Tetra Pak extends recycling investments ahead of new European packaging waste rules

23 Feb 2024 --- Tetra Pak is making several more strategic investments to boost carton recycling rates across the EU in support of the proposed EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

Last year, the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE) urged European lawmakers to ensure beverage cartons are recycled at scale by 2035, calling for a 90% mandatory collection target for packaging.

ACE says a mandatory collection target would provide predictable packaging waste flows and incentivize recycling infrastructure and technology investments.

Innova Market Insights announced its Top Packaging Trends 2024 this week, with “Digitalized Circularity” taking the top spot. The market researcher expects the industry to embrace digital technologies for circular economy solutions amid more demanding regulations.

Tetra Pak’s annual capacity for polyAl recycling is projected to increase by over 40,000 tons — the equivalent of more than 4 billion pack units. The non-fiber component of carton packages is known as polyAl, which designates the layers of PE and aluminum used as a barrier against oxygen and humidity.

The move supports the PPWR goals by ensuring that all packaging components are recycled and valuable raw materials are kept in circulation for longer.

Ongoing recycling investments
In 2023, Tetra Pak invested nearly €40 million (∼US$34 million) to accelerate beverage carton recycling worldwide. The multinational food packaging and processing company plans to increase this even further over the coming years to achieve greater material circularity.Tetra Pak aims to increase its polyAI recycling to 4 billion packs annually in support of new EU packaging waste objectives.

The recent initiatives and investments are set to boost the EU’s ability to recycle beverage cartons, including the non-fiber protective layers of PE and aluminum. This increase will be achieved by unlocking new collaborations or strengthening the capabilities of established recyclers to turn all materials from post-consumer cartons into new high-quality resources and goods.

These add to the existing and well-established recycling infrastructure in the EU, where beverage cartons are recycled in 20 specialized paper mills, with polyAl currently processed by seven facilities. A further six such facilities are under development.

Major investments in 2023 include:
In Sweden, Tetra Pak and Axjo Group have begun a feasibility study to build a new recycling line for polyAl that will accommodate volumes from Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Fostered by a joint investment of up to €24 million (∼US$26 million) and featuring an annual recycling capacity of 10,000 tons, this state-of-the-art facility will recycle and incorporate polyAl into injection molded plastic products made by Axjo, including cable drums, reels, spools and plastic storage boxes.

• In Spain, Tetra Pak and Trans Sabater have co-invested over €2 million (∼US$2 million) and expanded their agreement to increase installed polyAl recycling capacity from 3,000 tons to 10,000 tons per year. This valuable secondary raw material has unique thermal properties for increased productivity in plastic transformation processes and is exempt from the plastic tax, as it is a 100% recycled material of post-consumer origin. In addition, Trans Sabater’s patented mechanical recycling technology improves the quality of the pellets compared to traditional processes. Potential end markets for recycled polyAl are many, including logistics, packaging, retail and gardening.
• Also in Spain, Tetra Pak and Alier have forged a collaboration that will consolidate Alier as one of the largest post-consumer carton recyclers in Europe and will help the company to become an integrated player, able to process all materials from used beverage cartons. Through mechanical recycling, the polyAl will be transformed into high-quality pellets suitable for a variety of end markets. The ambition is to recycle over 15,000 tons of polyAl per year by 2025.
• In the Netherlands, Tetra Pak has invested €1 million (∼US$1 million) in Recon Polymers’ polyAl recycling plant in a bid to increase the capacity to at least 8,000 tons per year. This investment will improve the efficiency of the process and advance material circularity across France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The material’s versatility means it can then be transformed into a range of everyday items, including reusable pallets, interiors and large-format 3D-printed objects.

“These innovative collaborations, at the intersection of human ingenuity, technology and finance, demonstrate the value of beverage cartons within sustainable food systems,” says Markus Pfanner, vice president for sustainability operations at Tetra Pak.

“Beverage cartons are recyclable. They are recycled wherever the necessary collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure is in place, at scale, so naturally, expanding this infrastructure is a priority for us.”

“Projects such as these ensure that consumers can continue to safely access food, and that once they have done so, those cartons can be recycled, keeping quality resources in the loop and reducing the use of virgin content.”

By Joshua Poole