Tetra Pak has launched a new environmental benchmarking service to help food and beverage companies assess the environmental performance of their production operations, and to identify opportunities for improvement.The service provides an audit of the entire plant, including both the processing and packaging lines, assessing performance in areas such as water efficiency, waste water treatment, energy efficiency, product yield and waste, and carbon footprint. Based on this audit, Tetra Pak will then provide specific recommendations on opportunities for improvement, helping customers not only to reduce their environmental impact, but also to lower cost.
Tetra Pak has launched a new environmental benchmarking service to help food and beverage companies assess the environmental performance of their production operations, and to identify opportunities for improvement.
The service provides an audit of the entire plant, including both the processing and packaging lines, assessing performance in areas such as water efficiency, waste water treatment, energy efficiency, product yield and waste, and carbon footprint. Based on this audit, Tetra Pak will then provide specific recommendations on opportunities for improvement, helping customers not only to reduce their environmental impact, but also to lower cost.
Tetra Pak says pilot projects have been carried out in the US and in Europe, delivering average costs savings of around 2 percent. For example, with Pacific Foods, a US based producer of organic foods and beverages, opportunities were found to reduce the carbon footprint by approximately 3,500 tons of carbon dioxide and to cut water consumption by some 8 million gallons, every year.
Late last year, Tetra Pak launched the industry’s first carton made entirely from plant-based, renewable packaging materials. The new Tetra Rex® carton is the first in the market to have bio-based low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films and bio-based high-density polyethylene (HDPE) caps, both derived from sugar cane, in addition to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC ™) certified paperboard. Developed in partnership with Braskem, one of the world’s leading biopolymers producers, the new package will be commercially available in early 2015.
In July, Tetra Pak US and Canada launched "Moving To The Front," a campaign centered on a white paper that highlights issues of resource scarcity and encourages suppliers, manufacturers, brand owners, NGOs and others to expand focus from the mid and end of the packaging life cycle to the beginning. The campaign highlights the need for industry practices that focus on the importance of sustainable material sourcing and renewable resources in protecting our world's limited natural resources and how these practices can create long-term shared value for businesses and society.
Published Jan 5, 2015 12pm EST / 9am PST / 5pm GMT / 6pm CET
Managing Director, Sustainability & Social Impact
Deutsche Bank
Mike Hower is a sustainability communicator and connector committed to helping purpose-driven businesses and people unlock their full potential for positive impact. As founder and principal consultant at Hower Impact, he works with companies to translate sustainability strategy into stories that inform, engage and inspire investors, customers, employees, regulators and other stakeholders in the service of social, environmental and business goals. Through his Impact Hired initiative, he works to connect and engage corporate sustainability professionals at all stages of their careers.
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