The packaging giant, Tetra Pak, has launched a new set of sustainable environmental targets for the next decade. Halting the increase of carbon emissions between now and 2020 is just one of the initiatives.
To cap the carbon emission at the 2010 levels would actually require a 40 per cent overall reduction in carbon emissions, by factoring in a forecasted 5 percent annual growth of the company.
The ambitious targets aim for sustainable profitable growth for both Tetra Pak and its customers:
- Climate: Tetra Pak aims to cap carbon emissions at 2010 levels by the end of 2020. This target not only includes Tetra Pak’s operations, but those across the entire value chain, meaning that it will ask suppliers to meet agreed on targets and support customers’ activities to reduce their own emissions.
- Recycling: By 2020, Tetra Pak is committed to help double the global recycling rate of its used beverage cartons to provide raw materials for a various new products. This goal would mean that about 100 billion used beverage cartons are recycled in 2020 alone. This is done through active engagement in the entire recycling value chain; from technology development, efficient collection and sorting schemes and increased consumer awareness.
- Responsible sourcing: Tetra Pak aims to increase the supply of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper board used in its products to 100 per cent, with an interim target to achieve 50 per cent in 2012. Tetra Pak works closely with its suppliers and other stakeholders to increase access to FSC-certified wood fibre. By the end of 2011 alone, the number of Tetra Pak cartons carrying the FSC logo will nearly double from 2010 levels to 16 billion.
- Sustainable products: Tetra Pak aspires to develop packaging material based on 100 per cent renewable materials. Its cartons are already mainly based on paperboard from a renewable resource, wood fibre, and Tetra Pak is taking important steps towards increasing the renewable content. The company has signed an agreement with Brazilian producer of green polyethylene,Braskem, in order to launch caps containing renewable polymers made from sugarcane in 2011.
The new sustainability targets comes a matter of weeks after Tetra Pak announced how it had outperformed its previous carbon reduction target. The company had set a target of a 10 percent reduction in absolute carbon emissions by 2010:
- Through improved energy efficiency and with increased use of renewable energy, Tetra Pak has cut its absolute CO2 eq. emissions by 12.9 per cent while increasing production by over 23 per cent over the last 5 years (a relative reduction of more than 30 per cent), according to just released independently audited figures.
- In 2010, 40 per cent of Tetra Pak’s paper board supply was FSC certified, with 8.5 billion cartons carrying the FSC logo.
- 30 billion used Tetra Pak cartons were recycled around the world in 2010, a twofold increase since 2002, diverting 473,000 tonnes of material away from landfills and providing valuable raw material for new products.
The new set of targets look beyond Tetra Pak operations to the entire value chain and therefore involving both suppliers and customers.
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