Tetra Pak’s new campaign highlights the future of packaging

The company’s aim is to create the world’s most sustainable package, made solely from responsibly sourced renewable or recycled materials, fully recyclable and carbon neutral. With clear goals for a sustainable future that include 100% renewable packages by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050, this campaign shares the steps being taken on this journey.

While working towards sustainability, Tetra Pak has also partnered with local waste management organisations to increase collection of used beverage cartons in indifferent Indian cities. Tetra Pak’s extensive collection network includes more than 26 state/union territories covering 39 cities and 14 Indian Army contingents, supported by over 27 collection and awareness partners.

According to Tetra Pak’s 2021 Sustainability Report, the company reached a recycling rate of over 40% in India owing to its own efforts as well as the efforts of the industry through Action Alliance for Recycling beverage Cartons (AARC). The AARC now includes 15 member companies, including leading F&B brands and carton manufacturers.

Also, the company has successfully completed 11 years of Go Green with Tetra Pak, a consumer awareness programme in Mumbai, which has collected over 80 lakh carton packages over the years. The programme was expanded further to Chennai with 18 consumer drop-off points set up across the city

Ashutosh Manohar, managing director, Tetra Pak South Asia, said, “By 2050, the world's population is predicted to reach 9.1-billion, which will require 70% more food availability. Packaging helps keep food safe, nutritious, and available. And, with 33% of food lost or wasted each year, high-performance packaging plays a critical role in today's global food delivery system. We believe that sustainable food processing and packaging solutions can make a difference, feeding a growing population while helping mitigate climate. With Go Nature Go Carton, we are accelerating our mission to create the world’s most sustainable food package.”

Tetra Pak’s journey to develop a new sustainable food package includes increasing the use of materials that reduce impact on nature, thereby increasing the paper-based and plant-based content in Tetra Pak’s packages. This also includes sourcing raw materials in a way that protects biodiversity and natural environments.

According to the company, it is critical to look beyond just the end-of-life impact of packaging. “To fairly assess the environmental impact, we must consider the entire life-cycle — from sourcing, to production, distribution and end-of-life. Only through a holistic environmental approach that considers radical decarbonisation of materials, can we truly reduce the impact on the planet,” Manohar said.

Tetra Pak cartons are already over 70% paper-based, with 100% of the paper-board being FSC-certified. The cartons are also recyclable, being increasingly recycled through a strong network of collection agencies, recyclers, NGOs and social enterprises.