Tetra Pak and Veolia partner up for major recycling campaign

Tetra Pak and Veolia will make recycling and collection a more viable line of business

Within the scope of the new partnership, the extracted PolyAl will be processed at dedicated facilities and converted into raw materials for application within the plastics industry. This way, the overall value of used beverage cartons is expected to double, making the value chain for collection and recycling more efficient and viable.

The Tetra Pak and Veolia partnership will start in the EU and expand to more markets around the world.

Lisa Ryden, recycling director at Tetra Pak, said, “All materials from beverage cartons can be fully recycled into something new and useful. Our approach to recycling involves working with many partners along the value chain, because a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The challenge in the EU is to achieve the economies of scale and turn PolyAl into high value secondary materials.”

“With this partnership, we are combining our respective areas of expertise to find sustainable solutions for PolyAl recycling,” said Lisa Ryden.

Tetra Pak and Veolia will first roll out the initiative in Europe then expand it to Asia

Laurent Auguste, senior executive vice president of development, innovation, and markets at Veolia said, “This partnership joins together our resource management and Tetra Pak’s packaging material expertise. We will develop an environmentally and economically sustainable solution to recycling PolyAl, first in the EU and then in Asia to improve collection, technology, and processes. We are proud to embark on this journey with Tetra Pak to sustain and grow beverage carton recycling. At Veolia we work every day to make waste a valuable resource, and are constantly developing innovative solutions and investing in technologies as part of our wider commitment to living circular.”

In Vietnam, Tetra Pak is working with local partners to set up a collection system to supply used cartons to recyclers. The company is also looking for cooperation opportunities with other local recyclers.

In addition, the company is piloting a used carton collection model at selected schools and public places in Ho Chi Minh City in support of the city's waste management efforts.

Tetra Pak is the world's leading food processing and packaging solutions company. Working closely with customers and suppliers, the company provides safe, innovative, and environmentally sound products that each day meet the needs of hundreds of millions of people in more than 160 countries. With over 24,000 employees around the world, Tetra Pak believes in responsible industry leadership and a sustainable approach to business.