Recycling
Our paper-based beverage carton packages are recyclable where collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure is in place, at scale. Our carton packages should be rinsed and flattened before being put into recycling bins or with other recyclables for collection. The plastic cap can be put back on the Tetra Pak carton before it’s placed in the recycling bin, as it can be removed during the recycling process.
In the UK, Tetra Pak carton packages are collected in 97% of local authority areas, through a combination of kerbside collection and bring banks. Consumers should check with their local authority for information on how Tetra Pak cartons are collected in their area. Please visit the ACE (the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment) website to learn more about recycling in your area.
Tetra Pak and industry partners have invested in a dedicated recycling facility in the UK, near Halifax. Beverage carton packages can be recycled in Halifax or in other paper mills.
At recycling facilities, Tetra Pak cartons are soaked in water to separate the fibers that make up the package. The paperboard pulp is collected in one stream, with polymers and aluminum in a second. The fibre stream/pulp can be used to create new products, such as tissue paper, paper cores and cardboard. The polymer and aluminum stream can be recycled to create products such as decking components, panels, crates etc.
Recycling rates of carton packages are currently limited by the lack of consistency in collection and sorting infrastructure. To learn more about recycling in your area, please visit the ACE (the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment) website here or get in touch; enquiries@ace-uk.co.uk
Carton composition
The average Tetra Pak carton is made of 70% paperboard; a renewable material from FSC® certified forests1 and other controlled sources. The rest of the carton package is composed of plastic (25% on average) and aluminium (5% on average). However, plant-based plastics derived from sugarcane can be used instead of virgin fossil sourced materials.
Tetra Pak uses sugarcane-based polymers in several carton formats including Tetra Rex®. These sugarcane-based polymers used in our cartons are Bonsucro certified. They are also traceable to their sugarcane origins thanks to the relationship with the polymer supplier.
At Tetra Pak, we build carton packages with “multiple lives” in mind, helping to progress towards a circular economy. This is a system based on the reuse and regeneration of materials and products.
Our ambition is to deliver the world’s most sustainable food package - a food package made solely of responsibly sourced renewable or recycled materials and fully recyclable.2
To do this, we are investing up to €100 million per year over the next five to ten years in sustainable solutions, a part of which is in packaging material innovation to help in the transition towards a circular economy.
In 2022, we started to test a new fibre-based barrier to replace the aluminium layer in aseptic cartons.
The climate impact of our carton packaging
Renewable resources can be replenished over time and enable a move away from fossil fuel-based materials, with a lower carbon footprint and reduced carbon impact.
For example, in the UK in 2022 we conducted a third-party reviewed Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for the chilled dairy category. This showed that 1.75 litre and 2 litre Tetra Rex plant-based carton packages have a lower climate impact than 2 litre and 2.27 litre HDPE bottles.3
Another LCA that has been conductedin the UK was for Tetra Recart® food carton packaging.
What is a Life Cycle Assessment?
Life cycle assessments (LCAs) are scientific studies that analyse a package’s environmental performance associated with all the stages of its life, from the extraction of raw materials to processing, manufacturing, distribution and end-of-life treatment and emissions.
As they provide this holistic view of the packaging value chain, we use LCAs to understand, improve and communicate the environmental performance of our packages, as well as facilitate comparisons within our product portfolio and extend beyond. This interconnected approach empowers us to make informed decisions and drive continuous improvements in the environmental performance of our packages.
Tetra Pak has commissioned and published LCA3 studies since the 1980s.
All studies are carried out by independent scientific institutes and are critically reviewed, in line with ISO 14040 and 14044.
Case study: The perfect packaging for a growing family of oat drinks
With the popularity of Glebe Farm Foods' oat drinks growing, they needed new packaging solutions that could meet consumer demand. By using Tetra Brik® Aseptic Edge cartons, the business has been able to offer consumers a packaging option made mostly from renewable materials.
1The FSC license code for Tetra Pak is FSC® C014047.
2This means creating cartons that are fully made of renewable or recycled materials, that are responsibly sourced, are convenient and safe, therefore helping to enable a resilient food system; and are fully recyclable where collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure are in place, at scale.
3An LCA is unique to the market(s) for which it was commissioned and the conditions under which it was conducted. This means that the results are not universally applicable and may not be extrapolated beyond the original study scope.