The role of your carton
Food packaging plays an essential role in providing high quality nutrition to people around the world. We aim to continuously increase the collection, sorting and recycling of carton packages in Australia, and achieving this requires action and collaboration along the full recycling value chain. When beverage cartons are recycled correctly, they can be given a new life as low-carbon building materials.
Channel 7’s The Morning Show Segment
Vikas Ahuja, Sustainability Director Oceania caught up with Karen Ledbury from Channel 7’s The Morning Show to explore the process of how saveBOARD are recycling used food and beverage cartons right here in Australia.
Channel 7’s The Morning Show Segment
Vikas Ahuja, Sustainability Director Oceania caught up with Karen Ledbury from Channel 7’s The Morning Show to explore the process of how saveBOARD are recycling used food and beverage cartons right here in Australia.
Channel 7’s Better Homes and Gardens Segment
Vikas Ahuja, Sustainability Director Oceania hosted Johanna Griggs to show how the cartons consumers are returning through participating Container Deposit Schemes across the country are being recycled into low-carbon building materials at the Warragamba saveBOARD factory.
Channel 7’s Better Homes and Gardens Segment
Vikas Ahuja, Sustainability Director Oceania hosted Johanna Griggs to show how the cartons consumers are returning through participating Container Deposit Schemes across the country are being recycled into low-carbon building materials at the Warragamba saveBOARD factory.
Carton recycling facility FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I deposit my beverage cartons through the Container Deposit Scheme?
7 of our 8 states and territories or >95% of Aussies have access to Container Deposit Schemes which accept beverage cartons below 1L in size as the scheme has now commenced in Victoria. All CDS eligible cartons carry the ‘10c refund at collection depots/points in participating State/Territory of purchase’ marking.
Why do container deposit schemes only accept small cartons? I can’t recycle larger cartons at home.
The decision to limit the accepted carton sizes is influenced by local policies. Tetra Pak encourages state and territory governments throughout Australia to consider the inclusion of all cartons, irrespective of their size or contents to achieve high recycling rates and to ease consumer confusion.
How can I find out if my council accepts beverage cartons in my recycling bin?
Historically, beverage cartons have been sorted with paper so that the paper in cartons can be recovered and recycled. However, there is an oversupply of recovered paper and cardboard in Australia, and so additional local recycling capacity is required. For people who want to know if their council’s collect food and beverage cartons for recycling the easiest way to check from Planet Ark at www.recyclingnearyou.com.au.
www.recyclingnearyou.com.auWhat is Tetra Pak doing to ensure more beverage cartons are recycled locally?
Tetra Pak, in collaboration with Freightways, Closed Loop and other private investors and carton suppliers, and with support from the NSW and Australian Governments, has funded a local recycling solution for beverage cartons in Australia. We are working with saveBOARD to construct additional facilities in QLD and VIC to ensure more beverage cartons can be recycled locally.
Does the whole carton get recycled or just part of it?
The whole carton is recycled, including the caps and straws which is used as the bonding agent, offering a “full carton” solution providing convenience for consumers. The materials are then processed using heat and compression to bond the materials, eliminating the need for glues or other chemical additives, to produce a clean and sustainable product.
Does the recycling plant accept foiled lined cartons?
Yes, saveBOARD accepts all sizes and types of cartons, both aseptic cartons that have a foil lining, as well as gable top cartons that do not have a foil lining. The facility is designed to handle different sizes from portion size 200mL to 2L cartons.
Can I recycle any cartons or just Tetra Pak cartons?
Yes, saveBOARD recycles all liquid paperboard beverage cartons, not just Tetra Pak beverage cartons.
Why aren’t cartons made into more cartons instead of saveBOARD?
Making sure that food and beverages are safe for human consumption is our highest priority. We’re working on using post-consumer recycled materials to make new food and beverage packaging, but we’re not there yet. The best use of wood is in furniture and construction. Until we can be sure that recycled content is safe for packaging food, we’re taking cartons which are made mostly from wood-fibre and turning them back into a wooden construction material.
Are saveBOARD gaining traction in Australia?
saveBOARD products are already being used in commercial applications such as KFC and Woolworths stores across Australia and are available for purchase through Bunnings, Mitre10 and distributors nationally across Australia.