How Tetra Pak went from being ‘polluters’ to sustainability champions in the packaging industry

PROBLEM The packaging industry, in particular, has been under intense pressure to reduce packaging waste and over-packaging and, improve recyclability. There is real regulatory pressure on manufacturers to improve their environmental performance. For example, bearing the cost for the waste management of their products, clean up costs, waste treatment etc as a part of the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme (being one of them). 

WHAT DID TETRA PAK DO?

In the Field of Raw Materials 

Tetra Pak is changing takeaways practices by using sustainable packaging materials like paperboard (73%), plastic (22%) and – for aseptic packages – aluminum foil (5%). The paperboard is made from wood- a renewable resource and has the greatest environmental impact of all stages within the package life cycle.

• 1. To secure responsible forestry, Tetra Pak works with various stakeholders like the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN); and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). In 2009, Tetra Pak delivered more than 2.3 billion FSC certified and labeled cartons.


• 2. Supplier’s audit for special forestation program – it has put a condition that a tree planted should not be felled before it is 100 years. Accordingly the plantation cycle needs to be maintained.


• 3. Special forestation programs are implemented and a Forest Stewardship council is established to look after implementation of these policies.