Tetra Pak has published its annual Sustainability Report, highlighting the company’s achievements and progress in the last year and detailing actions taken to help realize resilient and sustainable food systems.
Read: August 2022 Issue of Food InfoTech Magazine.
The sustainability challenges underscore the need for a radical new approach to the way we feed the world while minimizing the impact on the planet. From how we source, produce and process our food, to its transportation, the materials we use to package it, and the critical role of collaborations in making it happen.
Tetra Pak’s 23rd Sustainability Report highlights the company’s achievements and ongoing initiatives – to protect food, people and the planet. These include:
- Reduced operational GHG emissions by 36%, with 80% of energy coming from renewable sources, doubling the solar energy capacity to 5.55MW.
- Launched a pioneering land restoration initiative in Brazil, in collaboration with local NGO Apremavi in early 2022. The aim is to restore up to 7,000 hectares of land by 2030 for biodiversity recovery, carbon capture and climate change mitigation.
- Sold 17.6 billion plant-based packages and 10.8 billion plant-based caps in the past year, enabling the saving of 96 kilo tonnes of CO2, compared to fossil-based plastic.
- Committed to halve food waste, water consumption and carbon footprint of its best practice processing lines by 2030.
“At Tetra Pak, we’re committed to minimizing our impact and our U.S. and Canadian market continues to decrease the impact of our own operations while supporting our customers’ sustainability ambitions,” said Seth Teply, President and CEO, Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada. “It is our unified focus on protecting food, people and the planet that drives each of us, and makes Tetra Pak an industry leader for high-quality, innovative and sustainable packaging, processing and services solutions for the food and beverage industry.”
This year’s U.S. and Canada supplement to the global report highlights several of the market’s accomplishments. These include:
- Participated in a pilot study that demonstrated how shelf-stable milk in schools could reduce miles driven for distribution and minimize food waste.
- Educated consumers and the industry on aseptic technology.
- Expanded our sustainable packaging portfolio to include cartons made with plant-based coatings produced in the United States.
- Advanced carton recycling via the Carton Council of North America, including the launch of the first Community Education Awards to improve resident communications on recycling.
- Grew programs that further support our people, including total wellbeing and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Looking forward, Tetra Pak has bold aspirations to lead the sustainability transformation. In November of 2020, the company announced its ambition to create the world’s most sustainable food package, a goal the company contends cannot be reached without innovative collaboration, considerations towards a low-carbon circular economy, and a broad view of the entire supply chain.