Winter 2008

Winter 2008

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INTRODUCTION

Welcome to our Winter 2008 issue. It arrives during a period of achallenging business outlook, when it is time to take stock of ourcommercial and environmental achievements over the last year,and to plan ahead for 2009 and beyond.

It is now, during testing times, that the benefits of a long terminvestment in sustainable practices and packaging proveespecially beneficial to our business.

We havemanaged to extend carton recycling across 85% of thecountry, and we’ve seen a hugely encouraging uptake and responsefrom consumers, customers and retailers. That’s also why we,and everyone we have spoken to, won’t be letting up on ‘green’initiatives just because the news agenda has shifted to the economy.

Over the coming year we’re hoping to see a UK recycling millre-open. This will allow many cartons to be produced, used andrecycled, all without leaving to (e.g.) Sweden and we will continueencouraging ever-more Local Authorities to introduce kerbsiderecycling measures.

We know the appetite for environmentally friendly and convenientcartons from consumers is there, now we just need to capitalise onthat goodwill through our partners. We do so by providing moreinnovation, more exciting launches and more collaboration with

our customers and retailers. Particular highlights recently havebeen the success of FSC-certified Tetra Recart (TRC) choppedtomatoes in Sainsbury’s, with the subsequent launch of the widelyrecognised Napolina brand in TRC as well; the launch of BottleGreen’s third Tetra Pak-packaged wine, the Via Vecchio PinotGrigio; the wide scale launch of Tesco value wine in cartons andthe really exciting Simply Hibi juice drink with Waitrose – a UK firstfor the Hibiscus plant!

It’s with this sense of momentum and confidence in the sustainableand long-term benefits of carton based packaging that I really lookforward to 2009 and beyond.

We are in a good position – we are stronger than ever!

Peter KnutssonManaging DirectorTetra Pak UK and Ireland

TESTING TIMES – STRONGER THAN EVER

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01

NEWS

Contents

News 01/02

Processing 03

A Green Crunch 04/05

Sustainability 06/07

Carbon and LCA 08/09

Recycling year ahead 10

So far this year Aquapax has won thecoveted ‘Best Bottled Water of 2008’in the Arab Beverage AssociationQATRAH Awards, representing thelargest per capita bottled watermarket in the world. They alsoreceived a Special Jury Award inthe 2008 Beverage World GlobalPackaging Awards.

Aquapax are currently availablethrough independent-minded wholefood/health food stores across theUK and Ireland, along with a fairlywide London distribution includingselected Waitrose stores, PlanetOrganic and Whole Foods Market.

THINKING CLEARLY

Their founder Neil Tomlinson is acommitted ecologist who after“growing up on a beach, got fedup with the plastic bottled wastewashing up in greater volumes withenvironmental damage and wasteappearing with every tide”. Hebelieves he’s following his calling intaking on the estimated £1 billion perannum UK bottled water market asthe only player with an ecologicallysensible paper-based packaged wateroffer, with all the environmentalstrengths this entails.

Their brand, Aquapax, is a premiumquality pure natural mineral water (sopure it’s suitable for babies) packagedwithin a funky carton design that reallystands out as the only carton in acrowded bottled water marketplaceof ‘me-too plastic bottled water’.

Tetra Pak cartons are forgingin to new categories everywhere,and one of the most innovativeexamples is Just DrinkingWater Ltd, in the water market.As an independent beveragebusiness, they’re bold; taking onthe bottled water market withmineral water packed in a TetraPrisma Aseptic 500ml carton.

HORSINGAROUNDWhen thoroughbred foal Ollie’smother died just hours aftergiving birth, it was a race againsttime to save him too. BreedersLesley and Bernard Allen gaveOllie a special formula milk butit didn’t agree with him and hedeteriorated quickly. However,7 weeks on, Ollie was thriving.The answer? 15 litres of goats’milk a day!

According to his breeder, Ollie getsexcited just at the sight of the DelamereDairy’s blue one litre Tetra Rex, anddrinks straight from the carton.

