Tetra Pak claims to be the first company in India’s food and beverage packaging industry to offer its packaging materials with ISCC PLUS certified recycled polymers, aligning with incoming national legislation around plastic waste management.
The materials reportedly contain 5% ISCC PLUS certified recycled polymers sourced and allocated according to the ISCC mass balance attribution method. In turn, the polymers are made from a mix of virgin and chemically recycled materials, with the recyclate said to meet the same global food contact regulations and match the quality of its fossil-based equivalent.
Tetra Pak also says it tracks the corresponding mass of recycled materials throughout its supply chain.
The solution is intended to comply with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s Plastic Waste Management Rules, which were recently updated and are set to come into effect on 1st April 2025. Tetra Pak believes that the regulation will encourage producers to buy recycled materials, increase demand, and expand offer.
Utilizing recycled material is also expected to increase recycling rates and make recycling more economically viable – corresponding with Tetra Pak’s efforts to lessen dependence on fossil-based resources and maximize material reuse.
“We are proud to be the first carton packaging producer to bring packaging material with 5% certified recycled polymers to India,” said Cassio Simoes, managing director at Tetra Pak South Asia. “This recycled content is being sourced from India, and the packaging material is also being made at our ISCC PLUS-certified factory in Chakan, Pune.
“We applaud the commitment of the Ministry of Environment Forests & Climate to promoting circularity, and for making India one of the first countries in the world to introduce this regulation as early as 2025. This is an opportunity for all of us in the food and beverage industry to collaborate closely, and transition to more circular solutions.”
She continued: “The transition to mainstream adoption of materials like plant-based and recycled polymers is still a work in progress. At Tetra Pak, we remain committed to collaborating with our partners and customers to drive innovation and find synergies.
“Our ultimate goal is to ensure that all our packaging is made from renewable or recycled polymers, eliminating reliance on fossil feedstock. Achieving this vision requires collective action from businesses and other stakeholders, working together to accelerate the shift toward a low-carbon, circular economy.”
In other news, Tetra Pak recently worked with Nissha Metallizing Solutions to develop an aseptic beverage carton with a barrier made of paper from FSC-certified sources. It is hoped to reduce the pack down to two main materials, papers and polymers, and thus enhance the efficiency of its recycling process.
SIG has also opened its first production plant for aseptic carton packs in India. It is expected to shorten lead times, increase responsiveness to market demand, and help Indian dairy and non-carbonated soft drink producers store and deliver products without preservatives or energy-intensive refrigeration.
Additionally, Indorama Ventures, Dhunseri Ventures, and Varun Beverages – PepsiCo’s second-largest bottling company globally outside the US – teamed up towards the end of last year with a vision to establish several greenfield state-of-the-art PET recycling facilities in India. Two facilities are scheduled for completion this year, with the partners aiming to reach a 100-kiloton annual capacity of recycled PET across all sites when the project is complete.
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