SWITZERLAND | Tetra Pak, in collaboration with García Carrión, has unveiled the first-ever use of its paper-based barrier technology for juice packaging.
This innovation in sustainable food packaging solutions has marked a significant step towards reducing reliance on fossil-based materials, with the new packaging material now being rolled out across multiple markets.
The Tetra Brik Aseptic 200 ml Slim Leaf carton features a paper-based barrier for juice, under the flagship Don Simón brand, becoming the first juice portion pack globally to use the innovative barrier and the first such package available in Spain.
Made with up to 80 percent paper, the packaging has reinforced its sustainability credentials. The combination of the paper-based barrier with plant-based polymers used in the packaging material coatings pushes the renewable content to a remarkable 92 percent, while reducing the carbon footprint by 43 percent compared with an aseptic package that uses an aluminium foil layer and fossil-based polymers, as verified by the Carbon Trust.
“We are proud to lead the way in sustainable packaging for the juice category. For more than 135 years, García Carrión has been committed to responsible innovation and respect for the environment,” said Don José García Carrión, President of García Carrión.
For García Carrión, this packaging solution represented a new industrial application of its 360° Sustainability Strategy, recognised with the Factories of the Future Award 2024 for Excellence in Sustainability and Circular Economy.
“This innovation supports our mission to reduce environmental impact while offering high-quality products to our consumers”, added Fala Corujo, Vice President of García Carrión.
Tetra Pak’s paper-based barrier is a breakthrough in aseptic carton design. It has replaced the traditional aluminium foil layer with a renewable, paper-based barrier, promoting the shift from a fossil-based material to a low-carbon, renewable alternative and reducing the package’s carbon footprint.
Together with other layers in the packaging, the paper-based barrier protects against oxygen, light, moisture, and bacteria, ensuring food safety is not compromised, and shelf life is comparable to that of packages with an aluminium foil layer.
Aseptic cartons with a new paper-based barrier can be collected, sorted, and recycled where recycling infrastructure is in place, at scale. The new paper-based barrier is expected to deliver additional benefits downstream for recycling infrastructure efficiency.
These include maximising the recovery of paper content from the recycling process of carton packages, while ensuring high-quality fibre and non-fibre fractions.
Tetra Pak’s paper-based barrier technology is part of its broader ambition to create the world’s most sustainable food package, one that is paper-based, made solely from responsibly sourced renewable or recycled materials, has the lowest possible carbon footprint and is fully recyclable.
Tetra Pak’s aseptic beverage carton with a paper-based barrier was launched in Portugal in 2023 in collaboration with a dairy company. It was recognised as a groundbreaking innovation in sustainable packaging, receiving the "Resource Efficiency" award at the Sustainable Packaging News Awards 2024.
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