Delamere Dairy has developedproducts especially for dogs, puppiesand kittens under its Top Life Formulabrand. And now it seems that RogerSutton, Joint Managing Director atDelamere Dairy, the UK’s leadingsupplier of goats’ milk products, isthinking about branching out; “Goats’milk is a very digestible, nutritious foodfor animals and humans alike. PerhapsTop Life Formula for horses should bethe next new product on our agenda!”

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02

NEWS

Simply Hibi, the UK’s first everhibiscus based juice drink,proved its green credentialsthis year by securing anintroductory deal with Waitrosein 1 litre Tetra Pak cartons.

As a blend of 85% hibiscus infused water and 15% fruitextract, Simply Hibi is 100% natural and has no added sugar,artificial colourings or preservatives. Having invested inpioneering farming projects in Uganda where the hibiscusflowers are harvested to ensure that its production processis ethical and sustainable, Ibis Organics wanted to makesure that Hibi’s packaging reflected this – choosing Tetra Pakcartons because they are recyclable and light-weight.

Will Irving, owner of Ibis Organics, said ”We are reallyexcited about launching the one litre offering in Tetra Pak,particularly because cartons showcase Ibis’s commitmentto making our product as sustainable as possible. Hibi’snew placement in the ambient aisle of Waitrose will makethe drink more accessible and has enabled us to drop theprice point making it more affordable for our customers.”

HIBISCUS TURNS GREEN

Delamere Dairy are doingtheir bit for the kids again thisChristmas. For the secondyear running they’ll belending their support to thecharity Kids for Kids, whichruns sustainability projects invillages in Darfur, Sudan.

Last Christmas Delamere donatedgoats to villages in Darfur as part ofthe Kids for Kids’ sustainable farming

A TIME FOR GIVINGStylish. Sleek. Attractive.

Yes it’s an Italian, but probably not theone you’re thinking of. Leeds-basedBottle Green drinks recently launchedthe third in their series of Tetra Pakpackaged wines, with the arrival ofthe Via Vecchio Pinot Grigio.

It is already being listed in Morrisons,and the one litre Tetra Prisma Asepticcarton was an easy choice for thecompany, who are committed toexploring alternative wine packagingformats – a strategy already provingsuccessful. The packs make the mostof the huge brandable surface withimages of classic piazza scenes andthe www.tetrapakrecycling.co.ukaddress featured on the side of thepack to ensure consumers can findwhere they can recycle in their area.

Louise Hartley, PR Officer for BottleGreen, commented, “The Via VecchioTetra Pak carton provides consumerswith a really credible alternative toglass bottles. There are many benefitsto the new pack and it is perfectfor those consumers who want tomake a positive contribution to theenvironment without compromisingon taste or quality.”

THE ITALIAN JOBproject, and this year they have beengoing one better. Special packs oftheir whole and semi-skimmed goats

milk have been hitting the shelvesnationwide bearing the logo ofDelamere’s resident goat,‘Jack in a blanket’. Until the endof December, Delamere have

pledged to donate 1p fromevery carton sold to the Christmas

Blanket Appeal. This will help Kidsfor Kids reach their target of buying2 blankets for every family in all52 sponsored villages.

Bonfire Night went off witha bang for Robert WisemanDairies who launched a limitededition range of Guy Fawkesthemed cartons this autumn.

The cartons were designed as part ofthe 'Milk It' competition launched byRobert Wiseman Dairies, Tetra Pakand the Manufacturing Institute togive children in the North West ofEngland the chance to design arange of milk packaging.

For their prize, the four lucky winnersgot to come down to Tetra Pak’sfactory in Wrexham to see theirdesigns printed onto actual TetraTop cartons. Their cartons then hitthe shelves nationwide on the 20thOctober in Robert Wiseman Dairies500ml and 1 litre variants of wholeand semi-skimmed milk.

DESIGN WITH ASPARKLE AND BANG


03

PROCESSING

New research by Tetra PakProcessing has found UK dairiesmay actually be leading theircontinental counterparts whenit comes to sustainability.

