Elopak “first to hit one billion mark for 100 percent renewable cartons”

20 Jun 2018 --- Elopak is the first manufacturer to deliver over one billion 100 percent renewable cartons after launching beverage cartons, the company state. Elopak's cartons offered with renewable PE, help ensuring resources for future generations. In addition, using a renewable feedstock instead of a fossil one, significantly reduces the carbon footprint of the cartons.

In 2017, the Elopak further improved its renewable offering by introducing new feedstocks for renewable PE. The company chose to change supplier base to widen its offering of renewable PE and now offers two different sources. One is derived from sugar cane, the other is based on tall oil, a residue from pulp and paper production.

“Reaching one billion fully renewable cartons is a major milestone for Elopak and a great contribution to reducing the use of fossil resources,” Marianne Groven, Interim Director Environment at Elopak.

Sourced from Nordic forests, the tall oil-based feedstock is a residue from pulp and paper production. This allows Elopak to offer a carton based entirely on wood. The wood is 100 percent sourced from responsibly managed forests and other controlled sources, in accordance with the FSC certification system. The standing timber stock in Nordic countries continues to increase, as annual harvest remains lower than annual growth. Increased utilization of the Nordic boreal forests is beneficial both to the environment as well as to the raw material supply of Europe, which is highly dependent on imports from outside of the continent.

The second alternative feedstock is sourced from Brazil, where sugarcane can grow in areas that other crops cannot. Sugarcane also proves to be one of the most efficient plants in converting sunlight to energy and hence is a sustainable, fast-growing renewable resource. As little as 0,02 percent of the arable land in Brazil is used to produce ethanol. In comparison to fossil based raw materials, all renewable alternatives are better for the environment, both in terms of resource depletion and carbon footprint. With some exceptions, Elopak’s customers can now choose which feedstock of renewable PE they would like to feature on their cartons. Both feedstocks are certified according to International Sustainaibiltiy and Carbon Certification PLUS (ISCC PLUS).

In addition, ISCC PLUS ensures that the entire value chain is certified up to the finished product. Elopak uses a mass balance system, which is reviewed by third party auditors annually. For Elopak, transparency and credibility are key. This is why we ensure that all of our renewable materials, from paperboard to plastics, are sourced and verified through accredited certification systems. Almost all of Elopak’s cartons can be offered with renewable PE, significantly lowering the carbon footprint of the cartons and helping our customers achieve their environmental goals.