Working together to give beverage cartons a new life
Tetra Pak has teamed up with Lucart Group, a paper manufacturer in Italy, to enhance the collection and recycling of used beverage cartons. The objective is to transform these into new paper-based goods contributing to a circular economy.
The Lucart Group was founded in Tuscany by the Pasquini brothers in 1953. Initially, the company produced straw and wrapping paper, but later expanded their product range to include tissue and papers for sanitary use. Lucart's identity has always been intertwined with innovation and sustainability, and the company has grown to meet the changing needs of the world.
In 2010, Lucart conducted trials and dedicated the first paper production line to recycle carton packages as a part of their Natural project. The initiative aimed to improve fibres' qualities and natural colour for a new line of paper products: GrazieNatural for household and EcoNatural for professional use.
Our collaboration goes beyond the typical framework. Tetra Pak and Lucart have been consistently sharing information and expertise and establishing relationships with other organisations. This effort has led to the developing recovery and recycling of cellulose fibres and PolyAl1 from beverage cartons.
Lucart's Fiberpack® label, developed with the help of Tetra Pak, is a clear indicator that their products are made from recycled beverage carton fibres. Through their Natural project and the use of Fiberpack®, Lucart has created and commercialised high-quality hygiene paper products under the Natural label. The unique characteristics of the fibres in the beverage cartons, such as strength and absorbency, and the lack of unnecessary bleaching processes result in a natural colour and high-quality finish. After launching their products made from recycled carton packages, Lucart engaged in various joint communication activities to promote them as source material for high-value paper products.
Lucart has recently started using polyAl to manufacture soap and paper dispensers for their EcoNatural product range, thereby achieving a full circle of sustainability.
Lucart is growing its operations and has increased its production capacity to recycle over 50,000 tonnes of carton packages annually in Italy and France. This expansion is not only making the recycling process efficient but also creating a market outlet for all components of the carton package. In 2022 the company installed a polyAl recycling line to produce Granplast, a polyAl-based granule mainly intended to produce plastic pallets with the associated company Newpal, which entered in operations during 2023.
Thanks to its collaboration with Lucart, Tetra Pak has achieved a significant milestone in the recycling of beverage cartons. The complete closure of the recycling cycle now allows for the full recovery of these cartons, which can be converted into new valuable materials with significant environmental, social, and economic benefits.
1The non-fibre component of carton packages is known as polyAl, which designates the layers of polyolefins and aluminium being used as barrier against oxygen and humidity to protect the food content in aseptic carton packages.