The company looked at the carbonfootprint, water consumption to milkproduction ratio, CO2 emissions,energy requirements and electricityusage of the major dairy companiesin northern Europe. The oxygendemand of waste from the plantswas also recorded where available.

Wide variations were found in severalkey performance indicators, as wellas in the way companies report theirperformance data.

Technical Sales and Service DirectorAndrew Hyde compiled the dataand said:

“The market leaders have set uptargets and show strong environmentalcommitments. Other companies have

the potential to make significantenergy and water savings as wellas to reduce CO2 emissions.

“Tetra Pak Processing is working withdairies and other processed foodsuppliers to improve sustainabilitywherever possible. Our new TetraLactenso Aseptic solutions canachieve 40% lower product lossescompared with current industrystandards, use up to 75% less waterand cut chemical use by up to 20%.Our third generation Tetra ThermAseptic Drink needs 20% less energyand reduces product losses by upto 40%.”

But it doesn’t stop there; Tetra PakProcessing is in the process ofreviewing its product offering toassess the potential for its customersto improve their environmentalfootprint. So perhaps we’ll behearing less about ‘the white stuff’,and more about ‘the green stuff’over coming years…

UK DAIRY – THE GREEN STUFF?

As The Milk Roadmap,launched in May this year,reaches it first review stage,Tetra Pak Processing ishighlighting new ways inwhich technology can helpmeet the Roadmap’s targets.

The Milk Roadmap is the work ofthe Dairy Supply Chain Forum’sSustainable Consumption andProduction Taskforce. A wide-rangingdocument, it sets environmentaltargets for all sectors of the industry.Most major dairies already haveto comply with tough regulationincluding the Environment PermittingRegulations which require use of theBest Available Techniques (BAT).

In addition, the Roadmap sets outmedium term targets (to be achievedby 2015) which include a 20%reduction in Chemical OxygenDemand (COD) for dischargedeffluent. Biological Oxygen demand(BOD) will also be benchmarked.COD and BOD indicate the pollutingpower of effluent and one of thereasons why dairy effluent has such ahigh COD is that it contains residuesof milk in water from the wash cycles.Finding an effective method of takingthe milk back out of the water reduces

the strength of the effluent andmeans the milk can be used forfurther manufacture, as Keith Goodby,Category Manager, Dairy explains:

“White water processing, as it isusually known, is the treatment ofwater and milk interfaces to increasethe level of milk solids and reduce theCOD of the site effluent. Any in-linecleaning process (CIP) generates avolume of water mixed with milk.Traditionally nothing could be donewith this as the level of water wastoo high to allow it to be collectedfor re-processing. It therefore wentdown the drain, increasing the CODdemand of the effluent.

“However, new technology providesan effective means of treating thewater through the process of reverseosmosis (RO). Although the basicprocess is not new, our latest systemsmake it a viable part of any dairyand the recovered milk can have asimilar composition to the originalnatural product.”

Reverse osmosis works by creating apressure difference either side of asemi-permeable membrane. Inpractice the water element of thewhite water is forced throughmembranes, which have a very smallpore size using high pressure pumps.The smaller water molecules passthrough the membrane, effectivelyincreasing the level of milk solidsretained on the other side of themembrane. By using a recirculationprocess the concentration of thesolids can be progressively increased.The milk can then be sold forsecondary manufacture, such asdrying, and the dairy can obtain anincome from what was previously awaste product with a high chemicaloxygen demand (COD).

“With all these benefits it is notsurprising that we are seeing anincrease in the interest being shownby dairies in this technology. Not onlywill it help them achieve new effluentdisposal targets, they can actuallyget a return on their investment,”Keith adds.

Water; being whiter than white


04

A GREEN CRUNCH

At Tetra Pak, we understand the long-term importance of sustainability toour business and the wider economy.Indeed, those companies whichare quick to drop sustainability asa priority are failing to see beyondthe here and now.

