Tetra Pak has introduced certified recycled polymers as part of a market trial in the EU, becoming the first company in the food and beverage packaging industry to be awarded the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) Advanced Products certification.
The move marks a key step in the company’s approach to circularity, which includes minimising dependency on fossil-based resources, responsibly sourcing raw materials, designing packages for enhanced recycling and reduced litter, and building partnerships to develop effective collection and recycling infrastructure globally.
“Along with expanding local recycling and maximising the use of plant-based content in our carton packages, we are now also trialling recycled plastic content at some of our converting factories in Europe,” Andrew Pooch, managing director at Tetra Pak Oceania, tells PKN.
“We already know from the recent independent peer-reviewed comparative life cycle assessment by thinkstep-ANZ that our cartons are the most sustainable package for food and beverage manufacturers.
“This market trial demonstrates our continuous commitment to a low carbon circular economy and ensuring that our packages are even better for people and the planet.”
As signatories of the Ellen MacArthur New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, Tetra Pak has pledged to incorporate a minimum of 10 per cent recycled plastic content on average across carton packaged sold in Europe by 2025.
Having worked closely with INEOS and RSB in the past few months, Tetra Pak is now able to offer carton packages integrating attributed recycled polymers, further enabling the sustainability transformation of the food industry.
Using recycled material can contribute to increased recycling rates and make it more economically viable, but, reliable sourcing and quality can be a challenge, due to the limited availability of food-grade recycled plastics in the market.
With this in mind, Tetra Pak initiated a close supplier collaboration to explore utilising recycled polymers in carton packages and identified INEOS to provide the first batch of attributed recycled PE.
“RSB certifies that the attributed recycled polymers used in the caps, tops and/or coatings of Tetra Pak carton packages are produced sustainably,” says Alejandro Cabal, vice-president of packaging solutions at Tetra Pak.
“Qualifying and providing assurance of mass balance claims is critical to ensure transparency and accountability within the system, therefore, enhancing confidence from the end-user perspective.”
Following the RSB chain of custody attribution method, the plastics are made of a mix of recycled and non-recycled materials, with the corresponding mass of recycled materials tracked throughout the Tetra Pak supply chain.
“There is a long way to go before plant-based and recycled polymers become mainstream. We are working with partners to further explore sustainable polymers, while we continue to assess the use of alternative plant-based products and recycled fibre-based materials,” Cabal adds.
“Our long-term ambition is clear, for all our packaging to use renewable or recycled polymers, ending the extraction of fossil feedstock. Coordinated action and advocacy by multiple companies and other actors is required to support the transition to a low carbon circular economy.”
