Tetra Pak’s bio-based carton hits new milestones

Swedish food processing and packaging company Tetra Pak has announced the launch of a new bio-based version of its Tetra Top package which will have a plant-based renewable content of more than 80%.


The new generation carton bottle is designed with a cap and top made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) derived from sugarcan, and will make its global entrance in the United States in partnership with water bottle packagers JUST water.

Tetra Pak’s executive vice president for product management and commercial operations Charles Brand said: “Packages made from renewable materials are not only good for the environment, but also offer our customers a competitive advantage.

“Consumers choose JUST water because they appreciate its brand values, and want this to be reflected in the whole user experience. We are pleased to have come up with a package that is aligned with this focus without compromising convenience and functionality.”

The sleeve of the carton is made from paperboard certified by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) – a global certificate standard for forest management – which allows wood fibres in products to be traced at every step through the supply chain. The new design will have no impact on the product’s recyclability.

Last week, Tetra Pak announced it will have delivered 200 billion packages labelled with the FSC logo by the end of April 2016. The number of Tetra Pak cartons bearing the FSC logo increased gradually to 54 billion last year, and the company expects that trend to accelerate as awareness amongst consumers becomes more widespread.

Circular economy ambitions

Tetra Pak’s packaging innovation forms part of the company’s ethos to reduce the environmental impact of its products. Earlier this month, Tetra Pak announced that it had become a corporate member of the Circular Economy 100 (CE100), the innovation platform launched by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to accelerate circular economy ambitions.

The company has set a target to recycle 40% of its annual delivery by 2020 and with 651,000 tonnes recycled in 2014 – representing 26% of its portfolio. Tetra Pak hopes the CE100 will unlock more paths to a circular economy and its 2020 goals.

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George Ogleby

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