Tetra Pak, Elopak, Evergreen Packaging and SIG Combibloc have joined forces to form the Carton Council dedicated to improving the carton recycling infrastructure across the US.
“The Carton Council has come together now because we believe we can begin to make an impact on carton recycling in the long term,” a spokesperson for Tetra Pak told FoodProductionDaily.com.
“While 60 million people in 26 states have access to carton recycling today, there is still some work to be done to address US recycling infrastructure and ensure recyclable and renewable materials are recycled. This unique alliance aims to increase carton recycling, as well as a stronger recycling infrastructure nationwide.”
Recycling technology
To achieve that goal, the Carton Council plans to forge partnerships with local communities and stakeholders to promote both recycling technology and local collection programmes. Target rates for recycling will be set later in the year.
Customers increasingly want to buy recyclable packages, said the council, and participating companies will benefit too:
“By increasing carton recycling and recycling awareness, as well as promoting better US recycling infrastructure needs, the companies who are members of the Carton Council will be able to increase their products’ end-of life options and take their commitments to the next level.”
According to the council: “Increasingly, aseptic cartons are being utilized for food products and beverages like soups and broths, organic milk, soy milk, wine and juices, as a means to make them shelf stable eliminating the need for preservatives and refrigeration."
Ed Klein, executive director of the Carton Council said: "We are very proud that the environmental impact of cartons already is among the lowest in the packaging industry.
“Cartons are source-reduced and made primarily of paper, a renewable resource, from responsibly sourced, well-managed forests. But we want to take our commitments to the next level, and that's where significantly increasing recycling comes in."
Environmental services
One of the Carton Council’s first alliances is with Waste Management, a leading provider of waste and environmental services, and the Tropicana brand to ensure cartons are included in all its recycling programmes.
Robert Dishman, director for Waste Management Recycle America, said: "Waste Management is dedicated to making recycling more accessible for consumers across the country.
“One of our sustainability goals is to triple the amount of recyclables we process from nearly eight million to 20 million tons by 2020 with the support of companies like Tropicana."