Tetra Pak wins Product Footprinting award

The Carbon Trust’s Annual Corporate Sustainability Summit in London recognised Tetra Pak for its industry-leading work with the Product Footprinting award. Tetra Pak received the award after helping a customer reduce the carbon footprint of their packaging by switching to a partially plant-based material for its Tetra Brik and Tetra Prisma carton packages. This led to a 21% reduction in carbon footprint of the packaging.

“We are committed to helping our customers minimise the environmental impacts of their packaging choices and we are thrilled this is being recognised through our award from Carbon Trust. Our cartons are made predominantly from plant-based materials such as paperboard and plant-based polymers, which have a significantly lower carbon impact than alternative packaging options such as most bottles or cans. Plant-based materials can be replenished over time and, when grown and managed responsibly, positively contribute to reduced climate impact,” said Charles Brand, President of Tetra Pak Europe & Central Asia.

The event, hosted by Carbon Trust, focused on how organisations can take the lead in accelerating the transition to a sustainable and low-carbon economy, with keynote speakers and panel sessions that addressed the challenges and opportunities of achieving sustainable packaging.

Carbon trust ceremony, from left: Nazanin Moradi, Erik Lindroth Tetra Pak and Morgan Jones, Carbon Trust.

Tetra Pak has been collaborating with Carbon Trust since 2018 on an online Carton CO₂ Calculator. The calculator helps users to make informed decisions on packaging based on carbon impact, and is designed to compare the relative greenhouse gas emissions associated with different packaging choices. The calculator also offers a detailed breakdown of emission sources, which helps consumers understand the impact their packaging selection will have on climate change.

“We are delighted to acknowledge Tetra Pak’s impressive work on reducing the carbon impact of its packaging with this Best in Product Footprinting Award. Not only has it delivered a significant reduction in the carbon footprint of its Tetra Brik and Tetra Prisma packaging, it has also created an important tool to support customers to make more informed purchasing choices through its online carbon calculator,” said Hugh Jones, Managing Director, Advisory, at Carbon Trust.

The scope of the certification was expanded in 2019 to include reductions in the carbon footprint of packages using plant-based polymers in the packaging material and caps, giving Tetra Pak the option to use the label ‘Reducing CO₂ Packaging’. Following its introduction of plant-based cups in 2012 and the fully renewable beverage carton in 2014, Tetra Pak has collaborated with customers and other stakeholders to achieve a low-carbon circular economy.

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