We take our producer responsibilitiesvery seriously and are committed toproducing cartons that are viewedas the environmental and innovativepackaging of choice by consumers.

At Tetra Pak, we believe that coreenvironmental advances cannot besimply ‘put aside’ to be dealt withonce the economy begins to stabilise.But don’t just take our word for it.We have approached a range ofretailers and environmental specialiststo get their views on the debate,offering a fascinating insight intothe impact of the credit crunchon sustainability as a retail andconsumer priority.

Ian WilliamsonRetail ManagerTetra Pak UK

HAS THE CREDIT CRUNCH KILLED SUSTAINABILITYAS A RETAIL AND CONSUMER PRIORITY?After months of speculation,there is no longer any doubtthat we are facing a period ofrecession in the UK. And as theeconomic climate continuesto cool, there’s much debateabout how companies will actto bolster their bottom line.This has led some commentatorsto ask whether sustainability asa consumer and retail prioritywill be killed off in the face of achallenging economic outlook.

Sainsbury's were the firstsupermarket to publish anenvironment report, back in1984. The company has hadvalues at the core since theirinception, over 140 years ago.

When it comes to sustainabilitySainsbury’s will not change itsemphasis despite the economicdownturn. In fact ‘less and smarter’will ultimately have a positive effecton the bottom line. When it comes toshoppers and their priorities towardslower prices and better value therehas been no downturn in the level ofconsumer interaction relative toenvironmental concerns.

Stuart LendrumPrint and Packaging ManagerSainsbury’s

Now that tougher times arehere, much marketing in theretail sector is undoubtedlyfocused on shifting productsoff the shelves to combat fallingsales, and equally, consumersfeeling the pinch will be lessinclined to pay a premium forgreener goods.

However, pre-credit crunch there wasa lot of progress in the retail sectorin response to growing interest ingreener products among consumersandmany retailers includingM&S,B&Q and Ikea do not want to losemomentum on the sustainability plansthey put in place.

Leaders such as these will continuewith sustainability commitments asa priority for a number of reasons.Firstly, they have investedmuch insuch commitments and the paybackis starting to come through with costsavings through energy efficiencymeasures and various reputationalgains with consumers as well as otherstakeholders including the NGOs.

Secondly, it takes a long time to buildsustainability into the brand andcommunications, and businesseswill want to be well positioned in theeyes of consumers well before theeconomic upturn. Thirdly, leadingcompanies get it. That is to say, theyunderstand the need to be on thefront foot in protecting the social andnatural capital on which the supply ofgoods and services depends.

WWF works with the private sectorto drive greener business modelsand to accelerate moves towardsa low carbon economy. JoinWWF’sglobal campaign Earth Hourto combat climate changewww.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/tackling_climate_change/sign_your_business_up_to_earth_hour

Dax LovegroveHead of Business & Industry RelationsWWF-UK


05

SUSTAINABILITY

Smart retailers understandthat sustainability makesgood business sense, evenin a recession.

Our experience at Forum for theFuture is that companies which areserious about sustainability understandthat it is core to their business success– both in the short-term (through eco-efficiency savings) and in the long-term(by developing products and serviceswhich will prosper in a resource-constrained world).

The economic downturn has broughta shift of focus, with most leadingretailers getting on with delivery ofsustainability programmes, ratherthan making bold aspirationalstatements. Only a few retailers havedropped sustainability as a priority,taking the shortsighted view that it isa costly add-on to be cut when timesget tough.

It is now more important than everfor retailers to take opportunities todifferentiate, to make cost savings,to build consumer trust and to helpconsumers make more sustainablepurchasing decisions.

HAS THE CREDIT CRUNCH KILLED SUSTAINABILITYAS A RETAIL AND CONSUMER PRIORITY?

For credit crunch-hit consumers,price is the dominant purchasingdriver. But a recent Ipsos MORI surveyshows that many consumers willcontinue to buy green (and ethical)if the price is right. The evidence isthat consumers respond favourablywhen retailers make more sustainableoptions easy, available and affordable.When Tesco ran a promotion sellingfive low-energy light bulbs for just40p in October, it sold 3.5 millionbulbs – more than in the whole ofthe previous six months.

