Tetra to offer packaging made with fully traceable plant-based polymers

Tetra Pak, together with its supplier Braskem, has become the first company in the food and beverage industry to responsibly source plant-based polymers using the Bonsucro standards for sustainable sugar cane.

The plant-based polymers used in some Tetra Pak cartons, like their closures, are produced from sugarcane.

Plant-based polymer supplier Braskem has now reached 100 per cent Bonsucro certified volumes of sugarcane derived bioethanol for Tetra Pak’s plant-based solutions, establishing full supply chain transparency.

Using plant-based materials such as paper and polymers, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, supporting economic growth that is decoupled from fossil, finite sources.

The Bonsucro certified labels will be available to place on packaging from Q1 2020.

The announcement forms part of Tetra Pak’s recently launched Planet Positive initiative, which urges industry stakeholders to take a broader view of sustainability, to evolve the concept of circular economy.

“We’ve seen a growing trend of consumers wanting to do more for the planet, and they look to brands to help. Today 91 per cent of consumers look for environmental logos when shopping, and Bonsucro Chain of Custody Certification can be used to communicate credible information to consumers, thereby helping our customers differentiate their products,” said Mario Abreu, VP Sustainability, Tetra Pak.

“Our plant-based polymers are fully traceable to their sugarcane origin. We see plant-based materials as playing a key role in achieving a low-carbon circular economy. In the future all polymers we use will either be made from plant-based materials or from post-consumption recycled food grades.”