This industry-first initiative contributes to material circularity, reducing reliance on virgin, fossil-based material and helping to shift away from finite resources
Tetra Pak and Lactalis have unveiled a carton package that uses certified recycled polymers linked to used beverage cartons, marking a first for the beverage carton industry and a significant step towards a circular economy.
This material has been certified by ISCC PLUS as originating from the recycling process of used beverage cartons in Spain and is allocated to the package based on a mass balance attribution method. This means that the certified recycled polymers are made up of a mix of recycled and non-recycled, virgin fossil feedstock, ensuring the corresponding volume of recycled material is sourced and tracked throughout the supply chain. This is verified by a third-party auditor, according to the ISCC Chain of Custody Procedure. The chemical recycling process ensures that the certified recycled polymers do not compromise the package’s quality, food safety or any other attributes, further demonstrating the circular potential of cartons.
The advancement keeps quality resources in circulation and reduces the industry’s dependence on virgin, fossil-based materials, which aligns with both companies’ ambitions to further enhance the environmental profile of packaging. Tetra Pak plans to invest €100 million annually for the next five to ten years to achieve this, while Lactalis has made responsible packaging and the circular economy one of its global environmental priorities, together with animal welfare across their partner farms and decarbonisation of all their activities by 2050.
