SWITZERLAND – Tetra Pak and MAX IV, a synchrotron radiation laboratory in the world, have commenced research towards advancing fiber-based sustainable food packaging.
According to the partners, this research aims at providing fresh insights into the company’s journey to develop the most sustainable food package.
Tetra Pak says the project is the first industrial research and development experiment at ForMAX, a new research station dedicated to studying materials from the forest, located at the MAX IV Laboratory in Lund, Sweden.
Eva Gustavsson, Vice President Materials & Package, Tetra Pak, said: “A fundamental understanding of the structure and properties of materials is crucial as we work towards developing the package of the future.
“Our ambition is to provide the world’s most sustainable food package, and experiments at ForMAX will clearly support us in this mission.
“The package of the future needs to be fully recyclable and have a low environmental impact. Using renewable materials and increasing the use of fiber-based materials within packages will be vital.
“With this research, Tetra Pak is helping to uncover fresh insights into plant-based materials as a basis for future innovations.”
Our first experiment provides additional analysis capabilities into how paper straw material responds to changes in the environment in real-time.
As the global demand for safe, nutritious food intensifies, and the scarcity of raw materials increases, the need to develop more sustainable packaging solutions that use less of these scarce resources has become urgent.
Tetra Pak says that new materials based on paper will bring novel opportunities, but they need to remain food safe, recyclable and durable against liquids and humidity while meeting the increased sustainability demands.
Speaking about the project’s experiments, Eskil Andreasson, Technology Specialist, Virtual Modelling, Tetra Pak, added: “Our first experiment, which starts with paper straws, provides additional analysis capabilities into how paper straw material responds to changes in the environment in real-time, as well as how the straw interacts with different types of liquids under stringent conditions.
“These new insights and knowledge will be applied to developing the paper straws of the future in our virtual modeling tools, helping us to improve their functionality.”
The latest move is in line with the company’s goal of reaching net-zero GHG emissions in its operations by 2030 and across the entire value chain by 2050.
Tetra Pak has been focusing on innovation in plant-based food and beverage packaging using raw materials such as wood fibers and sugar cane for years and launched the first 100 percent renewable Tetra Rex carton in 2014.
The company is known for its Forest Stewardship Council-certified Tetra Brik and Tetra Prisma Aseptic ranges, sustainable and functional packaging made from renewable resources, and paper, and available with eco-friendly closures made from non-food derivatives of sugar cane.
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