In compliance with Public Resources Code Section 42775, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) reviews its Recycled-Content Newsprint (RCN) Quality Standards at least biannually and adjusts them, if needed, to reflect changes in industry standards and practices. New minimum comparable quality standards are established using test methods approved by the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) as outlined in the California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 14, Division 7, Chapter 4, Article 4, Section 17964.
The following RCN Quality Standards are based on the latest manufacturer samples submitted and tested, and are effective July 1, 2010. Manufacturers are to use the standards as the baseline their RCN must meet (per 14 CCR 17964(a)). Consumers are to use the standards when analyzing if they have a claim of inability to meet the RCN use requirements because the available RCN did not meet the quality standards in effect at the time (14 CCR 17972(c)(2)).
| Grade | Cross Tear (gf) | Brightness (percent) | Opacity (percent) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18.0 lb white1, 2, * | 19.8 | 51.3 | 79.5 |
| 26.4 lb white1, 3 | 34.3 | 53.7 | 91.8 |
| 27.7 lb white1, 4 | 35.7 | 54.7 | 92.1 |
| 28.28 lb white1, 5 | 38.6 | 55.0 | 91.8 |
| 30.0 lb white1, 6 | 40.5 | 54.4 | 93.0 |
| 32.0 lb white* | 45.3 | 54.5 | 93.1 |
Footnotes
*Standard from 2009 continues as not sufficient production to warrant new sampling in 2010.
1 Weight commonly referred to by manufacturers.
2 Actual average weight of the samples was 18.6 lb.
3 Actual average weight of the samples was 26.6 lb.
4 Actual average weight of the samples was 27.4 lb.
5 Actual average weight of the samples was 28.1 lb.
6 Actual average weight of the samples was 29.7 lb.
For more information contact: Buy Recycled, buyrecycled@calrecycle.ca.gov