Tetra Pak has announced a €60 million investment in a new pilot plant in Lund, Sweden, to advance its paper-based barrier technology for aseptic beverage cartons. The facility aims to accelerate the development of packaging that replaces the traditional aluminium foil layer with a paper-based barrier.
The initiative is part of the company’s broader commitment to develop sustainable packaging solutions, with ongoing annual investments of approximately €100 million through to 2030. The pilot plant will support the production and testing of this new material, intended to increase the renewable content of Tetra Pak cartons to up to 92% when combined with plant-based polymers. This change is expected to reduce the carbon footprint of the packaging by up to 43%.
By simplifying the material composition of cartons to two primary components—paper and polymers—Tetra Pak anticipates improvements in recycling outcomes. The approach aims to enhance the recovery of high-quality fibre and non-fibre fractions during the recycling process.
The plant is being established in Lund due to its proximity to Tetra Pak’s existing research infrastructure, collaboration with Lund University, and access to testing capabilities at the MAX IV Laboratory.
Joakim Tuvesson, Vice President Materials & Package at Tetra Pak, stated: “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.”