Manufactured solely from paperboard and plastics derived from plants, Tetra Pak’s bio-based Tetra Rex carton is a fully renewable and recyclable package for beverages.
Tetra Pak produces plant-based beverage containers made entirely of renewable packaging materials. The Tetra Rex carton, developed in partnership with the bio-polymer producer Braskem, uses sustainably sourced paperboard and innovative bio-based plastics to create its eco-friendly container. The paperboard used to make the actual carton is produced from Forest Stewardship Council certified plantations, while the low-density polyethylene used for the laminate sealing film and the high-density polyethylene used for the caps are derived from sugarcane rather than oil.
According to Tetra Pak, customers currently using the company’s standard cartons will be able to transition seamlessly to the more environmentally sustainable Tetra Rex model without equipment modification. After a successful production trials with Scandinavian dairies Valio and Arla, the company is expanding the Tetra Rex market globally.
Why you should care
Worldwide demand for packaging is expected to rise by 3.5% annually until 2020. Yet packaging materials – particularly plastics – have a significant environmental impact. Tetra Rex replaces conventional fossil fuel-based plastics with renewably-sourced bio-plastics, and uses Forest Stewardship Council certified paperboard, to create an effective and more sustainable alternative to conventional beverage packaging.
How the Global Goals are addressed
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Tetra Rex’s responsibly sourced bio-materials provide a renewable and recyclable alternative to conventional plastics, leading the way for the packaging industry to shift to more sustainable raw materials.
Responsible consumption and production
As well as the responsible production processes for making the cartons, the marked bio-based cartons enable consumers to make conscious environmental choices about the products they consume.
Climate action
The carbon dioxide that is sequestered by the sugarcane during growth helps to offset CO2 emissions in the production process, resulting in lower overall emissions than oil-based alternatives.
Life on land
The Forest Stewardship Council certification helps to ensure that the plantations, from which the paperboard for the cartons is manufactured, are managed sustainably.
Tetra Pak
Tetra Pak is a multinational food packaging and processing company, based in Sweden and Switzerland. The company offers packaging, filling machines and processing for the food industry.
Braskem
Braskem is a Brazilian petrochemical company headquartered in São Paulo. The company is the largest petrochemical company in Latin America.
Global Goals addressed