Climate change won’t go away justbecause there’s a recession. Forconsumers, now is an opportunityto buy ‘better’, not to abandontheir beliefs. For retailers, now isan opportunity to get smart withproducts or services that combinesaving money and saving the planet.

Dan CrossleySenior Sustainability AdvisorForum for the Future

This is a good question and onewhich is being asked more andmore as the country and indeedmuch of the world heads deeperinto recession. The answer mustdepend on your approach tosustainability in the first place.

If a company’s sustainability strategyis to pay for emissions, such asusing carbon off-setting, rather thantackling them then indeed thereis a good case that this statementis correct.

However, if your mantra is to ‘MakeSustainability Affordable for All’ as isthe case for Asda Wal*Mart then theanswer is a resounding “no”. In factto us the credit crunch spurs us on toembed sustainable thinking furtherinto our business. Saving energy,packaging and fuel, are just some ofour current measures to tackle ourdirect carbon footprint and so reduceour environmental impact. This alsoenables us to operate more efficiently,at lower cost and so be able to passthose savings back to our customersin the form of lower prices.

Wal*Mart announcements made inChina last month demonstrate thatwe have a strong appetite to also helpour suppliers to drive sustainabilitythrough their businesses. The thinkingagain is simple, to share learningsso that the whole manufacturingsector becomes more efficient,complies with relevant localenvironmental regulations andreduces its substantial environmentalimpact at the same time.

If your mission is to ‘MakeSustainability Affordable for All’ thenthe current economic woes must bean opportunity to grasp the nettle andhelp customers to do the right thingeven during these times. Customersexpect us to operate in a sustainableway as well as to deliver on ourpromise of ‘Every Day Low Prices’.We have plans in place to do just that.

Julian Walker-PalinHead of SustainabilityAsda Wal*Mart


06

SUSTAINABILITY

06

That was the thinking which led usto produce our first sustainabilityreport back in 2004. Since then wehave continued to report annually onour progress. Those measurementshave allowed us to see what haschanged, where we can go further,and most importantly, what has ledto real improvements.

It’s been a great success too.The headline measures are all veryencouraging. Carbon is down by30% since 2001. Water use is downby almost 14% since 2001. Cartonrecycling has been transformed, with85% of the UK now able to accessfacilities from a limited coverageof only 21% in early 2007.

Before we get too self-congratulatory,however, let’s take a look at whathappened in the last 18 months.

The single most significant stepforward as a company involved theculmination of several years of hardwork to expand carton recyclingaccess in the UK. We have long beenconscious of the discrepancy betweenUK carton recycling access and rateson the continent and have trieddifferent approaches to increaseaccess. A fragmented recyclinginfrastructure and higher priorities onLocal Authority agendas have meanthowever, that we had to develop androll out a simple, cost neutral solutionfor Local Authorities across the UK.In turn this has raised consumerawareness of the carton’s recyclability,triggering more Local Authorities tomake a shift to kerbside collections.

This has now seen us reach 85% ofthe UK with either bring bank orkerbside recycling. This overwhelmingchange on eighteen months earlieris testament to the hard work put inalongside industry partners in ACEUK. The response from consumershas been extremely encouraging,and you can read more about ourplans to capitalise on this in 2009in Fay Dashper’s ‘Agents of Change’article on the back page.

That wasn’t our only sustainabilitymilestone. Bolstering our commitmentto the use of renewable materials,we launched the world’s first ForestStewardship-Certified (FSC) carton forliquid and canned food. This was aTetra Recart package for Sainsbury’spremium chopped tomatoes, securingsignificant media attention.

Jamie Oliver was involved in theTV adverts and the package hasbeen flying off the shelves ever since.Its strong environmental credentialsare being widely recognised, withnew launches including the wellknown Napolina brand and furtherinterest spreading.

