A new recycling line for post-consumer beverage cartons has commenced operations in Poland, following a joint investment of approximately €29 million by Tetra Pak and Stora Enso, two industry leaders in sustainable packaging solutions.
With a potential increase in annual recycling capacity from 25,000 to 75,000 tonnes, this state-of-the-art line has the capability to absorb the entire volume of beverage cartons sold in Poland, as well as additional volumes from neighboring countries like the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.
The cutting-edge facility, located in Stora Enso’s production unit in Ostrołęka, Poland, focuses solely on beverage carton material separation. Through this process, fibres are detached from polymers and aluminum. The fibres are then recycled into cardboard materials, contributing to material circularity by transforming used paper-based packaging into new paper-based packaging materials. In collaboration with Plastigram Industries, a Czech company, Tetra Pak is also working on recycling polyAl, a non-fibre component of carton packages, into new products. PolyAl refers to the layers of polyolefins and aluminum used as a barrier against oxygen and humidity to protect the food content in aseptic carton packages.
“For decades, we have been working to enhance beverage carton recycling capacity, co-investing with recyclers, technology providers, and suppliers in new equipment and facilities,” comments Lars Holmquist, EVP Sustainability & Communications at Tetra Pak. “In 2022, Tetra Pak contributed nearly €30 million to collection and recycling projects worldwide, with plans to increase this annual investment to up to €40 million in the coming years. As part of the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE), we support the industry’s ambition to achieve a 90% collection for recycling rate and a 70% recycling rate for beverage cartons in the EU by 2030. I am delighted to see that our collaboration with Stora Enso has resulted in the establishment of one of the largest recycling hubs for beverage cartons in Europe, contributing to this ambitious goal. This is a prime example of how systemic and collective actions can help maintain the quality of renewable materials like paper fibres from recycled cartons.”
Hannu Kasurinen, EVP Packaging Materials at Stora Enso, expresses his satisfaction with the close cooperation between Tetra Pak and Stora Enso, emphasizing their shared commitment to sustainable solutions. He states, “This new modern solution marks a significant addition to European recycling capacity and a concrete step forward in the circularity of consumer packaging. In addition to complementing the current scope of our production site in Poland, the recycling facility will significantly contribute toward the recycling and waste reduction goals proposed in the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.”
The commencement of this new recycling line is expected to expand beverage carton recycling throughout Central and Eastern Europe, demonstrating the beverage carton industry’s dedication to supporting the circularity objectives outlined in the proposed EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Additionally, it highlights the pivotal role of recycling in facilitating the green transition of the food packaging sector. To date, the industry has invested approximately €200 million in increasing beverage carton recycling capacity in the EU, and plans to invest an additional €120 million by 2027.
