A study by food packaging solutions provider Tetra Pak found that the company made strides in 2013 towards developing sustainable packaging products, reducing its environmental footprint and increasing recycling.
Between 2010 and 2013, Tetra Pak recorded a 12% growth in the number of packages sold, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2,000t.
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Tetra Pak concentrates on enhancing the sustainability of its packaging products by increasing the use of renewable materials such as wood and sugarcane. Around 75% of the company’s packaging is wood-made paperboard, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The percentage of FSC-certified renewable paperboard used in Tetra Pak’s packaging increased from 38% in 2012 to 41% in 2013.
Tetra Pak also released the bio-based LightCap 30 packaging made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) derived from sugar cane. The company noted that 2013 saw the sale of around 1.1 billion packages with bio-based caps, almost doubling the number for 2012.
Tetra Pak aims to increase the recycling rate of used beverage cartons to 40% by 2020, focusing on raising consumer awareness, sharing knowledge and expertise, facilitating collection infrastructure and supporting recycling technology development. The company noted that the global recycling rate of its packages reached 24.5% in 2013, with arout 43 billion being recycled, an increase of around four billion against 2012.
Tetra Pak environment vice president Claes Du Rietz said: "We drive environmental performance in every step of our operation, from sourcing, development of processing and packaging systems, to services and support provided to customers."
Image: Tetra Pak’s Tetra Prisma brand aseptic carton package with FSC logotype. Photo: courtesy of Tetra Pak International S.A.