We are looking to increase thevolume of FSC certified cartonsput on to the UK and Irish markets,building on our strong heritage inresponsible forestry.

So consumers are seeing greatprogress. But consumers (and ourbusiness partners) are increasinglyconscious of the whole lifecycleimpact (LCA) of their packages. Youcan find out more about LCAs andcarbon footprints on pages four andfive. We have seen carbon emissionsdrop 30% since 2001. One key reasonfor this includes a continuedreduction of our energy use over theyears. Between 2006 and 2007 alone,

Sustainability and achieving measurable resultsSustainability is a wordcommonly used today,but a word that requiresprogress and a long-termview in order to bejustified. To ensure suchprogress, it needs tobe measured andconstantly reviewed.


07

SUSTAINABILITY

07

we have managed to reduce ourenergy figures by 12%.

A big factor for this has been thefactory-wide installation of energy-efficient lighting.

One issue of rising concern amongstleading thinkers on sustainability iswater use. With that in mind, we wereencouraged to see an absolute cutof 2,619 cubic metres in our waterconsumption since 2001, with 830cubic metres being saved between2006 and 2007. Likewise our use ofpolyethylene fell. Per 1,000 standardpacks produced, we managed toachieve cuts of almost 11% against2006 levels.

We’re conscious our responsibilitiesas a good corporate partner don’tend there however. As well asour obligations to minimise ourenvironmental impact, we understandour obligations as a responsibleemployer. Through activities suchas the company wide roll-out ofemployee leadership and facilitationskills training, we have continuedto invest in our employees’ careerdevelopment. Through the recentintroduction of new benefits such aschild care vouchers, we support ouremployees’ personal needs andthrough our continued investmentinto the company pension scheme,

we commit to the future stabilityof the scheme and the valuedemployees that it supports.

Through all of this, we have measuredour progress and have seen theresults of our work. Many of ourkey initiatives have come to fruition,and our colleagues, partners andcustomers have all seen the benefit.That does not mean we will stopthere. This lays a foundation tocontinue our progress, and I lookforward to updating you next yearwith news of further improvements.

Richard HandsEnvironment Manager,Tetra Pak UK


LCA

Carbon is, of course, now thedominant environmental issue and willremain so for the foreseeable future.Recently we have seen initiatives suchas carbon labelling of consumerproducts, the standardisation ofcarbon footprint measurementthrough the PAS 2050 initiative fromthe British Standards Institute, and the“Love Food Hate Waste” campaignfrom WRAP, designed to reducegreenhouse gas emissions fromwasted food. There are also legislativedevelopments, with the UK nowcommitted to an 80% reduction inemissions by 2050. Rest assured,

therefore, that both legislative andpolicy developments, and voluntaryinitiatives by industry will continue tosharpen the focus on carbon.

That said, carbon is not the onlyimpact that needs to be measuredand managed, and we can addressthis through a process called life cycleanalysis, or LCA. In layman’s terms,LCA refers to the calculation of arange of environmental impacts of aproduct at every stage in its life, fromcradle to grave. In the case of cartons,we can take a cradle to cradle view, asmore and more cartons are recycledinto new products.

LCA entails a holistic approach thattakes into account all the processesthat go in to making a product, fromthe extraction and processing of rawmaterials and product manufacture,right through to distribution,consumption and end-of-lifetreatment. It is often discussed in the

context of packaging, but it can beapplied to any product. AT&T andVolvo, for example, are two leadingcompanies that have placed LCA atthe heart of their environmentalstrategies. For obvious reasons LCAstend to focus on carbon, but otherimpacts addressed can range fromnon-renewable resource use andphoto-chemical smog formation,to acidification and the nutrient-enrichment of watercourses.

This immediately raises questionsabout how you compare and weighdifferent impacts against each other,because it’s like comparing applesand oranges. Of course, it dependson how big a particular problem is atthe current time. Thirty years ago themain issue might have been acid rainand this therefore became a heavily-legislated area. Today it is mostdefinitely carbon and climate change.

