SWEDEN – Swedish-Swiss multinational food packaging and processing company Tetra Pak has said that it is ready to deploy its portfolio of tethered cap solutions, which will minimize litter as the cap will stay attached to the package.

The company further noted that the tethered caps are planned to become available as a plant-based option, therefore increasing the renewable content of the package and cutting down on its carbon footprint.

 Tetra Pak said it is also accelerating the expansion of its paper straws offering to ensure more renewable and low carbon materials are used across its range of packaging solutions.

On its quest to become the world’s most sustainable packaging company, Tetra Pak has a target of achieving net zero carbon emissions in its own operations by 2030.

The company is also working round the clock to ensure it achieves net zero carbon emissions across its value chain by 2050.

The aim of these new innovations is to help meet these goals while at the same time addressing a broad range of customer sustainability needs without compromising on food safety.

Lars Holmquist, executive vice president packaging solutions and commercial operations at Tetra Pak, said, “These are key milestones in our journey towards the world’s most sustainable food package: a carton that is fully made from renewable or recycled materials, is fully recyclable and carbon-neutral.”

Holmquist further noted that these steps are also central to ensuring that Tetra Pak’s customers in Europe will be ready to comply with the Single Use Plastics (SUP) Directive, an important element of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan.

“These are key milestones in our journey towards the world’s most sustainable food package: a carton that is fully made from renewable or recycled materials is fully recyclable and carbon-neutral.”

Lars Holmquist, executive vice president packaging solutions and commercial operations at Tetra Pak

While bans on plastic straws will come into force by July 2021, EU-based beverage producers, retailers and manufacturers, as well as importers, are obliged to implement tethered caps and lids – designed to remain attached to containers – by July 2024.

Tetra Pak is taking the lead to ensure all its customers are fully compliant before the appointed date.

Holmquist however notes that adopting this new technology will present signicant challenge of given the the scale of the change that it brings across the value chain.

“If we look at Europe alone, more than 1,000 packaging lines supplied by us will be potentially transformed, translating into over 20bn packages which are expected to be converted,” Holmquist said.

Tetra Pak is however confident that it is up to the task which includes providing tethered caps to the approximately 40 different packages.

 The company revealed that the first tethered cap to be released on the market is the HeliCap 26 Pro closure which features a new screw and flip concept with a self-locking hinge, securing food protection while providing convenience for in-home consumption.

Holmquist said, “We won’t stop here. We are continuously innovating our sustainable openings oering. We envision a world where carton packages never become waste and where every carton is collected and recycled.”

Meanwhile, Tetra Pak India, together with the Shimla Municipal Corporation donated 20 desks that are made from recycled carton packages, as part of Tetra Pak’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness about waste segregation and recycling.

In addition, over 20 garden benches and 10 bins made of recycled cartons will be installed along the Mall Road in Shimla and other prominent locations.

 The intent is to inspire citizens to start looking at used cartons not as waste, but as a valuable resource.

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