Tetra Pak has introduced certified recycled polymers, becoming the first company in the food and beverage packaging industry to be awarded the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) Advanced Products certification. Its carton packages integrating attributed recycled polymers are now available for food and beverage manufacturers.

This move marks a key step in Tetra Pak’s approach to circularity in terms of minimizing dependency on fossil-based resources, responsibly sourcing raw materials, designing packages for enhanced recycling and reduced litter, and building partnerships to develop effective collection and recycling infrastructure worldwide.

Using recycled material can contribute to increased recycling rates and make recycling more economically viable. But reliable sourcing and quality can be a challenge, due to the limited availability of food-grade recycled plastics in the market at present. 

Tetra Pak carton packages with RSB certification.

With this in mind, Tetra Pak initiated a close supplier collaboration to explore utilizing recycled polymers in carton packages and identified INEOS, a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, speciality chemicals and oil products, to provide the first batch of attributed recycled polyethylene (PE).

INEOS has been leveraging PLASTIC ENERGY’s advanced recycling process to convert waste plastic into high-quality polymers, replacing oil-based products with material featuring identical specifications and the same level of product purity as virgin plastic.

Alejandro Cabal, Vice President Packaging Solutions, Tetra Pak, said, “RSB certifies that the attributed recycled polymers used in the caps, tops and/or coatings of Tetra Pak carton packages are produced sustainably. Being the first in our sector to be awarded the RSB Advanced Products certification represents yet another milestone in our journey towards the world’s most sustainable food package.”

Following the RSB chain of custody attribution method, the plastics are made of a mix of recycled and non-recycled materials, with the corresponding mass of recycled materials tracked throughout the Tetra Pak supply chain.

Tetra Pak has introduced certified recycled polymers, becoming the first company in the food and beverage packaging industry to be awarded the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) Advanced Products certification. Its carton packages integrating attributed recycled polymers are now available for food and beverage manufacturers.

This move marks a key step in Tetra Pak’s approach to circularity in terms of minimizing dependency on fossil-based resources, responsibly sourcing raw materials, designing packages for enhanced recycling and reduced litter, and building partnerships to develop effective collection and recycling infrastructure worldwide.

Using recycled material can contribute to increased recycling rates and make recycling more economically viable. But reliable sourcing and quality can be a challenge, due to the limited availability of food-grade recycled plastics in the market at present. 

Tetra Pak carton packages with RSB certification.

With this in mind, Tetra Pak initiated a close supplier collaboration to explore utilizing recycled polymers in carton packages and identified INEOS, a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, speciality chemicals and oil products, to provide the first batch of attributed recycled polyethylene (PE).

INEOS has been leveraging PLASTIC ENERGY’s advanced recycling process to convert waste plastic into high-quality polymers, replacing oil-based products with material featuring identical specifications and the same level of product purity as virgin plastic.

Alejandro Cabal, Vice President Packaging Solutions, Tetra Pak, said, “RSB certifies that the attributed recycled polymers used in the caps, tops and/or coatings of Tetra Pak carton packages are produced sustainably. Being the first in our sector to be awarded the RSB Advanced Products certification represents yet another milestone in our journey towards the world’s most sustainable food package.”

Following the RSB chain of custody attribution method, the plastics are made of a mix of recycled and non-recycled materials, with the corresponding mass of recycled materials tracked throughout the Tetra Pak supply chain.