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Food packaging and processing solutions company Tetra Pak spend €30 million on beverage carton collection and recycling projects worldwide in 2022, according to a company press statement.
The Swiss-Swedish multinational plans to invest up to €40 million annually over the next years in line with its targets on collection and recycling of beverage cartons, the statement issued on Wednesday said, adding that recycling operations worldwide grew from 40 in 2010 to more than 200 at present.
The statement said recent collaborations have focusse on creating additional recycling capacity, increasing collection rates and ensuring that materials from post-consumer beverage cartons can re-enter the economy.
The company’s own estimates showed that globally 1.2 million tonnes of beverage cartons were collected and sent for recycling in 2021.
Markus Pfanner, Vice President Sustainability Operations at Tetra Pak, said: “We need to move away from a linear ‘take-make-waste’ model towards a more connected circular economy. But being part of a circular solution can’t be driven singlehandedly by one individual or entity – scientists, policy makers, recyclers and industry players and citizens must work together.”
Christine Levêque, Vice President Collection and Recycling, Tetra Pak added: “Three principles are guiding our circularity agenda: designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. These hero initiatives showcase how innovation and a clear drive to change the status quo are key to keep quality materials in circulation and minimise the use of new ones.”
As part of the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE), the company supports the industry ambition to increase the collection for recycling rate of beverage cartons to 90 percent and the recycling rate to 70 percent, in the EU, by 2030.
(Writing by Eman Hamed; Editing by Anoop Menon)
