OCC (old corrugated containers)
Also: OCC, old corrugated containers, recovered corrugated
Recovered corrugated boxes, the primary feedstock for recycled containerboard (testliner and recycled fluting).
OCC is the dominant recovered paper grade globally. Collected from retail, industrial, and commercial waste streams, baled, and shipped to mills that repulp it into testliner and recycled fluting. Europe and North America each consume over 25 million tonnes of OCC annually.
OCC quality varies. Grade 1.04 (retailers) is the cleanest. Grade 1.05 (mixed office pack) has more contaminants. China's 2018 National Sword policy reshaped global OCC flows, shifting Asian demand from imported OCC to domestic collection.
Related
- Deinked pulp (DIP). Pulp made from recovered printed paper where ink has been removed, used in newsprint, tissue, and graphic grades.