Less reliance on virgin-fossil sourced materials
Consider transitioning your dairy products to fully renewable packaging. Tetra Rex® cartons are made from paperboard, a renewable material from FSC® certified forests and other controlled sources, with sugarcane-based polymers that are Bonsucro certified and traceable to their sugarcane origins.
In the UK, a substantial portion of supermarket own-brand milk is currently sold in plastic bottles, derived from non-renewable sources.
Shifting towards packaging that incorporates a greater share of renewable materials, like paperboard and plant-based plastic in Tetra Rex® carton packages, offers the dairy industry an opportunity to reduce its reliance on virgin fossil-sourced materials. This move aligns with the increasing consumer preference for reduced plastic usage and supports the sector's commitment to environmental stewardship.
The low climate impact of our chilled dairy carton packages
Renewable resources can be replenished over time and enable a move away from fossil fuel-based materials, with a lower carbon footprint and reduced carbon impact.
In the UK chilled dairy category, a third-party peer reviewed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) shows that 1.75 litre and 2 litre Tetra Rex Plant-based carton packages have a lower climate impact than 2 litre and 2.27 litre HDPE bottles.1
Renewable and responsibly sourced
One of the packages available for chilled dairy is the fully renewable 1 litre Tetra Rex® beverage carton which is made of 79% paperboard from FSC® 2 certified forests and other controlled sources.
The remaining 21% is composed of plant-based plastics from sugar cane, which is used instead of virgin fossil sourced materials.
These sugarcane-based polymers used in our cartons are Bonsucro certified. They are also traceable to their sugarcane origins thanks to the partnership with the polymer supplier.
The recycling process
Our carton packages should be rinsed and flattened before being put into recycling bins or with other recyclables for collection. The plastic cap can be put back on the Tetra Pak carton before it’s placed in the recycling bin, as it can be removed during the recycling process.
In the UK, Tetra Pak carton packages are collected in 97% of local authority areas, through a combination of kerbside collection and bring banks. Consumers should check with their local authority for information on how Tetra Pak cartons are collected in their area. Please visit the ACE (the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment) website to learn more about recycling in your area.
Tetra Pak and industry partners have invested in a dedicated recycling facility in the UK, near Halifax. Beverage carton packages can be recycled in Halifax or in other paper mills.
At recycling facilities, Tetra Pak cartons are soaked in water to separate the fibres that make up the package. The paperboard pulp is collected in one stream, with polymers and aluminium in a second. The fibre stream/pulp can be used to create new products, such as tissue paper, paper cores and cardboard. The polymer and aluminum stream can be recycled to create products such as decking components, panels, crates etc.
Recycling rates of carton packages are currently limited by the lack of consistency in collection and sorting infrastructure. To learn more about recycling in your area, please visit the ACE (the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment) website here or get in touch; enquiries@ace-uk.co.uk
Future ready
Our ambition is to deliver the world’s most sustainable food package - a food package made solely of responsibly sourced renewable or recycled materials and fully recyclable.3
To do this, we are investing up to €100 million per year over the next five to ten years in sustainable solutions, a part of which is in packaging material innovation to help in the transition towards a circular economy.
Why work with Tetra Pak?
We dedicate ourselves to understanding your needs and those of your customers. Using our global resources, proven industry and market expertise, we help you fulfil your ambitions.
2The FSC license code for Tetra Pak is FSC®C014047.
3This means creating cartons that are fully made of renewable or recycled materials, that are responsibly sourced, are convenient and safe, therefore helping to enable a resilient food system; that can be recycled where collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure is in place.