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Why Choose our Tetra Top Cartons
- Please note information below has been obtained from Tetra Pak based on studies into comparisons between beverage cartons and other beverage containers
BEVERAGE CARTONS ARE YOUR SUSTAINABLE CHOICE
Packaging plays an important role in protecting food and drinks and ensuring valuable resources do not go to waste. By choosing a good package, you can contribute to sustainable development. Beverage cartons have a lower climate impact than glass, metal and plastic packaging according to recent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies.
MEASURING SUSTAINABILITY
HOW WE MEASURE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method of measuring the environmental impact of a product throughout its lifecycle. It analyses all stages in the value chain including energy production, extraction and use of raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, handling, recycling and waste. The LCA used by Tetra Pak was conducted by an independent research institute and reviewed by an independent international panel of experts. It is conducted as a fully ISO 14040/14044 compliant LCA study for the European market. The facts and figures in this summary document are based on the study1.
A SCIENCE-BASED APPROACH TO SUSTAINABILITY
At Tetra Pak, we have been using the LCA method to investigate the environmental impact of our products since as far back as the mid 1980’s. Understanding the impact along the product lifecycle is important for us to identify opportunities to improve our products and guide the design for sustainability. With this scientific approach, we can improve our sustainability performance continuously.
CLIMATE SMART MATERIALS
Renewable materials are better for the climate: they absorb CO2 in the atmosphere, as opposed to fossil-based materials, that release new CO2 , which was stored in the ground for millions of years. Paperboard made from wood fibres, and plant-based plastic made from sugar cane, are renewable materials. Materials that are made of finite raw materials such as metal, oil or sand are not renewable fossil materials. Therefore, glass made from sand or plastic made from fossil raw materials such as oil and natural gas are not renewable. The results from the ifeu LCA 2020 show that the greater the share of renewable materials a package contains, the lower the climate impact. Therefore, from a climate perspective, beverage cartons are a good solution compared to alternative fossil-based materials.
LEADING DEVELOPMENT WITH NEW MATERIALS
With innovation and sustainability at the centre of our business, we at Tetra Pak develop renewable packaging solutions systematically. Tetra Pak has the ambition to develop aseptic carton packages that are entirely made from renewable and recyclable materials. Today, we are leading the development of packaging with plant-based plastic in our industry. Since 2015, more than 30,000 tonnes of fossil-based plastic in Tetra Pak packages have been replaced with plant-based plastic in Europe, which saved around 80,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
WEIGHT, TRANSPORT AND RECYCLING
Lightweight packaging is better from a climate perspective. Paperboard is a light material, which contributes to a good climate performance. A carton package’s lightweight structure results in high transport efficiency and fuel savings during transport. The paperboard is delivered to the packaging production plant on a roll, making it transport efficient. Depending on the size, more than a million packages can fit into one truck. The square shape of carton packaging is also transport efficient, and efficient for storage. For example, using carton packages with a square shape reduces the number of trucks needed for transport compared to round jars or bottles. Recycling is important to improve material use and reduce environmental impact. Beverage cartons are recyclable through a straightforward process to separate paper fiber from other materials, using only water and blending equipment. As a part of the EU Plastics Strategy, Tetra Pak has pledged to ensure that recycling solutions are secured for all components of our packages by 2025.
BEVERAGE CARTONS ARE TRANSPORT EFFICIENT
CONCLUSION
This document summarises the key results from a Life Cycle Assessment conducted in 2020 on behalf of Tetra Pak. It shows that beverage cartons are a climate-smart choice compared to other types of packages. They are mostly made of renewable materials, which contributes to a good climate performance. Beverage cartons with plant-based plastic components rather than fossil-based plastic are even better from a climate perspective.
