Quick summary:
- Ambition to deliver a completely eco-friendly drinks carton
- Aluminium layers under scrutiny and due to be replaced
- Paper straws introduced to some of Tetra Pak’s product categories
According to an article in Beverage Daily, Tetra Pak has set out its plans for creating the perfect drinks package for a sustainable future. Vice President of Sustainability, Markus Pfanner, told Beverage Daily:
“Our ambition is to deliver a package that contributes to a low carbon circular economy, that is, a package fully renewable and recyclable, without ever compromising on food safety requirements.”
In the interview with Beverage Daily, he also references the Tetra Pak commitment to incorporate at least 10% recycled plastic on average in their drinks cartons sold in Europe by 2025. Though, this is dependent on enough food-grade recycled plastic being available – and also being economically viable.
Pfanner says that Tetra Pak is also focusing heavily on replacing the aluminium layer inside their cartons, which although only makes up 5% of the pack, actually has 33% of the climate impact.
Introducing Paper Straws
Tetra Pak has also introduced paper straws to part of their product range in Europe. As demand increases, they anticipate driving higher scale in their production over time.
“While the total volume is commercial information which we are unable to share at present, we are increasing production quickly to meet our customers’ demands, including paper straws and new drink-from systems that are currently under development, integrated within the package.”
Forecasting Big Progress by 2022 (and Beyond)
Tetra Pak is planning to test an aseptic package made from fully renewable sources by 2022. Pfanner says this is an exciting prospect, but to make even more progress in sustainability, there needs to be continuous collaboration and partnership between – and within – industries.
Tetra Pak has committed to reaching net-zero GHG emissions in their operations by 2030, and aim to “achieve the same goal across the value chain by 2050.”
For the full interview with Markus Pfanner, check out the Beverage Daily article.
Photo by Globelet Reusable on Unsplash
