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The anatomy of
Tetra Pak® carton packages

At first glance, a Tetra Pak® package looks simple – just a neat shape made of carton. But look a little closer and you’ll find there’s much more going on. Every layer has a specific job to do: the paperboard gives the package its rigidity and strength, the polymers keep moisture out, and the thin aluminium barrier protects against light and oxygen. Together, they create a lightweight, yet powerful structure designed to keep your product safe throughout its shelf life.

The anatomy of
Tetra Pak® carton packages

At first glance, a Tetra Pak® package looks simple – just a neat shape made of carton. But look a little closer and you’ll find there’s much more going on. Every layer has a specific job to do: the paperboard gives the package its rigidity and strength, the polymers keep moisture out, and the thin aluminium barrier protects against light and oxygen. Together, they create a lightweight, yet powerful structure designed to keep your product safe throughout its shelf life.

What goes into a carton package?

Paperboard role, packaging material

Paperboard: The core of every carton

On average, around 70% of a Tetra Pak® carton is made from paperboard – a renewable material that gives structure, strength, and a lower climate impact compared to other packaging options.1 By sourcing responsibly, we aim to safeguard the natural resources we rely on, support biodiversity, and deliver packaging that’s both protective and more renewable. 

Explore how we source and use paperboard⁠
Polymer granules

Polymers with purpose

Polymers play a specific role in our cartons – protecting against moisture, and enabling practical features like caps and straws. But they also offer a chance to drive sustainability. From pioneering plant-based caps to introducing certified recycled polymers, we’re reducing reliance on fossil plastics and boosting circularity across our packaging.

Explore our work with polymers⁠
Aluminium⁠ foil

Aluminium: Thin layer, vital impact

Inside every aseptic carton, an ultra-thin layer of aluminium – eight times thinner than a human hair – protects food from light and oxygen, keeping perishable food safe for months without refrigeration. We’re constantly working to make this layer ever thinner and to pioneer alternative materials that will further reduce our packaging’s carbon footprint while maintaining the highest standards of food safety.

Learn more about aluminium sourcing⁠

Packaging material innovations

Holding hand on tree

Renewable materials

Packaging made from responsibly sourced, renewable materials, such as paperboard and plant-based polymers, can reduce your dependency on finite, fossil-based resources. Discover how these materials can help satisfy consumer demands for sustainable packaging solutions, boost your brand value, and achieve significant per package CO2 emission reductions.2

Learn more about renewable materials⁠
Hand with polymers and a package

Recycled materials

Recycling is an important part of circularity and for it to be effective, food packages need to be recyclable by design. To achieve this, we’re designing our paper-based carton packages for recycling, increasing the fibre content and use of recycled materials. Using certified recycled polymers in food packaging is an important step towards transforming waste into new resources, decreasing reliance on virgin, fossil-based materials and helping to keep plastic out of landfills. It’s all part of our ambition to create the world’s most sustainable food package.3

Learn more about recycled materials⁠
Carton with the power of paper design, blue waves

Paper-based barrier

One of our most ambitious innovation projects yet, the paper-based barrier will replace the aluminium foil layer in our aseptic packages. It advances the shift from high-carbon, fossil-based materials to low-carbon renewable materials by increasing the paper content of the packaging. Together with the progress being made with plant-based polymers, this new material plays a major role in reaching our long-term ambition to deliver the world's most sustainable food package.3

Learn more about paper-based barrier⁠

Towards the world’s most sustainable food package3

We are pushing the boundaries of packaging innovation and are working to increase the renewable content in our products by, for instance, offering paper-based straws and sugarcane-based plastic layers and caps. To ensure that our materials are sourced responsibly and sustainably, we are working to voluntary sustainability standards such as those from the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC™) and Bonsucro. But our work is far from finished. We’re working towards a paper-based package made solely from responsibly sourced renewable or recycled materials, and fully recyclable, while securing the same levels of quality and safety.

Learn more about our future package ambition⁠
Mother and child on pier, Tetra Prisma Aseptic carton package and fishing equipment

Explore other packaging areas

Tetra Pak carton packaging

Packages

Explore a wide package range – for dairy, beverages, plant-based and beyond. We offer various sizes, shapes, and innovative solutions for aseptic, chilled, and food, including packages designed for recycling using the latest technologies.
Explore packages⁠
The openings of three cartons

Openings

Discover a variety of openings – tethered caps, paper straws, plant-based caps, all designed for consumer convenience and to meet your sustainability goals.
Explore openings⁠
Cartons on podiums

Differentiation

From unique silhouettes to impactful material effects and versatile sizes, we design packaging solutions that set your brand apart and stand out on the shelf.
Explore the possibilities⁠

Get in touch with us!

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1. Source: ifeu 2020, “Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Tetra Pak® carton packages and alternative packaging systems for beverages and liquid food on the European market."

2 For example, up to 37%. Carbon Trust-verified Tetra Pak ‘Carton CO2 Calculator’ model version 11 (valid from 2025-01-01). Scope: cradle-to-grave measurement of a Tetra Brik® Aseptic 1000 Edge with Plant-based LightCap™ 30 (and plant-based polymers in coating) compared to a standard Tetra Brik® Aseptic 1000 Edge LightCap™ 30 package. Geography: Tetra Pak global average data. View the full carbon footprint report for Tetra Brik® Aseptic 1000 Edge LightCap™ 30.

3. Paper-based, with the lowest possible carbon footprint, made solely from responsibly sourced renewable or recycled materials, and fully recyclable. 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.