The international food packaging solutions company Tetra Pak has sold more than 100 million FSC-labeled liquid and food cartons since the first certified product - the Tetra RecartTM package - was launched about one year ago.
Initially marketed in the UK food retailer Sainsbury’s shops, Tetra Pak's FSC-labelled packages are now available to consumers in Italy, Denmark, Brazil and the US.
Tetra pak: 100 million are only the beginning
Although 100 million is no small number, the FSC-labeled packages still represent only a small fraction of Tetra Pak’s total carton sales. However, this is likely to change: Tetra Pak is working with its suppliers and is committed to source paperboard only from chain of custody certified board mills by 2015. The company also plans to certify the chain of custody of all its own converting and printing plants worldwide by 2018.
Several Tetra Pak paperboard suppliers already have FSC chain of custody certification in place. Certification of Tetra Pak’s converting plants has started, and in some markets it has completed the entire supply chain from the forest to the supermarket shelf.
Mario Abreu, Supply Chain Environmental Director for Tetra Pak International and member of the FSC Board of Directors said: "The main raw material we use is paper. We believe that the sustainable use of renewable resources - like wood fibers - is of utmost importance. And we want to convey this message to consumers in the clearest possible way. Today, FSC is the best proof of sustainable forestry. That's why our ultimate goal is to have all the paper in our packaging certified to the highest standards – currently set by FSC.”
About Tetra Pak
Tetra Pak is one of the world's leading food processing and packaging solutions company with over 20,000 employees and operations in more than 150 countries. Tetra Pak aims to provide safe, innovative and environmentally sound products for hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Different entities belonging to the Tetra Pak group hold 5 FSC Chain of Custody certificates of which 4 were issued by the Rainforest Alliance based on NEPCon's services. One of these certificates is a multi-site certificate covering 10 of Tetra Pak's business units in Europe and the US.
Source: FSC-International
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