Packaging companies and consumerbrands are very much in the publiceye with respect to carbon, and theymust continue to invest in theirenvironmental credentials if they areto do well in the long-term. And withconcern about greenwash, now is nota time to settle for ‘average’.

Rather companies have a clearincentive to ‘outperform’. Many still

Cartons and the low-carbon economyConsumer expectationson environmentalperformance are here tostay, so during toughtimes such as theseretailers and brandowners need to find waysto offer value withoutcompromising on theirgreen credentials.

perceive environment as an expensiveinvestment – a daunting prospectamidst credit crunch headlines.But pounds spent measuring andreducing impacts can be the gatewayto improved business results. In reality‘green’ still holds real benefits formanufacturers and retailers alike.Carbon footprint labels, now on agrowing range of Tesco productsfor example, might not yet directlyinfluence purchasing habits, butconsumer and stakeholder awarenessis growing.

Tetra Pak is totally committed tosupplying low-carbon packagingsystems and to minimising its ownoperational footprint. Why? To playour part in helping customers andretailers achieve their environmentalobjectives. Our Global Climate Goalcommits us to a 10% cut in carbonemissions in real terms from 2005to 2010. When growth in productionis factored in, this representssomething like a 30% cut. Ambitious,but achievable through a focus onefficiency and a major renewableenergy programme. And we are ontrack. Five of our plants now only userenewable energy and five more willdo so by 2010. We are decouplinggrowth in production from growthin emissions, and this goes to show

08


LCA

that green success and commercialsuccess can go hand-in-hand.

We also continue to increase post-consumer recycling which, LCAdemonstrates, has a significantand measurable carbon benefit.We’ve worked very hard over thelast 18 months to encourage asmany consumers as possible torecycle their cartons rather thanthrow them away. Through ourindustry partnership with ACE UK(the Alliance for Beverage Cartonsand the Environment), we haveenabled 85% of UK Local Authoritiesto provide carton collection. Currentlythis is mostly via a bring-bank system,but we’re now working with LocalAuthorities to find ways to switchto kerbside collection whereverpossible. We also expect to see anew focus emerge on out-of-homeconsumption. Anticipating this,Tetra Pak and ACE UK recentlylaunched a Business & SchoolsCarton Recycling Scheme in the UK,providing a web-based tool to enablebusinesses and schools to recycletheir cartons for the first time.

But the fundamental attribute ofthe carton in terms of carbon benefitlies at the beginning of its life cycle,with wood used to manufacturepaperboard – the package’s main

material. Although paperboardtypically accounts for 75% of theweight of a one-litre aseptic carton,it only accounts for about 25% ofthe raw material footprint. Usinga renewable material is good forthe climate!

We also make sure we address thenon-renewable elements of thecarton, and innovation and R&Dhave a key role to play here. A goodexample is Tetra Wide. By makinga change to the polymer used forthe carton’s inner liner, we made itstronger, allowing us to make thelining thinner. It now needs up to30% less polymer than before,with a carbon saving as one ofthe outcomes.

We now publish a wealth ofinformation on the carbon and lifecycle performance of our packages onwww.tetrapak.com/climate. You willalso find our online carbon calculator,which allows anyone to configure apackage in terms of format, shape,size and closure, and calculate itscarbon footprint from raw materials tothe point at which it leaves our factory.

Looking ahead, one thing is certain;carbon and life cycle performance areset to be the major considerations inassessing a product’s environmental

credentials. We understand that theclimate imperative means that ourcustomers and stakeholders willdemand carbon-efficiency alongsidefunctionality and cost-effectiveness.We will continue to put this at theheart of our thinking on how to ensurethat a Tetra Pak carton “protectswhat’s good”.

