Recycling is not the only way to dispose of Tetra Pak responsibly. They can also be incinerated and the energy recovered to generate heat and electricity.
In Europe in 2007, 33% of all drink cartons were used to generate energy. Recycling of our used packages is important to us as well as to most of our stakeholders. We set ourselves clear targets to continue increasing recycling worldwide.
To support this, a number of initiatives are taking place in almost every country in which we do business. we have seen a significant growth of recycling in countries where collection and recycling is generally just beginning, while markets where both collection and recycling infrastructure is well established have more stable recycling rates. We support activities to increase access to recycling of used cartons, and cooperate with civil society, industry, and governments. We also assist paper manufacturing mills around the world with technical expertise to carry out trials and verify the feasibility of recycling cartons at their sites. Luxenburg and Belgium, with recycling rates of more than 80%, and Germany, where recycling rates are above 70%, remain the star performers, while China, Russia and Arabia, starting from a low base, have virtually doubled their recycling rates during the past three years.
Tetra Pak is investing tens of millions of euros to promote consumer awareness and work with local municipalities in its drive to increase recycling rates around the world. www.intcorecycling.com