Waste not, want not

Unlike many companies, Tetra Pak doesn’t have a name for its recycling programme – recycling is part of the company’s DNA and
is included in one of the four pillars of its  business strategy.

“Environmental excellence is what we work towards. It is built into our processes,” says Erika Mink, Global Director Environment & Public Affairs at the packaging giant.

“We are aware of the impact of our products and the energy used to create them. Our 2020 climate goal is to cap our emissions at 2010 levels across the value chain – and that’s very ambitious (because we can’t easily control where our packaging machines are used and what energy grid they use, etc).”

The company has also set a target to achieve 40% recycling of its carton packages by 2020. In Europe, Tetra Pak is on course – some Western countries are already there, some even boasting rates of over 70% – but that’s driven mainly by regulation. In other countries, it’s not and that what makes it a much more complex task for an organisation as globally present as Tetra Pak.

So how does it meet that challenge? Where does it start? “We have certain principles,” explains Mink. “The way we work, where we go, we always make sure that there is someone who can recycle our cartons.”

When the company enters a new market it investigates the infrastructure for recycling there.

“We have recycling officers on the ground. They know what can be made from the used cartons and actively seek out recycling partners. We can also advise them on how to adapt their existing facilities to reprocess Tetra Pak packs and use their high quality paperboard for new products. [Tetra Pak packs are made of paperboard laminated with thin layers of polymers and aluminium].”
Having recyclers is essential but not enough. The main challenge is ‘feeding’ recycling plants, particularly where there is insufficient collection of recyclables separate from consumer waste.

To support recycling, says Mink, it is important for the company to understand how recyclables are collected and ensure that collectors are informed about the market for used Tetra Pak cartons.

“This is true particularly in developing countries where recycling programmes are not yet well established,” says Mink.
In Brazil, Tetra Pak uses Google maps to connect buyers with sellers of used cartons. “This is a simple and transparent tool we are now rolling out throughout Latin America,” explains Mink. “Recycling of consumer packages requires close collaboration with governments, our customers and industry partners and consumers.”

“In Brazil, we are collaborating with CEMPRE – The Business Commitment for Recycling – to help building sustainable recycling programmes.”

Indeed, Tetra Pak in Brazil is having a positive impact on the livelihoods of waste collectors organized in over 600 co-operatives and on the development of the local recycling sector. 

Tetra Pak is keen to promote the CEMPRE model also for Argentina and other countries in Latin-American; works with TIPMSE – Thailand Institute of Packaging and Recycling Management for Sustainable Environment; and cooperates with government initiatives like Clean Up World in Arabia, or the Chinese CEC – Circular Economy Committee.

In Egypt, the company has combined its approach with an educational programme too. Similarly in India, the company set up Project SEARCH which aims to create ‘Green Agents of Change’ by talking to students and instilling in them a strong sense of environmental responsibility.

The ongoing challenge is to scale such recycling business models, says Mink. She hopes that by working with partners such as customers, NGOs and governments in emerging markets progress will be made.

Another major strand to the company’s quest towards a fully sustainable future is in its focus on renewables.

“We are committed to the use of renewable materials,” says Mink. Currently, all the company’s packaging products are made of around 75% paperboard. “We are certain that we will reach a 100% renewable packaging but can’t say exactly when we’ll get there.”

Of course, the supply of materials from renewables sources can only grow, if forests are growing. That’s why Tetra Pak is working with WWF and the FSC on driving responsible forestry practices. “This way we can ensure the supply of renewables,” says Mink. “We’ve worked in partnership with our paperboard suppliers, NGOs such as WWF and the FSC, representing the highest standards in forest management, to source from responsibly managed forests and have been continuously rolling out FSC-labelled carton packages with customers in Europe, Asia and Americas. In 2013, 32 billion Tetra Pak packages sold in 56 countries carried the FSC label. Our long-term goal is to offer all of our customers this option.”

On the polymer side, the company is moving towards bio-based plastics.

“Since April 2014 all our packaging material produced in Brazil uses polymers made from sugar cane in its polymer layers,” Mink explains. “In the long term, we obviously would like all our plastics to be bio-based, but that is a long way off. There are the economies of scale to consider and while we still think that it’s the way to go, we can’t put a timeline on it.”

Tetra Pak is constantly on the search for new packaging materials. It ploughs 3% of its turnover into R&D every year.
“We are always looking at new materials and looking to anticipate market trends but our basic mantra is trying to do ‘more with less’,” Mink points out.

Mink acknowledges that “it’s a long journey towards a package made from 100% renewables” but believes the company is “up to the challenge”.

“Today there is no contradiction between business and environment performance. By working towards our targets we reduce our environment footprint and make our business more competitive.’

“This is why environmental excellence is part of our business strategy,” she concludes.