Tetra Pak and Nestle develop renewable carton cap
Tetra Pak, one of the world’s largest carton producers, has partnered with food manufacturer Nestlé to produce a new carton cap which is made from completely sustainable materials.
The caps will be introduced by Nestlé Brazil on two of its premium milk brands, Ninho and Molico UHT, and are made from a new type of polyethylene (PE) which is made from compounds derived from sugar cane. This helps to reduce Nestlé’s carbon footprint, as sugar cane can easily be sustainably farmed, and it also absorbs harmful CO2 gases from the atmosphere.
This form of Green PE, as it is known, was developed by Brazil’s largest petrochemical company Braskem, and it is hoped that the involvement of large companies such as Tetra Pak and Nestlé will provide the investment needed to popularise the material as a viable, cost-effective alternative to traditional plastics.
A spokesperson for Tetra Pak explained: “We hope that with this move we will encourage increased investment in Green PE, and therefore more available supply.
“With the increasing demand for oil, limitations in supply and upcoming climate change related regulations, different companies are looking with interest at the potential use of green plastics in our packaging.”
