Issue 02/2019
Highlights: Thermoforming Building & Construction Basics: Biobased Packaging
Highlights:
Thermoforming
Building & Construction
Basics: Biobased Packaging
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Applications<br />
A five year journey taken by<br />
Tetra Pak to enhance renewable polymer sourcing<br />
By:<br />
Julian Fox<br />
Director, Sourcing & Manufacturing<br />
Tetra Pak<br />
Lund, Sweden<br />
Reduced carbon footprint and positive impact<br />
By using renewable materials, Tetra Pak minimises the<br />
use of fossil carbon-based materials. Indeed the company<br />
insists that their renewable materials derive from responsibly<br />
managed sources to ensure that biodiversity, ecosystem<br />
functions and high conservation values are maintained, and<br />
that social benefits are created from responsible material<br />
stewardship.<br />
Since 2014, Tetra Pak has seen significant growth in the<br />
volume of renewable polymer being used, sourced from sugar<br />
cane in Brazil. The renewable polyethylene is used both for the<br />
extrusion coating of liquid packaging board (LDPE) and caps<br />
(HDPE).<br />
Caps moulded from renewable polymers are now deployed<br />
to 37 countries, mainly in US and Europe, and the use of<br />
renewable polymer coating also follows this deployment<br />
pattern.<br />
Traceability to source<br />
Tetra Pak’s position on biobased polymers is that they<br />
shall be wholly constituted from renewable bio-feedstock<br />
and always traceable to source. Independent third-party<br />
verification of biogenic origin of the polymer is through the<br />
certification system, TÜV-Austria ‘OK Biobased’ (formerly<br />
Vinçotte), specifying and validating the amount of biomass in a<br />
biobased product, based on the European standard EN 16785-<br />
1:2015 in which 14 C content is assessed.<br />
The decision not to source ‘mass-balanced’ blends of<br />
biobased and fossil-based polymer was taken as it would<br />
not have produced a significant shift in the polymer industry<br />
towards renewability. It also allows renewable polymer<br />
to be traced directly to the packages. In the region of<br />
35,000 tonnes of renewable polymer is currently sourced<br />
annually by Tetra Pak, and demand is projected to increase<br />
significantly in the medium term.<br />
Sustainable supply chains<br />
The journey to sustainable sourcing of this renewable<br />
polymer began in early discussions with the supplier,<br />
resulting in development of a code of conduct for bioethanol<br />
supply that was designed with the support of<br />
ProForest. Tetra Pak’s strategy for sustainable sourcing<br />
is wherever possible to use internationally-recognised<br />
and credible voluntary sustainability standards, certified<br />
by accredited auditors. This type of certification is already<br />
in place for the supply of liquid packaging board (Forest<br />
Stewardship Council) and for aluminium foil (Aluminium<br />
Stewardship Initiative); finding a relevant sustainability<br />
standard that creates positive impact for environment,<br />
social and economic criteria is the next step for Tetra Pak’s<br />
sourcing of renewable polymers.<br />
www.tetrapak.com<br />
Packs w. bio-based<br />
polymers coating<br />
Billion packs<br />
Figure 1 Volumes of packs and caps<br />
with renewable polymer 2014 to 2018 *<br />
Bio-based caps<br />
Billion caps<br />
% of caps sold<br />
10,0<br />
15,3<br />
0,1 0,4<br />
14,7 14,6<br />
0,7<br />
11,3<br />
6%<br />
2,1<br />
8%<br />
2,7<br />
9%<br />
3,0<br />
10%<br />
3,4<br />
11%<br />
4,2<br />
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018<br />
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018<br />
NC&SA, Brazil<br />
E&CA: TR, TB, TBA, TPA<br />
BioPE in Pack Mat:<br />
NC&SA stop Bio lamination on<br />
exports from Monte Mor & Ponta<br />
Grossa.<br />
E&CA over 50 % growth of TR bio<br />
based. Now 10 customers in Europe<br />
with bioPE on TB, TBA, TPA<br />
Bio-Based Caps:<br />
Stable growth, will increase<br />
more because of bio-based offer<br />
expansion on pack mat<br />
NC&SA = Business cluster North, Central & South America<br />
E&CA = Business cluster Europe & Cental Asia<br />
TB = Tetra Brik<br />
TBA = Tetra Brik Aseptic<br />
TPS = Tetra Prisma Aseptik<br />
* The fall in coating volumes from 2017 to 2018 was partly caused by a force majeure in the upstream supply chain<br />
38 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>02</strong>/19] Vol. 14