Home Sustainability Focus areas Circularity & recycling Tetra Pak recycling initiatives

A collaboration model for carton recycling

At Tetra Pak our ambition is that all packages are collected, recycled and never become litter. To achieve that, we are working collaboratively across the recycling value chain to:

  • Design for recycling 
  • Drive consumer awareness and engagement
  • Support collection and sorting
  • Expand recycling capacity and solutions 
  • Grow recycled material use and applications

We have an open approach to partnership and collaboration, working with food manufacturers, municipalities, recyclers and other stakeholders across the industry. 

We believe that collective action is key. Through collaboration, we’re working to advance the entire recycling value chain. By strengthening global carton recycling infrastructure, we can ensure cartons are transformed into new raw material and products, keeping valuable resources in use to help build a circular economy.

Join us in the journey of cartons recycling and be part of the circularity transformation. Contact our team here or connect directly with the local teams listed on the projects.

Discover more

Products made from recycled carton packages

Dong Tien – recycling capacity

Tetra Pak Vietnam has partnered with the Dong Tien Packaging and Paper Co., Ltd., co-investing to upgrade the recycling capacity of used beverage cartons.

Read more⁠
Chair made from recycled polyAl

Ecuaplastic - recycled materials and applications

We support Ecuaplastic as they continue to improve the quality and launch value-added products made from recycled polyAl, drawing on waste materials.

Read more⁠
polyal-furniture

The future of recycled cartons is beautiful

From carton to PolyAl to furniture: a Dutch design brand is turning beverage cartons into beautiful interior objects.

Read more⁠
Finnish landscape

Ecuador’s first sports shoe made of recycled carton

The story of Ecuador’s first sports shoe made of recycled carton, and how Bunky, Ecuaplastic and Tetra Pak came together to create this product.

Read more⁠

Consumer awareness and engagement

Recycling in schools in Japan

Bellmark Program – Consumer awareness and engagement

School milk in Japan has a long tradition. Since the 1950s milk have been part of the lunch to children in schools, helping improve their nutrition.

Bellmark Program – Consumer awareness and engagement⁠
Activity with customers at Catavento

Catavento recycling exhibit - consumer awareness

We partnered with the Catavento museum in São Paulo, Brazil, to create a permanent exhibition on the recyclability of cartons.

View case⁠
Closeup of robotic arm sorting cartons for recycling

Carton Council - consumer awareness

We are founding members of the Carton Council of North America which promotes recycling technology, local collection and awareness.

View case⁠
Children recycling cartons in school with a banner explaining the process

One second of action - consumer awareness

We initiated a competition in schools to promote collection of cartons, teach about recycling and handling packages before recycling.

View case⁠
A recycling station in a shop, and a mobile recycling station on the street

Cartons clean - consumer awareness

We partnered Vitasoy and SSID to promote carton collection in schools with mobile recycling centers and establish a recycling value chain.

View case⁠
Kids holding carton packages and showing thumbs up in front of a carton recycling station.

Kartonkikilpailu - consumer awareness

We promoted and increased carton recycling by engaging school kids in a recycling competition.

View case⁠
Campaign with recycling wall in shopping centre

Recycling wall - consumer awareness

We promoted carton recycling with a panel and collection station in the shopping centers.

View case⁠
Super Ecolo cartoon logo with robot

Digital school recycling - consumer awareness

We developed a digital school recycling competition to raise awareness on waste reduction. Kids participate by creating art out of used materials.

View case⁠
School children learning about recycling

Zero waste - consumer awareness

We collaborated with the government and an NGO to create face-to-face and digital learning platforms for children on the 5R principals.

View case⁠
Mobile phone showing the Pakzi application for carton recycling

Pakzi mobile app - consumer awareness

We launched Pakzi, a carton recycling mobile app, to educate consumers in Tehran on recycling and collection, and how to separate cartons in their own stream.

View case⁠

Collection and sorting

People in front of a recycle station in Santo Domingo subway

Eco-recarga con recybot - reverse vending machine

We have installed five reverse vending machines in Santo Domingo’s subway stations. We are hoping to engage consumers in recycling best practices.

View case⁠
People sorting recycled material in facility

Reciclar pelo Brasil - collection and sorting

We’ve joined with Reciclar pelo Brasil to promote and support waste pickers' cooperatives to further develop infrastructure and increase carton recycling.

View case⁠
Woman recycling a carton package in the recycling station

Gira drop off stations - collection and sorting

We improved Ecuador's recycling infrastructure by installing 94 collection stations for different materials, including cartons.

View case⁠
A hand holding a recycling information folder

Red reciclo - collection and sorting

We’ve joined forces with other brands in the Red Reciclo industry coalition to promote the implementation of EPR towards a circular economy.

