable. However, if they are sourced from some organic raw materials, they will be recyclable. The materials such as cardboard, Kraft paper, and bux board are naturally obtained from wood pulp, due to which they possess a higher degree of recyclability. 

According to experts, these materials can easily be recycled up to 7 or 8 times without any impact on their functionality. Another thing to consider here is whether the luxury packages are prepared through a mono-material approach or not. The mono-material boxes tend to be more recyclable than the ones that consume multiple materials in their production. Other than that, you can also check the fiber length of the material in this context. If it is smaller, it means that it has been recycled up to many times, and now it cannot be recycled anymore. 

Have a look at the inks:

An important element that needs to be looked upon while checking the recycling capability of luxury packages is the inks utilized in their printing process. There are some inks that are made from several dangerous chemicals. These types of inks put a halt to the recycling capacity of the packaging. The traditional inks, for instance, are mostly petroleum-based and affect the recyclability of the packaging. These chemicals get attached to the fibers of the box, and it becomes extremely difficult to remove them before recycling. Due to this, these inks make it impossible for you to recycle the luxury packages again. During the recycling process of packaging boxes, the inks are washed and removed out so that the packages are clean and bright for the next use. As compared to the petroleum-based inks, the soy-based and water-based inks are easier to remove from the box. As a result, these inks improve the quality of the recycled packages. 

Check for lamination:

The luxury packages are often laminated with matte or gloss laminations in order to enhance their visual appearance, but it is not good from a recycling point of view. The lamination is basically a layer that gets attached to the surface of the packaging firmly. It sticks with the surface of the box firmly, due to which it becomes difficult for the manufacturers to detach the lamination from the packages. No doubt, lamination is important for the enhanced appearance of the products in the market. But it should be remembered that one can only reuse the laminated packages, not recycle them. The recycling machines are unable to break down the luxury packages embellished with lamination, dyes, or coatings. This is because they stick to the fibers of the materials, which makes the shredding of packages impossible unless these embellishments are not removed. 

PVC or plastic?

Often, the manufacturers opt for die-cutting technology in order to induce windows on the luxury packages so as to reflect the premium nature of products inside. This cut part is substituted with a transparent sheet that enables the viewers to have a direct look or sneak peek at the products. The material from which this sheet is made is critical in determining whether the packages would be recyclable or not. In case the cut part of the boxes is replaced with the plastic sheet, there is no possibility of recycling since plastic is a non-recyclable material. On the other hand, if the transparent PVC sheet is used instead of the plastic, then the packages will be recyclable. The PVC material can be recycled several different times as the recycling process does not lessen the chain length of PVC molecules. 

The recyclability of the luxury boxes is a major concern for many businesses since the customers often base their purchasing decision on this particular aspect. Determination of whether these boxes are recyclable or not is not as complex as many think. Having a look at the manufacturing materials and inks can help to gauge the recycling capability of these packages.