Why keeping recycled materials in use for longer matters
In 2024, more than 1.3 million tonnes of used beverage cartons were collected and sent for recycling globally1, raising the global collection rate to 28%.
Most collected cartons are sent to paper mills, where the fibres are recovered and reused in products like cardboard boxes, office paper and tissues. The polyAl layers2 are turned into pellets, given a second life in items such as crates and outdoor furniture. By keeping valuable materials in circulation, we reduce waste and support a more sustainable circular economy.
Where paper mills use dedicated pulpers to process carton packages, the remaining polyAl can be sent to plastic and aluminium recyclers to be recycled into products such as panels, pallets, crates, furniture, and tiles.
There’s a growing number of polyAl recyclers, and it’s part of our strategy to accelerate the recycling capacity for all materials of carton packages. The more that materials are kept in use, the more that demand for virgin resources can be reduced and the environmental impact associated with their extraction and processing can be minimised.
1.Paper-based carton packages are recyclable where adequate collection, sorting and recycling infrastructures are in place at scale.
2The non-fibre component of carton packages is known as polyAl, which designates the layers of polyolefins and aluminium being used as barrier.