Tetra Pak sees increase in recycling rate of liquid board packaging

Food processing and packaging solutions company Tetra Pak Southern Africa says it significantly increased the recycling rate of liquid board packaging (LBP) to more than 20% by mid-2024.

LBP refers to board cartons used to package products such as fruit juice, custard and milk. The company says this growth has been driven by strategic partnerships and collaborations.

Tetra Pak says it is aiming to achieve a recycling collection rate of 28% by the end of the year, demonstrating its rapid progress towards its ambition of 40% by 2030.

Masale Manoko, Tetra Pak's sustainability manager said the growth this year highlighted the effectiveness of its key partnerships.

“Our strategy, built on strong collaborations with our customers, has been instrumental in advancing our sustainability initiatives and making a positive impact on the market,” Manoko said.

Manoko said Tetra Pak had spent the past year putting in systems and collaborating with major recyclers Mpact and Gayatri Paper Mills, which have incorporated Tetra Pak carton collection into their operations.   

“In addition to the budget of R17m for 2024, Tetra Pak has invested a further R3.5m to enhance collection systems by deploying 11 young professionals to work with buyback centres nationally as recycling champions to educate waste pickers and buy back centres about Tetra Pak’s carton recycling across South Africa,” Manoko said.   

Tetra Pak’s MD for Southern Africa Klaus Plenge said the company had led the way in recycling efforts for LBP, distinguishing itself in South Africa as the principal producer involved in this initiative.

To date, the company had invested more than R54m in the infrastructure and processes required to efficiently manage and recycle cartons.

He said Tetra Pak partnered with Petco, a prominent producer responsibility organisation, in January last year, to drive its sustainability programme. Plenge said Petco, which had previously focused on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics, was now also recycling cartons.

Tetra Pak said it launched its schools programme with 22 schools in the Eastern Cape last year which resulted in more than 270,000 LBP packages collected.

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