Tetra Pak introduces packaging with 5% certified recycled polymers

Tetra Pak has introduced packaging material with certified recycled polymers in India, becoming the first company in the food and beverage packaging industry in the country to do so. 

The packaging, which incorporates five per cent certified recycled polymers, complies with the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2022, effective from April 1, 2025. The material has an ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) Plus certificate, a global sustainability certification system.

Cassio Simões, managing director of Tetra Pak South Asia, said, “We are proud to be the first carton packaging producer to bring packaging material with five per cent certified recycled polymers to India.” 

He also explained that the recycled content is sourced from India, and the packaging material is made at the ISCC PLUS-certified factory in Chakan, Pune. He said, “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.”

The recycled polymers used are sourced through chemical recycling technology, which combines recycled and non-recycled materials. These materials are tracked throughout the Tetra Pak supply chain according to the ISCC mass balance attribution method. The chemically recycled plastics meet the same global food contact regulations as virgin polymers.

Simões added, “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.” He concluded, “Our ultimate goal is to ensure that all our packaging is made from renewable or recycled polymers, eliminating reliance on fossil feedstock.”