Finnish dairy producer Valio has become the first company in the world to sell products to consumers in carton packaging made entirely from plant-based materials. Consumers are able to buy these packages at retail shops in Finland beginning this week.
Launched in October by Tetra Pak, the Tetra Rex® Bio-based is the first package manufactured solely from a combination of plastics derived from plants and paperboard. Valio says it will trial the package with Valio Eila® lactose free semi-skimmed milk drink in retail outlets across Finland until mid March, and use feedback from consumers to decide whether to adopt the cartons more broadly across its chilled product range.
The products will be available in one-liter capacity Tetra Rex Bio-based packages, with a TwistCap™ OSO 34 opening. They will be produced at Valio’s Jyväskylä dairy in Finland, using a standard Tetra Pak TR/28 filling machine.
In Tetra Rex Bio-based cartons, the low density polyethylene used to create the laminate film for the packaging material and the neck of the opening, together with the high density polyethylene used for the cap, are all derived from sugar cane. These plastics, like the Forest Stewardship CouncilTM (FSCTM) certified paperboard, are traceable to their origins.
The Tetra Rex fully renewable package can be identified by the words “Bio-based” printed on the gable of the package.
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 focuses on 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.
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Founder, Hower Impact
Mike Hower is the founder of Hower Impact — a boutique consultancy delivering strategic communication advisory and support for corporate sustainability, ESG and climate tech.
Published Jan 14, 2015 10am EST / 7am PST / 3pm GMT / 4pm CET