Feeding the world without starving the environment

Creating packaging that protects food and reduces food waste without impacting the planet 

Did you know that hunger is on the rise again? The UN says that after decades of steady decline, the number of people who are hungry or undernourished began to slowly increase again in 2015[1]. At the same time food waste is predicted to grow on a global scale.

With the world's population expected to reach 9.1 billion by 2050[2], food safety and availability are high on the agenda. Across the food production value chain, we need to work together to ensure that food and beverages are protected from contamination and other harmful elements – and are distributed everywhere with best environmental savings during transportation.

As pioneers in food safety technologies, we help keep food products safe and nutritious by using protective aluminium and polymer layers in our paper-based aseptic carton packages. This prevents oxygen, light and moisture from penetrating the package and destroying the food's nutritional value. But we plan to go further. While putting food safety first, we continue to explore innovative packaging materials with protective functionality.​

Preventing food waste is in our DNA

Each year, 33% of food produced globally is lost or wasted[3]. It could spoil during transport and distribution or perish once it's with the consumer. To improve environmental and social sustainability, we can find ways to extend product shelf life and reduce or even eliminate food waste.

At Tetra Pak, reducing food loss and waste is one of our founding principles, and we will not compromise on this vital functionality of our packaging. From protective aseptic barriers to smart filling and packaging solutions, our carton packaging and processing technologies help reduce food waste and ensure more people have continuous access to high-quality nutrition.

Our ambition now is to make our aseptic cartons as sustainable as they can possibly be. Key challenges include increasing the cartons' fibre content and replacing their current protective layers with plant-based alternatives. Overcoming these and related challenges will bring us closer to fully recyclable carton packages made solely from renewable and recycled materials that help keep food products safe to consume at a high quality while protecting the environment.

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[1] United Nations, Sustainability goals – Goal 2: Zero Hunger

[2] Fao.org, 2050: A third more mouths to feed

[3] Fao.org, Food Loss and Food Waste