Responsible sourcing means looking at what we purchase beyond the more traditional aspects of cost, quality and delivery time. Our focus on this means that we consider ethics, labour and social and environmental aspects when purchasing products and services, both for our direct and indirect suppliers.
Our goal is to minimise negative impacts and make a positive contribution to the businesses, people and communities that make up our supply chain. As a global company with many thousands of suppliers around the world, we have an obligation and an opportunity to promote responsible sourcing practices. We believe this is the right thing to do and also vital to remaining the packaging supplier of choice for our customers and for consumers. We have developed even stricter criteria for our purchase of the packaging materials used for Tetra Pak cartons: paperboard, polymers and aluminium.
Around three-quarters of a Tetra Pak carton by weight is paperboard. Although we don’t own or manage any forests, we apply our purchasing power to promote sustainable forest management.
A Tetra Pak package has a thin layer of polymers, or plastic, to prevent moisture getting in or out and to keep the contents fresh. It is also used to make caps, closures and straws. Our long-term ambition is to offer all our chilled and ambient packages made from renewable alternatives to oil-based plastics.
On the inside of our aseptic cartons, a layer of aluminium eight times thinner than a human hair provides vital protection from oxygen and light, keeping perishable food safe without refrigeration for months. Although this layer is minute, we are continually innovating to make it as thin as possible, while investigating alternative barrier materials.
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About Tetra Pak
Together with our customers we make food safe and available, everywhere. Since the start in 1951 we have taken pride in providing the best possible processing and packaging solutions for food.
Tetra Pak is one of three companies in the Tetra Laval Group – a private group that started in Sweden. The other two companies are DeLaval and Sidel. Tetra Laval is headquartered in Switzerland.