A Complete Guide to OCC Waste Paper

A Complete Guide to OCC Waste Paper: Standards, Origins, Grades and Applications

Old Corrugated Containers (OCC) are one of the most important raw materials for recycled packaging paper. They are the backbone of global production of fluting, testliner and many grades of industrial packaging paper. In international trade, buyers and sellers use specific standards and names for OCC grades, but there is still a lot of confusion about what these codes really mean.

In this article we answer key questions such as:

• Where do OCC standards come from?
• What is the difference between OCC 11, OCC 12 and European grades like 95/5 or 98/2?
• Why is the word “OCC” more common in America–Asia trade than in Europe?
• Which grades are more suitable for packaging paper mills?

What is OCC and where do the standards come from?

OCC stands for Old Corrugated Containers. The term was formalised by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) in the United States, which created a set of specifications for different kinds of recovered paper. In ISRI specifications, the best-known OCC grades are usually referred to as Grade #11 and Grade #12.

The name itself is straightforward: “Old” means used or recovered material, “Corrugated” refers to corrugated board, and “Containers” refers to the boxes that are made from it. The system started in North America and then spread into global trading, especially in North America, the Middle East, South Asia and East Asia. That is why the word OCC is much more common in those regions than inside the European Union.

Why Europe rarely uses the word OCC

In Europe, recovered paper is classified mainly according to the EN 643 standard. EN 643 uses numeric codes such as 1.02, 1.04, 1.05 or 1.11 to describe different grades of recovered paper rather than using the ISRI names like OCC 11 or OCC 12.

In practice, European suppliers and mills often talk about grades using purity ratios such as 98/2, 95/5 or 90/10. These ratios describe the approximate share of clean corrugated board versus total out-throws and non-paper components in the bale:

• 98/2 → about 98% clean corrugated board and up to 2% impurities
• 95/5 → about 95% clean corrugated board and up to 5% impurities
• 90/10 → about 90% clean corrugated board and up to 10% impurities

Because EN 643 and these purity ratios are widely used, European suppliers do not usually label their bales as “OCC 11” or “OCC 12”, even if the material is functionally similar to North American OCC.

Main OCC grades in the ISRI standard

OCC 11 – Typical supermarket grade

OCC 11 is the most common OCC grade in global trade. It is typically composed of used corrugated boxes collected from supermarkets, logistics centres and retail chains. The material is predominantly brown corrugated board with limited levels of contaminants such as plastic films, tapes, waxed boxes or non-corrugated papers.

In practice, many traders and mills consider OCC 11 to have around 90–92% usable corrugated fibre, with the remainder being moisture and out-throws. The exact figures depend on the origin, collection system and the discipline of the sorting process.

OCC 11 is widely used for producing fluting and testliner with standard strength properties and is the workhorse grade for many packaging paper mills in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.

OCC 12 – Double-sorted OCC

OCC 12 is often referred to as double-sorted OCC. In the ISRI definition, this grade is supposed to contain more carefully selected corrugated board with lower levels of out-throws and non-paper components compared to OCC 11.

In theory, a typical OCC 12 bale should contain a higher proportion of clean, long corrugated fibres and fewer contaminants. Many mills and traders treat OCC 12 as a cleaner, more uniform grade that can support higher strength levels in the final paper, especially when the forming and refining conditions are optimised.

However, in real markets different suppliers may use the labels “11” and “12” in their own way. For this reason, mills should not rely only on the name of the grade, but should always look at specifications, inspection reports and their own performance data on the paper machine.

Comparing OCC 11, OCC 12 and European 95/5, 98/2

The table below shows a simplified comparison of how these grades are usually understood in trade. Actual quality can vary depending on supplier, origin and sorting practices.

Which OCC grades are better for packaging paper?

The right OCC grade depends on the type of paper the mill wants to produce, its furnish strategy and its cost targets.

• For fluting: Standard OCC 11 or European 90/10 are widely used for producing fluting with normal strength requirements. They offer a good balance between cost and fibre quality.
• For testliner with higher strength: Mills often prefer cleaner grades such as OCC 12, 95/5 or a mix of OCC with other recovered paper grades that provide better fibre quality. These furnishes help improve Ring Crush and SCT values in the final paper.
• For premium or heavy-duty packaging papers: High-purity grades such as 98/2, combined with suitable refining and forming conditions, can support the production of high-strength liners and specialty packaging papers.

Why mills do not simply switch to other fibre sources

In theory, mills could replace OCC with other fibre sources, such as virgin kraft pulp or different recovered paper grades. In practice, there are several reasons why OCC remains the dominant source of fibre for packaging papers:

• Cost: OCC is usually the most economical source of recycled fibre on a global scale.
• Fibre properties: Corrugated board contains relatively long and strong fibres that are ideal for fluting and liner.
• Availability: Collection systems for OCC from retail, logistics and consumers are well established in many countries.
• Sustainability: Using OCC reduces the demand for virgin fibre and lowers the environmental footprint compared to producing paper directly from wood.
• Mill design: Many packaging paper machines, especially in emerging markets, have been designed around an OCC-based furnish.

Why European bales are not usually called OCC

Although the material inside a European 95/5 or 98/2 bale may look very similar to North American OCC, the terminology has evolved differently. European markets are organised around EN 643 codes and purity ratios, while North American and many Asian markets are organised around ISRI names like OCC 11 and OCC 12.

For traders and mills that buy from multiple regions, it is therefore essential not to rely only on the name of the grade. The real decision-making should be based on:

• The actual specification (impurities, moisture, prohibitives)
• Origin and collection system
• Performance of the bale on the paper machine (yield, runnability, strength)

Conclusion

OCC is a global commodity and a strategic raw material for the packaging paper industry. Understanding the differences between OCC 11, OCC 12 and European grades like 95/5 and 98/2 is essential for making informed buying decisions and optimising the furnish in the mill.

On paper, double-sorted grades and high-purity ratios offer the potential for higher strength and better yield. In reality, however, quality can vary significantly from supplier to supplier. The most successful mills are those that combine knowledge of standards with their own practical data on yield, strength and total cost per ton of usable fibre.

By looking beyond the label on the bale and focusing instead on real specifications and performance, mills and traders can capture more value from OCC and build more resilient, competitive supply chains for packaging paper.