Four reasons to choose carton packaging for ready-to-drink tea
In the fast-paced world of ready-to-drink (RTD) tea, packaging plays a vital role in delivering quality, convenience and sustainability – factors that today’s consumers prioritise. Our cartons help your products stand out, while preserving the tea’s authenitc flavour, and being easy to use in a whole variety of different settings. Thanks to a high share of renewable materials, they also have a lower carbon footprint than many other packaging options1.
When considering RTD tea packaging, consumers look for preservation of the product’s quality, taste and freshness. Taste is the most important product attribute influencing consumer’s purchase decisions in RTD Tea (56%) Product safety come in second place (23%)2.. Consumers are keen to enjoy the most authentic consumption experience possible. However, some express concerns about the use of additives, preservatives, or artificial ingredients, which detract from the product’s overall appeal, especially for those seeking more natural options3.
Aseptic carton packaging protects quality
100% airtight, and made with an aluminium-foil barrier, our aseptic packages keep iced tea products fresh without the need for refrigeration or preservatives. They maintain the quality and authenticity of the tea’s flavour while guarding against oxidisation, as well as from any other external contaminants which may cause off-flavours. Additionally, there is no risk of off-flavours from the package itself.
Given the number of products competing for your consumers’ attention, you want to make the most of every available tool to differentiate your brand. Using carton packaging gives you a head start in a category that is dominated by PET. Note that carton is projected to grow faster than PET in the years leading up to 2027, with CAGR expected to more than double relative to 2021-2024. At the same time, consumers are familiar with carton packaging due to its widespread use in other categories such as milk and juice, which means that they accept it easily4.
Visual Impact
Carton’s 360° printable surfaces
Starting with 360° printable surfaces, our carton packages provide the perfect blank canvas upon which to communicate your brand message. We also offer a range of different printing techniques and material effects to give your graphic designers plenty of scope for creativity.
Printing techniques
Whether you need detailed photographic imagery or simple flexography, we offer innovative, tailored printing solutions. To increase the ‘wow’ factor, consider
Tetra Pak® Custom Printing. This agile, cost-effective technique allows you to print smaller minimum orders and explore new business and marketing opportunities. Create a billboard effect on the shelf, for example, or design unique packages for different target audiences. Personalisation is a hot trend, as consumers search for the products that exactly meet their needs and preferences.
Customisable effects
The Tetra Pak® Artistry portfolio takes package differentiation a step further with customisable effects, patterns and designs that help your products stand out. Make your brand shine in the 8-second ‘moment of truth’ by using a metallic or holographic packaging material, or get the natural look of bare paperboard with wood fibres and matte surface. Available for a growing range of packages in many shapes and sizes, these effects do not require installation or investments at your own site. The packaging material is delivered ready to use.
Convenience is one of the most important factors influencing consumption decisions today. When choosing food products, 64% of consumers rank the convenience of the package as the most influencial aspect of their purhase decision5. However, convenience can mean different things, depending on the consumer and the occasion or situation they’re in.
Portion packages
On-the-go packaging is gaining popularity in response to the increasing pace of life. Between June 2023 and June 2024, there was a 26% increase in the number of RTD tea product launches in single serve packs6. Safe, lightweight and easy to carry, our portion packages are convenient for today’s busy, on-the-go consumers. Resealable caps prevent the risk of leakage after opening.
Family packages
The number of RTD tea products in 1000ml packaging is also rising significantly in some regions. In APAC, launches in larger packages went up 46% between June 2023 and June 2024, catering to those drinking iced tea in more leisurely, social situations.6 Tetra Pak family packages are ideal for these consumers. If the package is not emptied in one go, it can be reclosed and stored in the fridge for next time.
Mini cartons
The food service channel is growing at 5.9% per year7. In hotel rooms and food service outlets, tea concentrate in Tetra Classic Aspetic 20ml cartons are ideal. Thanks to a long shelf life and a convenient pull tabs, these cost-effective packages maximise convenience and usability.
Online sales
With online sales growing at 16% CAGR (2021 to 2028) robust, lightweight packaging is more important than ever.
Recent research confirms that sustainability is gaining importance for consumers around the world. And they are not just thinking short-term.
Choosing RTD tea in a carton package
This growing awareness of environmental issues most often shows up as a preference for certain types of packaging and recyclable materials9. 35% typically look for environmental information to help guide their decisions8. This includes environmental symbols and logos such as the highly recognisable Mobius Loop and FSC™ label. ”Recyclable’’ and ‘’made of recycled materials’’ are two of the top three terms that consumers use to define an environmentally sound package.8
Tetra Pak carton credentials
Recyclability: Our carton packages are recyclable wherever adequate collection, sorting and recycling infrastructures are in place, at scale.
Raw materials: Our cartons are made from responsibly-sourced, renewable materials, like paperboard and plant-based polymers, that grow back and absorb CO2 as they do so.
Using such renewable raw materials allows us to reduce the package’s carbon footprint.
Recycled materials: In 2020, we introduced certified recycled polymers, further decreasing reliance on virgin, fossil-based materials, and helping to keep plastic out of landfills and the environment.
Plant-based materials: The use of packaging materials made with Bonsucro-certified plant-based polymers increases the renewable content of our packages and reduces CO2 emissions.
Tethered caps: Designed to stay attached to the package, those opening devices are helping to prevent plastic litter. (Note, this is a regulatory requirement in the EU).
Looking to the future
Consumers already perceive carton as the most sustainable type of packaging, as the table below shows8. But we want our future carton packaging to be even better!
That’s why we are continuously striving to move away from high-carbon, fossil-based materials and towards more low-carbon renewable materials by increasing the paper content of our packaging. Our ambition is to develop “the world’s most sustainable food package”, which is paper-based, with the lowest possible carbon footprint, made solely from responsibly sourced renewable or recycled materials and fully recyclable.10
1 ifeu2020: ‘’Comparative Lifecycle Assessment of Tetra Pak carton packages and alternative packaging systems for beverage and liquid food in the European market’’
2 Innova Category Survey 2025, Beverage Industry, Firebelly Marketing
3 Tetra Pak U&A research covering Japan, Greater China, Portugal, US
4 Tetra Pak Compass, 2024
5 Innova Category Survey 2025, comprising over 57000 respondents across 35 countries
6 Innova Database
7 GlobalData
8 Tetra Pak - Sustainable Packaging Consumer Research 2025, comprising a total of 12,993 consumer interviews based on an online questionnaire in 24 countries
9 Innova Packaging Survey 2024 (global average)
10 This means creating cartons that are fully made of renewable or recycled materials, that are responsibly sourced, thereby helping to protect and restore our planet’s climate, resources and biodiversity; contributing towards low carbon production and distribution; are convenient and safe, therefore helping to enable a resilient food system; and are fully recyclable.