Go Nature. Go Carton.
OVERVIEW ACTIONS SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS EXPLORE
Taking carton packages with recycled content to the next level
Using certified recycled polymers in food packaging is an important step towards transforming waste into new resources and decreasing reliance on virgin, fossil-based materials. In 2022, we were the first carton packaging manufacturer to offer solutions using certified recycled polymers2. Since then, we’ve continually broadened our portfolio to encompass new formats, geographies, and product categories.
Keeping plastic out of landfills
The certified recycled polymers used in the caps, tops and coatings of some of our carton packages are produced under the ISCC chain of custody attribution method. This means that the plastics are made of a mix of recycled and non-recycled materials, but that the corresponding mass of recycled materials has been tracked throughout the Tetra Pak supply chain. This is verified by a third-party auditor. Our ISCC certificate number is: ISCC-PLUS-Cert-US201-70601804.
Responding to consumer demand with certified recycled polymers
Consumer choices are evolving, with an increasing preference for products and packages made from recycled materials. Our Sustainable Packaging Consumer Research 2023 reveals that 78% of consumers are concerned about plastic waste and 29% would consider purchasing more packages where recycled material is used3.
We have been the first carton packaging manufacturer to offer solutions using certified recycled polymers, working together with Elvir in France to launch the first cap for beverage cartons with certified recycled polymers in 2022. New collaborations in the European market have since been initiated with leading brands such as Emmi (Switzerland), Lactalis (France) and Valio (Finland).
Certification beyond cartons
With ten certified production sites globally, spanning eight in Europe and two in the North & South America, we are expanding the production of packaging materials and additional materials using certified recycled polymers. We plan to go further and are aiming to use at least 10% recycled plastics in our packages in Europe by 2030. Our goal is for all our packaging to be made from responsibly sourced, renewable or recycled polymers, and to end the extraction of fossil-based raw materials*.
*This means creating cartons that are fully made of renewable or recycled materials, that are responsibly sourced, thereby helping protect and restore our planet's climate, resources and biodiversity; contributing towards carbon-neutral production and distribution; are convenient and safe, therefore helping to enable a resilient food system; are fully recyclable.
1By recycled content we mean a product, packaging or associated component that can be diverted from the waste stream through available processes and programmes in practice and can be collected, processed and returned to use in the form of raw materials or products. [Source ISO 14021: 2016]
2A ‘certified recycled polymer’ is a plastic whose cost includes a premium that pays for collection, sorting, cleaning and processing of plastic waste that cannot be recycled by conventional mechanical means, into raw material for making new plastic. The third-party certification verifies that the required amount of plastic waste has been recycled into raw material for production of new plastics, thus enabling the Circular Economy approach outlined by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation https://www.iscc-system.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Mass-Balance-White-Paper.pdf
3Tetra Pak consumer research on Sustainable Packaging 2023 (n=14.500 online interviews)