Certified recycled polymers for Tetra Pak's cartons

Tetra Pak has received Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) Advanced Products certification for recycled polymers, which have been integrated into its carton packages now available for food and beverage manufacturers.

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.

With this in mind, Tetra Pak initiated a supplier collaboration to explore using recycled polymers in carton packages and identified INEOS to provide the first batch of attributed recycled polyethylene (PE). The company used PLASTIC ENERGY’s 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.

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.

Recycled content mandates across the world offer a regulatory push to ensure producers buy recycled materials so initiatives such as these are in demand.

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.

Image caption: Tetra Pak carton packages with RSB certification.