Fedrigoni Special Papers has completed a comprehensive assessment of its entire specialty papers portfolio using the Aticelca method, an independent, third-party certification scheme. The initiative forms part of Rethink Eco Design and Circular Approach, the second pillar of the company’s ESG strategy, which focuses on eco design and circular economy principles.
The assessment resulted in a certified recyclability rate of 99.9% across the tested portfolio as of 2026. Recyclability is one of the measurable targets in Fedrigoni Special Papers’ ESG 2030 framework, which sets full portfolio circularity as its long-term objective.
Rigorous methodology
The company adopted the Aticelca 501 method, developed by Aticelca, the Italian paper industry technical association, choosing it as the most conservative and stringent methodology available. Aticelca 501 is aligned with the CEPI methodology developed by the Confederation of European Paper Industries, positioning the company favourably ahead of any future EU harmonisation of recyclability standards.
Based on standardised laboratory testing simulating industrial recycling conditions, the protocol was defined with Assocarta and Aticelca to be both rigorous and scalable across a broad product range. Testing followed a worst-case scenario approach, starting with the most technically challenging categories. A dedicated focus was placed on the company’s plastic-to-paper solutions, among the portfolio’s most demanding products, which achieved successful certification under the method.
Context and priorities
Paper remains among the most widely recycled materials globally, with Europe’s recycling rate at around 75% and North America’s at about 68%. However, cellulose fibres degrade with each processing cycle, making virgin fibre from responsibly managed forests essential to sustaining the recycling loop.
Fedrigoni Special Papers has prioritised recyclability over compostability or biodegradability in its ESG 2030 framework, as recycling alone allows fibre to be recovered and reused within production. Biodegradability may still offer value in specific applications, such as food packaging.
The move anticipates the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which will require all packaging placed on the EU market to be designed for recycling, with performance grades applying from 2030. The initiative supports the company’s ESG 2030 goal of designing 100% of products for optimal end-of-life recycling and recovery.
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