Tetra Pak invests €60m in new plant to develop sustainable paper-based packaging technology

Credit: Tetra Pak

Tetra Pak is investing €60 million in a new pilot plant in Lund, Sweden, to accelerate the development of its paper-based barrier technology for aseptic beverage cartons.

The investment supports the company’s long-term ambition to develop ‘the world’s most sustainable food package’, replacing the traditional aluminium foil layer with a renewable, paper-based alternative.

The announcement comes shortly after a major commercial milestone last month, when Tetra Pak launched the first-ever use of its aseptic paper-based barrier technology for juice packaging, in partnership with Spanish beverage producer García Carrión.

The Tetra Brik Aseptic 200 ml Slim Leaf carton, introduced under García Carrión’s Don Simón brand, is the first global juice portion pack to replace aluminium foil with this renewable paper-based barrier – and the first carton of its kind available in Spain.

Boosting renewable content and recyclability

Tetra Pak’s innovation increases the paper content in beverage cartons to around 80 percent and, when combined with plant-based polymers, boosts traceable renewable content to up to 92 percent. The company says this can reduce the carbon footprint of cartons by up to 43 percent.

By simplifying the structure from three materials to two – paper and polymers – further benefits are anticipated for recycling infrastructure. These include maximising paper fibre recovery and delivering high-quality fibre and non-fibre fractions during recycling.

The new pilot plant will provide customers with insights across the full manufacturing journey, from barrier creation through to packaging material production and filled package output.

Tetra Pak chose Lund for its strong research links, close collaboration with Lund University and access to advanced testing at the MAX IV Laboratory.

Joakim Tuvesson, Vice President Materials & Package at Tetra Pak, said:

By expanding our facilities and strengthening strategic partnerships, we aim to make our innovative paper-based barrier accessible to more customers, accelerating their transition to sustainable packaging materials. We look forward to starting production and welcoming first customers to the new pilot plant in the first quarter of 2027.”

The investment forms part of Tetra Pak’s wider commitment to invest around €100 million annually through to 2030 in sustainable packaging innovation.