Tetra Pak takes carton packages with recycled content to the next level

Tetra Pak has made new advancements in the area of recycled content, expanding its offering of packaging solutions using certified recycled polymers to cover new formats, product categories, and geographies.

The expansion is a key milestone in the company’s journey towards a circular portfolio, turning waste into new resources, and reducing the industry’s dependence on virgin, fossil-based materials. It comes at a pivotal moment, aligning with the recently released European Commission’s proposal for the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.

As the industry looks for ways to support the EU Green Deal’s goals on climate, circularity, and resilient food systems, beverage cartons with certified recycled polymers are now on supermarket shelves around Europe:

Emmi, Switzerland’s market leader in dairy, recently introduced the world’s first carton using certified recycled polymers in the packaging material. Its good day Milk Drink, packaged in Tetra Top 1000 Base carton packages, has been on the shelf since late 2022 and reflects Emmi's ambitious aims towards circularity, including the usage of at least 30% recycled materials in all its packaging by 2027.

In February 2023, Lactalis Group, a world-leading dairy player, revamped its organic ambient liquid cream in Tetra Brik Aseptic cartons under its Bridélice and Président brands with certified recycled polymers in the packaging material – a first in France. The development supports Lactalis Group’s efforts to foster innovative solutions toward a more circular packaging economy.

These collaborations add to a successful industry first with Elvir, a subsidiary of Savencia Fromage & Dairy. For its Elle & Vire brand, the company introduced a cap for beverage cartons, using certified recycled polymers, in 2022.

Fossil-based plastic production is set to increase by 10.8% between 2021 and 2025. At the same time, 86% of shoppers are concerned about the usage of plastic and its impact on the environment and believe that using recycled plastic is one of the best ways to tackle this challenge. They have also started to act on it, increasingly choosing to buy products or packages with recycled material in the last year.

Ola Elmqvist, executive vice president - Packaging Solutions, Tetra Pak, says, “Today, the high share of renewable materials in Tetra Pak carton packages helps them feature a lower carbon footprint than many other packaging options. But we want to go further, continuously reducing reliance on virgin, fossil-based sources and keeping materials in circulation, together with our customers. Actions like these signify our response to stakeholder expectations, from food and beverage manufacturers to consumers and policymakers. We also see this contributing well to the ambitions of the European Commission's PPWR proposal as well as the intent of the whole industry to accelerate sustainable innovations towards increased access to safe nutrition."