Richard HandsEnvironment Manager, Tetra Pak UK

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10

RECYCLING YEAR AHEAD

Tetra Pak (UK) LtdBedwell RoadCross LanesWrexham LL13 0UT, UKTelephone +44 (0) 870 442 6000Fax +44 (0) 870 442 6001Email: [email protected]

Tetra Pak (Ireland) Ltd5th FloorTuansgateBelgard Square EastTallaghtDublin 24, IrelandTelephone + 353 (0) 1 4678000

www.tetrapaksustainability.comwww.tetrapakrecycling.co.uk/tp_news.aspwww.tetrapakprocessinguk.co.uk

Tetra Pak, Tetra Brik, Tetra Classic,Tetra Prisma, Tetra Recart, Tetra Rex,Tetra Top and Tetra Wedge areTrademarks belonging to theTetra Pak Group.

Printed by the Beacon Press using theirpureprint environment print technology.No film processing chemicals were usedand 90% of the cleaning solvent is recycled. Theprinting inks are made using vegetable basedoils. Beacon Press is a CarbonNeutral company.

DID YOU KNOW?You can read and downloadTetra Pak News atwww.tetrapakrecycling.co.uk/tp_news.aspWhen we print, we useNorgraph recycled papercontaining a minimum of 80%recycled beverage cartons

Here in the Tetra Pakrecycling team we wouldhardly lay claim to beingas visionary as AndyWarhol, but we’d liketo think 2008 saw us doour bit to change theway the UK looked atthings. Maybe youspotted the cartonrecycling bring banksin your area? Or maybeyou noticed that neatlyfolded pile of cartonsin the corner of yourfriend’s kitchen, readyfor kerbside collection?

Like last year, 2008 was a big yearfor us. We drove through our bringbank recycling scheme, bringing it to85% of the UK & Guernsey, meaningcartons became easily recyclablewherever you live. We made a lotof new friends as a result, amongstLocal Authorities, consumers, andstakeholders alike. Take a look at thewealth of positive blog comments wereceived in the last year for proof.

But it’s not enough. Because we firmlybelieve that consumers should beable to recycle their Tetra Pak cartonsin the locations which really matterin their lives, and know their package– made from wood, a sustainableresource anyway – is being recycledinto the everyday items they seearound them.

So, we’ve got itchy feet and bigambitions. How are we going todeliver these big aims? The keyis to embed behaviour change.That’s the behaviour changewhich has already taken hold, withconsumers and Local Authorities.

Agents of changeConsumers now understand cartonsare recyclable and have takenrecycling to their heart. LocalAuthorities have changed theirperceptions of cartons, and throughour work together have realised theever-increasing appetite for cartons toplay a key role in their recycling plans.

How do we embed this behaviourchange in practice? First and foremostis to make sure cartons can be widelyrecycled in kerbside collections.This shift would embed the changewith consumers and Local Authoritiesalike, as it makes us a key, no hassleitem for Local Authorities, and putsus at the centre of the convenientdaily recycling routine for millionsof consumers.

Second is to have a UK processingsolution fully operational. We’vebeen running trials with mills inrecent months, and are confidentwe will soon be able to completethe recycling process within theUK, which will again help embedthe behaviour change which hasbegun, giving consumers an easilyunderstandable recycling narrative,and Local Authorities the confidenceof a UK answer to a UK challenge.

Third is to take that principle of“recycling cartons in the locationswhich really matter in their lives” astep further, and totally embed itin every walk of life. That’s why ourBusiness and Schools recyclingservice is being rolled out further,following our initial launch in October2008. We spend the majority of ourtime either at home or in the office(or school for the kids), and extendingcarton recycling to those places willwrap the service around the way weactually live our lives; embeddingthe behaviour change.

So, to return to Mr Warhol’s openingquote; a year has seen a lot of changein the UK’s carton recycling habits,but we’ve had to put the effort intogetting us there, and know that 2009will require just as much dedicationagain. It’s only then we will makecarton change a permanentrecycling reality.

Fay Dashper,Tetra Pak UK Recycling Manager

“They always say time changesthings, but you actually haveto change them yourself.”

Andy Warhol


Winter 2008

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Transcript of Winter 2008