Aseptic packaging with a paper-based barrier

Tetra Pak takes on the new sustainable challenge in the paper packaging for drinks area, replacing the aluminium barrier with a paper one.

Global leader in the field of solutions for food processing and packaging, Tetra Pak launched, in 2022, a first pilot lot of single-dose packages developed with an alternative paper-based barrier, which will be used in shelf-testing pending large-scale industrial production, planned for 2025.

It’s the first aseptic package with a paper-based barrier as an alternative to the fine layer of aluminium used in current packs which, while guaranteeing food safety, contributes to a third of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the materials.

«Presenting a solution destined to revolutionise aseptic packaging is a source of great pride for us and, at the same time, great awareness of the value shared day after day with our partners, customers and stakeholder in the agri-food supply chain» explains Paolo Maggi, Chairman of Tetra Pak South Europe. «It’s a further milestone which confirms Tetra Pak’s constant search for sustainable innovation in food packaging».

The new solutions are expected to be able to guarantee protection from light and oxygen, safeguarding the product’s quality and organoleptic and nutritional properties, as well as ensuring shelve-lives comparable with those of traditional aseptic packaging for low acidity products. A further plus is the significant increase in raw materials from renewable sources and an even greater reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the past.

«An increase in the paper content is a key priority in Tetra Pak’s roadmap», Laurence Mott, Executive Vice President Development and Technology Tetra Pak, points out. «Drink cartons with a paper-based barrier have, in fact, a clear potential to attract the interest of consumers and promote a low-carbon-emission-based circular economy. The “paperization” approach has been Tetra Pak’s chosen direction for some time, before it became a trend, and is an important element in responding effectively to the upcoming European regulation on packaging».

In order to continue to lead the sector in a sustainable manner, Tetra Pak invests 100 million euro per year globally.