Nestlé, Tetra Pak and Braskem launch
package with a cap using renewable raw material
Produced from sugar cane derivatives, green polyethylene will be used for caps on Tetra Pak packages for Nestlé’s Ninho and MolicoUHT milk
Nestlé Brazil, in a partnership with Tetra Pak and Braskem, is launching two of its popular milks brands in a package with a polyethylene (PE) cap using a renewable resource. Starting in August, UHT milk for Ninho, Ninho Levinho, Ninho Low Lactose and Molico brands will be packed in Tetra Brik® Aseptic packages using caps produced with Green PE.
The new polyethylene, developed by Braskem, Brazil’s largest petrochemical company, is made out of sugar cane derivatives, which are polymerized in plastics for cap production. The process contributes to the global reduction of greenhouse gases since sugar cane, a renewable resource, absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere.
The launch represents a landmark in the use of polyethylene made out of 100% renewable raw materials in the food and beverage packaging industry. By using the new cap Nestlé will be encouraging environmental awareness, providing consumers with a product that makes use of renewable sources for manufacturing its packages.
“This is an innovating initiative that adds further value to our products. Our participation in this project is fully aligned with Nestlé’s global social responsibility platform, called “Creating Shared Value”, said Ivan Zurita, President of Nestlé Brazil. The concept is based on the assumption that for the long-term businesses success, generating value to the shareholders is as important as generating value to the community in which the company is present. In this model, the company has partnerships with institutes, business foundations, governments, NGOs and private companies, such as Tetra Pak and Braskem, either to carry out their own projects or to support their partners’ initiatives.
Tetra Pak has a long history of responsible environmental practices and recently announced an ambitious environmental programme designed to deliver on the company’s ultimate aim of providing sustainable packaging using only renewable materials, achieving a minimal environmental footprint and creating zero waste. Currently, all the paper used for the production of cartons in Brazil comes from forests managed in accordance with the responsible forestry management principles, certified by FSC™ (Forest Stewardship Council™).
Said Tetra Pak Brazil President Paulo Nigro: “The use of polyethylene made out of a renewable raw material is another important step towards our goal of achieving 100% renewable packaging. This demonstrates our innovation leadership and our commitment to support our customers and society in our shared goals of creating a healthier, sustainable planet.
“We are very proud to take part on that initiative alongside with Companies that are global leaders in their segments. Braskem, the largest worldwide producer of biopolymers is fully involved in the commitment to promoting sustainability", said Carlos Fadigas, Braskem President.
ABOUT NESTLÉ BRAZIL
Nestlé has been operating in Brazil for 90 years and is the country's leading food company. The first Nestlé factory was opened in Araras in 1921 to produce Milkmaid condensed milk, now popularly know by millions of consumers as Leite Moça. Nestlé products can be found in 98% of Brazilian households under different brands of infant nutrition, chocolate, biscuits, coffee, cereals, water, cold food, ice-cream, clinical nutrition, soy-based products and pet care. Nestlé Brazil also provides food and beverage professionals with a wide range of products and services as part of the Food Services business. Nestlé Brazil currently has 19,000 direct employees and sustains 220,000 indirect jobs in production, trade and distribution. Today Nestlé has 31 factories all over Brazil, in the states of São Paulo (SP), Minas Gerais (MG), Bahia (BA), Goiás (GO), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Espírito Santo (ES) and Pernambuco (PE).
Visit the Nestlé web site www.nestle.com
ABOUT BRASKEM
Braskem is the leader in thermoplastic resins in Latin America and the third largest producer in the Americas. With 18 plants located throughout Brazil, the company produces more than 11 million tons of thermoplastic resins and other petrochemical products. More information about Braskem is available at www.braskem.com
ABOUT THE FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL FSC
is an independent, non-governmental, not for profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. It provides standard setting, trademark assurance and accreditation services for companies and organizations interested in responsible forestry. Products carrying the FSC label are independently certified to assure consumers that they come from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations. Find more information available at www.fsc.org.
The FSC license code for Tetra Pak is FSC™-C014047
For more information please contact:
Linda Bernier, Tetra Pak, Cell: +39 348 145 4229
Anahi Guedes, Nestlé, Tel: +55 11 55089395
Nelson Letaif, Braskem, Tel: +55 11 3576-9534