Method for manufacturing fiber-based produced containers

1. A method of manufacturing a fiber-based produce container, comprising:

providing a slurry mixture comprising: i) a fiber base of at least one of old corrugated containers (OCC) and newsprint (NP); ii) an alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) based moisture barrier component in the range of 1%-10% by weight; iii) a coloring agent comprising one of a cationic dye and a fiber reactive dye; iv) a dye absorption agent comprising one of salt and soda ash; and v) a cationic liquid starch component in the range of 1%-7% by weight;

providing a mesh mold corresponding to the produce container wherein the mesh mold defines a horizontally extending shelf disposed in the range of about 30-50% below a top of a container side wall;

immersing the mesh in the slurry mixture;

drawing a vacuum across the mesh mold to cause fiber particles to accumulate at the mesh surface to thereby form the produce container; and

thereafter removing the produce container from the slurry mixture and drying the produce container by placing the produce container in an oven.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the moisture barrier component in the range of about 4%.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the moisture barrier component comprises long chain diketenes.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising processing the mesh having the accumulated fiber particles in one of a wet or dry process.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the starch component comprises modified polyamines that form both hydrogen and ionic bonds with fibers.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the starch component comprises a polyamide epichlorohydrin (PAE) resin.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the slurry mixture comprises old corrugated containers (OCC) in the range of about 70% and newsprint (NP) in the range of about 30%.

8. A method of recycling paper products into a produce container using a vacuum molding process, the method comprising:

mixing water, a starch component, a moisture barrier component which is different from the starch component, and at least one of old corrugated containers (OCC) and newsprint (NP) to produce a slurry;

immersing a mesh mold in the shape of the produce container into the slurry;

drawing a vacuum across the mold to thereby form the produce container; and

removing the produce container from the slurry and drying the produce container in an oven.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the mold comprises a horizontal shelf feature disposed in the range of about 30%-50% below a top of a container side wall.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the moisture barrier component comprises alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) in the range of 1%-10% of the slurry weight.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

mixing a coloring agent comprising one of a cationic dye and a fiber reactive dye into the slurry; and

mixing a dye absorption agent comprising one of salt and soda ash into the slurry.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the moisture barrier component comprises in the range of about 4% of the slurry weight.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the slurry comprises a old corrugated containers (OCC) and newsprint (NP).

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the starch component comprises a cationic liquid starch.

15. A method of vacuum forming a produce container using a slurry made from recycled paper products, comprising the steps of:

providing a slurry comprised of: i) old corrugated containers (OCC); ii) newsprint (NP); iii) a moisture barrier component; iv) a coloring agent comprising one of a cationic dye and a fiber reactive dye; v) a dye absorption agent comprising one of salt and soda ash; and vi) a cationic liquid starch component;

providing a mesh mold corresponding to the shape of the produce container, the mesh mold defining a horizontally extending shelf disposed in the range of about 30%-50% below a top of a container side wall;

immersing the mold into the slurry;

drawing a vacuum across the mold to thereby form the produce container; and

removing the produce container from the slurry and drying the produce container;

wherein the moisture barrier component comprises alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) in the range of 1%-10% of the slurry weight.