Tetra Pak, a world-leading processing and packaging solutions company, has released the 2020 sustainability report “Enabling transformation”, signifying a new stage of the company’s ongoing journey and highlighting the company’s approach to sustainability which encompasses the entire value chain. The report emphasises the importance of addressing the interconnected nature of the environmental, social and economic challenges to create a more sustainable future.
To organise and communicate its commitment to joined-up solutions, Tetra Pak uses the concept of protecting food, people and futures as the chapters of the company’s sustainability story which underpins its brand promise: protects what’s good. The company also references the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)* to prioritise sustainability efforts, with the most relevant SDGs assigned to each pillar.
Tetra Pak’s commitment to protecting food is embedded in its vision: to make food safe and available, everywhere. By working with the customers and partners to achieve this vision through innovative and market-leading food processing and packaging solutions, the company is contributing to SDGs 2 and 12. Tetra Pak is further contributing to these two SDGs by working to build sustainable value chains, such as through participation in school feeding programmes (which provides nutritious products to 68 million children in 56 countries) and the Dairy Hub model (which collects 389,470 litres of milk per day from smallholder farmers).
The company protects people by enabling its employees, promoting growth and development for all, and driving actions to ensure a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. For example, Tetra Pak has demonstrated a 14% rise in women in top management and -8% reduction in lost time accidents in manufacturing sites. Efforts like this contribute to SDGs 4, 5 and 8. The company also works to protect and support local communities, including securing a responsible value chain that protects human and labour rights, further contributing to SDG 8.
Tetra Pak also protects the sustainable future of the planet and the long-term success of the customers, as well as its own business. The company’s strategic goals are to lead with low-carbon solutions for a circular economy and to enhance sustainability across the value chain, from sourcing to final production. This includes minimising emissions and waste, protecting biodiversity and ecosystems, maintaining freshwater availability, and promoting recycling and circularity. The company now uses 69% of renewable energy in its operation. Last year, 50 billion Tetra Pak packages were recycled, and the company successfully achieved its goal to reduce carbon emissions by saving 10 million tonnes of CO2 across the value chain over the decade. Through these activities, Tetra Pak is contributing to SDGs 6, 7, 9, 12, 13 and 15.
In line with the global low-carbon approach to achieving a circular economy, Tetra Pak Thailand completed the installation of 3,076 roof-mounted solar panels in its factory in Rayong which provides 1,350 MWh of renewable electricity every year saving over 850 tons of carbon dioxide. The company also achieved a major 10-year milestone with The Green Roof project for Friends in Need (“of PA”) Volunteers Foundation by collecting over 2,300 tons of used cartons to be turned into more than 65,000 roofing sheets for victims of natural disaster and other people in need.
For four years, we have worked with Thai local governments and industry peers to implement Beverage Carton Recycling Project (BECARE) which managed to collect over 2,300 tons of used beverage cartons. Over 1,000,000 sheets of recycled paper from this project were given to 13 Schools for the blind in Thailand. Last year, together with partners from the industry and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the company supported the launch of the School Milk Carton Recycling project engaging more than 350 schools in collecting used school milk cartons for further recycling.
“Our joined-up approach to three of our sustainability pillars — protecting food, people and futures — also shares a common commitment to partnership,” said Bert Jan Post, the Managing Director of Tetra Pak (Thailand) Limited. “By working together with our customers, suppliers and other stakeholders we can lead the sustainability transformation and drive the most meaningful positive change.”
* The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Read the Tetra Pak Sustainability Report 2020 here.
