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Tetra Pak Introduces Carton Packaging for Canned Foods

Tetra Pak Introduces Carton Packaging for Canned Foods ps family, ready meals, tetra recart Food and Beverage Business

Canned food has long occupied a significant position in the public consciousness. With a can, you gain assurance of simplicity, durability, and an impressive, often infinite, shelf life for the contents within.

But do cartons elicit the same reliable association? If Andy Warhol had featured a carton in his renowned pop-art visuals, would they still capture our attention today?

Tetra Pak advocates for cartons as the future of traditionally canned foods, including baked beans, chickpeas, and chopped tomatoes. The Tetra Recart line, established two decades ago, has witnessed rising demand as more manufacturers opt for cartons over traditional cans. But what accounts for this shift?

Tetra Pak asserts, “If it can go in a can, it can pretty much go into a carton too,” pointing to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5% for its Recart solution projected between 2016 and 2024, with an anticipated 8% increase from 2023 to 2024.

Are cans more sustainable than cartons?

However, cans cannot be classified as the least sustainable packaging option. Unlike many single-use plastic alternatives, they are easily recyclable. So, why consider a change to something perceived as effective?

Tetra Pak argues that cartons hold an advantage over cans regarding sustainability.

According to Laura Latišonoka, Tetra Recart marketing and product management director, cartons are more efficient for transportation since they can be collapsed and stacked. This allows for the sustainable transport of a greater number of cartons compared to cans

On a value chain analysis, Tetra Recart cartons outperform cans in energy consumption and the ratio of renewable energy utilized in their production, according to Latišonoka. Notably, lifecycle assessments (LCAs) reveal that these cartons are associated with 85% fewer carbon emissions than their metal can counterparts.

Do cartons retain the benefits of cans?

When examining shelf life, Tetra Recart offers the same longevity as cans, asserts Latišonoka. Utilizing identical heat treatment methods to those employed for cans, this alternative packaging achieves equivalent shelf life when containing the same product and ingredients.

While cartons are not infinitely recyclable like aluminum cans, they still maintain recyclability. LatiÅ¡onoka mentions that the paperboard used in their manufacture exhibits “very strong repulpability” and can undergo recycling up to seven times.

Additionally, cartons possess distinct advantages over cans. As geopolitical factors inflate the costs of materials such as tin and glass used in can production, cartons can present a cost-competitive alternative.

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