Tetra Pak and Stora Enso propel Poland’s beverage carton circular economy with unified recycling solution

21 Jul 2021 --- Tetra Pak and Stora Enso are partnering on a complete recycling solution for beverage cartons in Poland. The large-scale carton repulping line at Stora Enso’s Ostrołęka production unit aims to triple the recycling capacity of beverage cartons in the country.

The move follows a comprehensive feasibility study, which was announced in November 2020.

The line will triple the annual recycling capacity of used beverage cartons in Poland from 25,000 to 75,000 metric tons, the partners say.

This increased capacity will enable the entire volume of beverage cartons sold in Poland and neighboring countries to be recycled, including Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Multi-million investments, patented tech
The total investment is €29.1 million (US$34.3 million). Stora Enso will invest €17 million (US$20 million) in a new repulping line for recovering the carton fibers.

Meanwhile, Tetra Pak and Plastigram will invest a total of €12.1 million (US$14.2 million) to build an additional line.

This additional line will recover and separately recycle the polymers and aluminum using a patented separation technology.

Both lines are expected to be operational at the beginning of 2023.

The separated materials will be used as raw materials for various end applications. Meanwhile, recycled fibers will be integrated into Stora Enso’s recycled board.

The separated polymers and aluminum will be given “new life” in different products, such as pellets and foils.Tetra Pak and Stora Enso say the line will triple the annual recycling capacity of beverage cartons in Poland to 75,000 metric tons.

Country-level circular economy
The new production is designed to help establish a circular economy for cartons in Poland, fully aligned with the European Green Deal.

The partners indicate the collected cartons will be managed in an “environmentally sound manner,” making full use of the materials resulting from the recycling process.

“Today, carton packages are recyclable. They are collected and recycled at scale where waste management and recycling infrastructure is in place,” says Charles Brand, Tetra Pak Europe & Central Asia’s president.

“But for us, that’s not enough. We are seeking opportunities across the entire recycling value chain to improve how cartons get recycled and develop solutions that effectively recycle all packaging components, including polymers and aluminum.”

“Therefore, I am very proud of this investment as well as of the strong partnership with Stora Enso that made this advancement possible. Collaborative action is key to realize our ultimate ambition – a world where all carton packages are collected, recycled and never become litter.”

Hannu Kasurinen, EVP of Stora Enso’s Packaging Materials division, adds: “Stora Enso delivers packaging materials produced from renewable sources. With this development, we can advance toward a greater degree of recyclability, a critical factor in enabling a circular bioeconomy.”

“We are delighted to join forces with Tetra Pak in what will be another important milestone toward the fully circular future we expect to realize.”

“Moreover, as EU collection systems continue to evolve, the project holds potential to increase capacity for future excess volumes.”

Other developments
Tetra Pak also recently invested €100 million (US$119 million) in expanding its Châteaubriant plant in France. The plant designs and manufactures caps with a special focus on the increased production of tethered caps.

In June, Stora Enso launched a wood fiber-based material composition designed for microwavable food tray packaging called Trayforma.

Edited by Joshua Poole

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