en.Wedoany.com Report on Mar 25th, Food processing and packaging solutions provider Tetra Pak has announced a €60 million (approximately $69 million) investment to advance its paper-based barrier technology. This funding will support the construction of new facilities in Lund, Sweden, to assist customers in integrating this technology into their production lines, covering the entire process from barrier layer manufacturing to finished packaging.

Tetra Pak's goal is to accelerate the adoption of paper-based barrier packaging to replace the aluminum foil layer in traditional aseptic beverage cartons. This change is expected to reduce the carbon footprint of certain beverage packaging by up to 43%.

The new plant in Lund, Sweden, aims to provide solutions for replacing the aluminum foil layer with a paper-based barrier. By simplifying the material composition to paper and polymers, this innovation increases the paper content of beverage cartons to approximately 80%. Combined with plant-based polymers, each carton can achieve up to 92% renewable and traceable content, contributing to reduced carbon emissions.

This technology also enhances the recovery rate of paper fibers during the recycling process, providing more usable fiber and non-fiber components. Tetra Pak chose Lund as the pilot site due to its close collaboration with Lund University and access to testing facilities at the MAX IV laboratory.

In 2023, Portuguese food producer Lactogal partnered with Tetra Pak to launch the first aseptic beverage carton using a paper-based barrier layer. Tetra Pak plans to scale this technology to industrial levels by 2025. In 2026, the paper-based barrier layer was deployed in Asia for use on high-speed Tetra Pak A3 production lines, with South Korea's Maeil Dairy becoming the world's first company to adopt this solution in its soy milk production.

Tatiana Liceti, Executive Vice President of Packaging Solutions at Tetra Pak, stated: "Scaling sustainable packaging solutions must go hand in hand with operational efficiency.

"By introducing our paper-based barrier layer to high-performance Tetra Pak A3 speed packaging lines, we provide beverage producers with the opportunity to adopt low-carbon packaging solutions based on renewable materials while maintaining food protection and cost competitiveness."

Joakim Tuvesson, Vice President of Materials and Packaging at Tetra Pak, said: "By expanding our facilities and strengthening strategic partnerships, we aim to make our innovative paper-based barrier layer accessible to more customers, accelerating their transition to sustainable packaging materials.

"We look forward to commencing production in the first quarter of 2027 and welcoming the first customers to the new pilot plant."

This initiative supports Tetra Pak's broader commitment to invest approximately €100 million annually by 2030 in developing sustainable packaging innovations, in response to market demand for environmentally friendly solutions.