Tetra Pak and Morcas collaborate to establish recycling facility for carton packages
Tetra Pak's commitment to improving carton package recycling at a local level led to a fortuitous collaboration with the Chilean recycler Morcas. Morcas sought to expand its operations and expressed interest in offering collection and recycling services for carton packages.
Background and initiative – a shared goal
Morcas cooperates with companies, municipalities and communities in Chile with a corporate vision of contributing to the development of a circular economy1. It specialises in the collection, sorting and recovery of beverage cartons. Morcas also now produces construction sheets made from these recycled cartons.
Recognising the potential for mutual benefit, Morcas and Tetra Pak decided to join forces and develop a recycling hub for carton packages. The Morcas Project was born.
Image: Construction sheets manufactured from used beverage cartons (source: www.morcas.cl)
The results – cooperating to establish carton recycling in Chile
The collaboration not only supports Morcas' business expansion, but also Tetra Pak's goals of developing recycling infrastructure in Chile. The shared goal is to incentivise local recycling and substantially increase the recycling rate of carton packages in the country.
The establishment of the Morcas Project marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of sustainable carton package recycling in Chile. The hub began with an initial capacity of 150 tonnes of cartons per year.
Looking ahead – increase capacity, establish more hubs
With the potential to double its capacity in the future, the recycling hub is poised to make a meaningful impact on carton recycling rates.
The project aligns perfectly with Tetra Pak's larger strategy to develop recycling hubs across the country, fostering a culture of local recycling and environmental responsibility. By incentivising and supporting local recycling efforts, the Morcas Project contributes to the advancement of a circular economy in Chile.
1The circular economy refers to a system in which materials never become waste and are kept in circulation through processes including recycling, reuse and composting. It tackles environmental challenges by decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources. Source: Ellenmacarthurfoundation.org, What is a circular economy?
Location
Chile
Companies involved
Morcas
Tetra Pak contacts
Honorato Ricardo
