Tetra Pak Advances Sustainability With Emissions Reduction

Tetra Pak’s 25th Sustainability Report highlights advances in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and enhancing recycling efforts. The company continues to advance its sustainability goals, reinforcing its commitment to environmental responsibility. The company reported a 20% reduction in GHG emissions across its value chain and a notable 47% reduction in GHG emissions from its own operations since 2019. These advancements position the Swedish company on track to achieve its goal of net-zero emissions across its value chain by 2050 and to attain net-zero emissions in its internal production by 2030.

Nationally, Tetra Pak has made significant achievements over the past year. Through the Allies in Recycling initiative, the company recycled 54,640t of packaging in 2023, an increase of 9.6% compared to the previous year. Additionally, this collaboration generated 400 direct jobs and established 700 collection centers in the country, reinforcing Tetra Pak’s commitment to the circular economy.

The report highlights the company's innovative approach, focusing on creating more sustainable packaging to reduce its environmental footprint. In 2023, Tetra Pak invested €100 million (US$110.46 million) in its R&D department, with plans to maintain the same level of investment annually over the next five to 10 years. As a result, a new barrier made from cardboard fibers was developed to replace the aluminum layer in its aseptic packages, reducing the carbon footprint of the package by 33% and moving Tetra Pak closer to its ambition of creating the world's most sustainable food packaging by using renewable, recycled, or responsibly sourced materials.

Tetra Pak’s Sustainability Initiatives

In 2024, Tetra Pak was recognized for the eighth consecutive year on the CDP Forests A List, an international environmental non-profit organization, ranking among the Top 2% of those who achieved this score out of more than 21,000 companies assessed. The firm also received a rating within the A range for water security, despite this being its first year reporting in this area. CDP uses a detailed and independent methodology to evaluate companies, assigning them scores from A to D based on the completeness of disclosure, awareness and management of environmental risks, and demonstration of best practices associated with environmental leadership, such as setting ambitious and meaningful goals.

For Tetra Pak, partnerships are key to achieving sustainability. Alfredo Román, Sustainability Manager, Tetra Pak Mexico, emphasized that the company has collaborated multiple times with industrial, social, and governmental sectors to develop recycling, collection, and production solutions. It has also formed partnerships with entrepreneurs seeking to innovate in applications for recycled materials such as polyethylene and aluminum. Additionally, Adolfo Orive, President and CEO, Tetra Pak, highlighted that the company’s global presence has created communication bridges with all stakeholders across the value chain, from food producers to suppliers, policymakers, consumers, and others.

Nationally, thanks to its network of promoters, Tetra Pak has increased collection points in over 70 cities and towns, connecting collectors, recycling plants, civil organizations, and governments. The company has also conducted 85 environmental communication and education campaigns to promote packaging recycling.

Since last year, Tetra Pak has implemented the ISCC PLUS Certification System at its Mexicali and Queretaro plants, ensuring that products made from recycled polymers meet the highest sustainability standards. In terms of social welfare actions, using recyclable material from over 2 million packages, classrooms were built in Pachuca, Hidalgo, and school furniture and roofing were provided for schools in Jalisco, benefiting children and communities in both regions.

Since 1962, Tetra Pak has collaborated in school feeding programs, ensuring that children receive safe and nutritious food. In 2023, the company reached 3.1 million children, distributing 621 million meals across 27 states in the country, a crucial effort for child nutrition and development.