View case⁠
School girls folding carton packages for recycling

Becare - collection and sorting

We are developing a sustainable carton collection value chain by working with the local government to expand drop-off points while supporting the community.

View case⁠
Stakeholders showcasing the InspirACTion initiative

InspirACTion - collection and sorting

We are engaging children in recycling while educating the importance of waste segregation, expanding collection points and developing polyAl recycling.

View case⁠
Recycling station in front of retail store

Collection points - collection and sorting

We work with retailers across Japan to expand the number of stores accepting both aseptic and chilled carton packages for recycling.

View case⁠
Person holding a poster for collection cabin recycling

Collection cabin - collection and sorting

We are working with local government and partner recycler to expand access to recycling by placing drop-off collection cabins in strategic locations.

View case⁠
People in front of recycling container

Door-to-door - collection and sorting

We support Nestle’s efforts to provide door-to-door collection of recyclables in selected residential areas and encourage consumer participation.

View case⁠
People sorting cartons manually

Sorting pilot project - collection and sorting

We are piloting a project to recover cartons from mixed solid and packaging waste, preventing cartons from ending up in landfills.

View case⁠

Recycling capacity and solutions

Office with panel board from recycled cartons

Morcas - recycling capacity

We support Morcas in their efforts to recycle the entire carton package to produce panel boards and to expand collection infrastructure.

View case⁠
PolyAl equipment line in recycling facility

Fulun - recycling capacity

We collaborated with Fulun to increase carton recycling capacity and upgrade polyAl line – considered locally a model enterprise for circular economy.

View case⁠
Desk with peal board information sheets

SHA Hup Aik - recycling capacity

We are working with SHA Hub Aik to upgrade polyAl facility to improve roof sheet and polyAl board quality as well as expand capability to produce pellets.

View case⁠
Person with laptop showing information about dry polyAl processing

Herbold Meckesheim - recycling capacity

We are are working with Herbold Meckesheim to develop and improve mechanical recycling of polyAl.

View case⁠
Hand with polyAl granule

KMK - recycling capacity

We collaborated with KMK to instal the first polyAl recyling line in Turkey and helping develop end-market, with potential buyers in the plastics industry.

View case⁠
Pallets made from recycled polyAl

STP - recycling capacity

We collaborated with STP and OPI to create a solution for recycling of the entire carton package: STP to recycle polyAl from OPI.

View case⁠
Pile of polyAl pellets

Plastigram - recycling capacity

We worked with Czech recycler Plastigram, which has developed an energy-efficient technology to separate out plastics and polyAl from discarded carton packages.

View case⁠

Recycled material use and applications

Chair made from recycled polyAl

Ecuaplastic - recycled materials and applications

We support Ecuaplastic as they continue to improve the quality and launch value-added products made from recycled polyAl, drawing on waste materials.

Read more⁠
Roof made from recycled polyAl materials

PolyAl recycling - Placove

We support Placove’s efforts to recycle polyAl using hot-pressing thermoforming to produce roof tiles and flat sheets, and to expand capacity.

View case⁠
Close up of roof tiles made from recycled polyAl

Eurotecho - recycled materials and applications

We support Eurotecho’s efforts to recycle polyAl using hot-pressing thermoforming to produce roof tiles and flat sheets, and to expand capacity and end-market.

View case⁠
People building shelter with rooftiles made from recycled cartons

Green Roof - recycled materials and applications

We initiated the Green Roof campaign to turn cartons into roofing sheets for emergency shelters, working with the Thai Red Cross and Big C.

View case⁠
Desk with peal board information sheets

KPT - recycled materials and applications

We support KPT’s efforts to recycle polyAl by using hot-pressing to produce roof sheets and boards.

View case⁠
Closeup of board made from recycled cartons

Save Board - recycled materials and applications

We supported start-up recycler Save Board to transform New Zealand’s used cartons via a full carton recycling process to create construction materials.

View case⁠
Milk crate and hanger made from recycled polyAl

Jushin - recycled materials and applications

We are working with Jushin and SK Global Chemical to develop a polyAl recycling solution to produce agglomerated pellet for making plastic pallets.

View case⁠
Paper rolls

Lucart - recycled materials and applications

With Lucart, we’ve developed Fiberpack® tissue paper and dispensers from polyAl. Now, fibre and polyAl will come under one roof to boost capacity.

View case⁠
PolyAl pelletising line in facility

Gayatri - recycled materials and applications

We support Gayatri’s efforts to expand polyAl recycling and develop new markets and end-uses for the material (e.g., cable reels, energy boxes, truck stoppers).

View case⁠
Roof made from recycled polyAl

Nestle - recycled materials and applications

We are working with Green Earth to provide polyAl pallets and roofing sheets to Nestle Pakistan, closing the loop on the commitment to a circular economy.

View case⁠

Related links