When it comes to sustainability, packaging often carries as much weight as the product itself in consumers’ eyes. For chilled dairy producers, that means navigating a complex set of materials, certifications, and claims. This guide distills the essentials into straightforward, simple answers you can act on with confidence.
What materials are used in the packaging?
Tetra Rex® Plant-based packages are made primarily from paperboard – up to 88.6% for some packages – but also contain a thin, plant-based LDPE (low-density polyethylene) layer in the laminated layers. Closures, where chosen, are made from plant-based plastics derived from sugarcane. For oxygen-sensitive products, Tetra Rex® packages are available with an additional thin, fossil-based barrier layer for additional product protection.
Which of those materials are fully renewable?
The paperboard used to make Tetra Rex® packages is fully renewable, and is sourced from Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC™)1 certified forests and other controlled sources. Two thin laminated layers of plant-based plastic – one external, one internal – ensure the package remains watertight and moisture resistant, further protecting the product (the barrier layer required for oxygen sensitive products must still be made from fossil-based plastic).
Are the caps and openings renewable?
Tetra Rex® is available with several closure options. Both the screw cap and neck of these closures are made from fully renewable plant-based polymers derived from sugarcane – the neck is plant-based LDPE (low-density polyethylene), and the screw cap is plant-based HDPE (high-density polyethylene).
What is the feedstock used for Tetra Rex® plant-based plastic: mass balance or physically segregated?
All plant-based plastics used in the Tetra Rex® packages are made from segregated plant-based materials. This means that each and every part of the package can be lab tested for carbon-14, with no fossil polymers to be found.2
If the plastic is plant-based, from which crop is it sourced?
All plant-based plastics used in Tetra Rex® packages are derived from sugarcane, and are Bonsucro-certified as being sourced responsibly.3 This sugarcane is sourced from non-food growth areas in Brasil, meaning there is no impact on food production.
Does the packaging material contain post-consumer recycled content?
Currently, Tetra Rex® packages do not contain any post-consumer recycled content. Instead, certified recycled polymers are available for all primary packages in the portfolio and can be allocated, based on a mass balance attribution method, to compensate (by weight) different plastic components of the package, depending on the system.*
(*Please note: certified recycled polymers are today available only for polypropylene and polyethylene, therefore excluding other plastics, e.g. barrier layer)
Is the packaging material responsibly sourced?
Yes. The paperboard we use for Tera Rex® packages comes from Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC™)-certified forests and other controlled sources supporting the sustainable use of forest resources. And all plant-based polymers we use for Tetra Rex® packages are derived from Bonsucro-certified sugarcane as being responsible sourced.
What is the package’s carbon footprint through its lifecycle? What proof is there of those figures?
We currently use the Carbon Trust certified model to calculate the carbon footprint of our packages. With a fully plant-based Tetra Rex® package, carbon emissions are reduced by up to 48% compared to an equivalent fossil-based package*.
*Tetra Rex® 1000 Base TwistCap™ OSO 34 Pro /m BIO CLC/A Duplex TR STD
How are you innovating with Tetra Rex to further improve the sustainability of the package and its materials? (Barriers, full recyclability, forthcoming PPWR regulations?)
We are continuously looking at ways to optimise the material used in our packages, working with our suppliers as well as within our own factories. We follow legislation changes closely to ensure we adapt accordingly, and that our package remains future proof, as with the forthcoming PPWR EU regulations. We’re also constantly improving our filling machine solutions, by looking into developments and innovations to further reduce steam, water and chemical consumption.
1. The FSC licence code for Tetra Pak is FSC™ C01404.
2. Carbon-14 is a test to indicate the percentage of carbon from natural (plant or animal byproduct) sources versus “synthetic” (i.e. petrochemical) sources.
3. The Bonsucro certificate code of Tetra Pak is PBN-BSC-ChoC-012970