ASTM D5663-25 PDF

Full title and description

ASTM D5663-25 — Standard Guide for Validating Recycled Content in Packaging Paper and Paperboard. This guide provides a standardized, mass-balance approach for calculating and substantiating recycled fiber content in packaging papers and paperboard products (folding boxboard, corrugating medium, linerboard, tubestock, carrier board, bag paper, etc.). It describes calculation principles, time‑weighted averaging of furnish flows and consistencies, and how to document recycled-content claims between buyer and seller.

Abstract

This guide specifies procedures to determine the recycled fiber content of finished packaging paper and paperboard using a material/mass-balance calculation (time‑weighted average flows and furnish compositions). It recognizes there is currently no direct physical test to measure recycled content in finished paper products and therefore focuses on calculation, recordkeeping, and substantiation practices for making recycled-content claims. The guide also addresses recycled nonfibrous recovered materials as part of the furnish and provides cautionary notes about legal/commercial claims.

General information

• Status: Active / Current.
• Publication date: January 2025 (designated D5663-25; ASTM record updated January 24, 2025).
• Publisher: ASTM International.
• ICS / categories: Paper and board — ICS 85.060.
• Edition / version: D5663-25 (2025).
• Number of pages: 5 pages.

Scope

This guide aids manufacturers, suppliers, and purchasers in calculating and substantiating recycled fiber content in packaging paper and paperboard where recycled fiber is present. It prescribes a mass-balance/material-balance calculation method based on measured furnish types, flow rates and consistencies averaged over the production period (time‑weighted averages). The guide does not prescribe target percentages or production limits, does not rely on pulping/recycling yield factors, and warns that allocation of recycled content to portions of a batch (e.g., claiming a portion is 100% recycled) is not appropriate when the calculation is based on time‑weighted averages. The guide may require modification when recovered nonfibrous materials are part of the furnish, and it notes that legal requirements for consumer-facing recycled-content claims vary by jurisdiction.

Key topics and requirements

• Use of mass-balance/material-balance approach to determine recycled fiber percentage in finished packaging papers and paperboard.
• Calculation method based on time-weighted average furnish flow rates and consistencies (batch or time-window averaging appropriate to the production run).
• Definitions and terminology aligned with ASTM packaging terminology (references to relevant ASTM terms and practices).
• Guidance for handling recovered nonfibrous materials in the furnish (limitations and recommended adaptations).
• Requirements for recordkeeping and substantiation to support buyer–seller agreements and claims.
• Notes on the absence of a direct physical test for recycled content and caution about regulatory/consumer-claim compliance.

Typical use and users

Primary users are paper and paperboard mills, packaging converters, sustainability and regulatory compliance teams, procurement/specification engineers, product designers, and third‑party auditors or certifiers who verify recycled‑content claims. The guide is used when documenting recycled-content percentages for commercial contracts, environmental product declarations (EPDs), or internal sustainability reporting.

Related standards

Commonly referenced documents include ASTM terminology and packaging standards used for definitions and related practices (for example ASTM D996 series for packaging terminology) and international guidance on environmental claims such as ISO 14021 (self-declared environmental claims — including recycled-content claim requirements and definitions). Users often consult ISO 14021 when preparing consumer‑facing recycled-content statements to ensure appropriate wording and substantiation.

Keywords

recycled content, packaging paper, paperboard, mass balance, material balance, time-weighted average, recycled fiber, post-consumer recovered material, furnish, substantiation, ASTM D5663-25.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ASTM D5663-25 is a guide that provides a calculation and substantiation framework for determining the recycled fiber content of packaging papers and paperboard using a material/mass-balance approach.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers methods to calculate recycled fiber percentage using time‑weighted averages of furnish flow rates and consistencies, guidance for recycled nonfibrous materials in the furnish, recordkeeping and substantiation practices, and notes about limitations and legal/claim considerations. It does not establish permitted recycled-content percentages nor provide a physical test method for recycled content.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Paper mills, packaging converters, sustainability and procurement teams, auditors, certifiers, and any organization that needs to document or verify recycled-content percentages in paper-based packaging.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The designation D5663-25 indicates the 2025 revision (current/active as of its 2025 issue). Users should confirm the effective publication date and any subsequent amendments with ASTM International before relying on the standard for compliance.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: D5663 is part of ASTM Committee D10's packaging standards and is related to other D10 standards (for terminology and packaging practices such as D996). It is maintained under subcommittee D10.19 (Sustainability & Recycling).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Recycled content, mass balance, packaging paper, paperboard, post-consumer content, time-weighted average, substantiation, furnish.