KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, October 13, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Tetra Pak, a world-leading food processing and packaging solutions company, has released the company’s 2021 Sustainability report, reinforcing the ambitions and commitments towards the journey to protect what’s good: protecting food, people and the planet. The report emphasises the importance of addressing the interconnected nature of the environmental, social and economic challenges to create a more sustainable future.

Findings from the report accentuate the need to accelerate both innovation and sustainability to help mitigate shocks to our food system exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst the challenges, leading sustainability transformation remains at the forefront of Tetra Pak’s ambitions.

Some highlights from this year’s report include:

• Tetra Pak collaborates with food and beverage manufacturers to guarantee safe food supplies and improve the food system resilience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020 alone, over 77 billion litres of products have been sold in Tetra Pak packages globally.

• Achieved the 2020 climate goal, decoupling business growth from GHG emissions across the entire value chain, scope 1, 2, 3 (-19% versus 2010). Tetra Pak achieved an outstanding –70% GHG reduction in their operations from 2010 to 2020, scope 1 and 2.

• Tetra Pak has stepped up innovation, providing customers with sustainable solutions in processing and packaging. For example, Tetra Pak worked with a customer in Asia to develop a processing solution to turn Okara – a by-product in soy milk and tofu – into a premium, high-fiber soymilk drink.

• With over 170 recycling operations around the world recycling carton packages, Tetra Pak is collaborating with stakeholders across the recycling value chain on a wide range of activities, contributing to an increased global carton package recycling rate of 27% in 2020.

• How Tetra Pak fully supports the development of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes globally to increase recycling of used carton packaging.

“This year’s report reinforces Tetra Pak’s ambitions and commitments across all areas of our sustainability work, from all over the world. Our initiatives in Malaysia have helped expand the beverage carton collection, footprint and recycling for over 40 years now”, says Michael Wu, Managing Director, Tetra Pak Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia.

Since 1978, Tetra Pak has been contributing to the increase in carton recycling rates here in Malaysia by running programs and initiatives on the ground in collaboration with other value chain players, including brand owners, waste management companies and recyclers, local authorities and government policymakers.

For example, the activities under the CAREton project, co-organised by Tetra Pak Malaysia and Nestle Milo Malaysia, have helped collect more than 188 million beverage cartons since the project started in 2012. In 2020, a partnership inked with renowned local retail chain 99 Speedmart helped increase recycling collection points under the CAREton project by 100 locations. To date, there are already over 500 drop-off points for used beverage cartons all over the country, listed in Tetra Pak’s Recycle Easy website – www.recycle-easy.com.my.

On top of that, the company also collaborated with local city councils and municipalities - Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), Shah Alam City Council (MBSA), Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ), and the Putrajaya municipality (PPJ) - to strengthen community outreach via collection programs and awareness activities.

Tetra Pak Malaysia has also been pioneering a wide range of initiatives towards developing sustainable recycling value chains. The company’s Nurture for Nature Eco-School Programme, running since 2012, involves educating students on Tetra Pak’s carton packages and their benefits, proper segregation, disposal, and the importance of recycling. To date, the programme has reached out to more than 800,000 students in 1,168 schools nationwide.

Tetra Pak Malaysia continues to take a frontline position in driving alignment towards achieving a circular economy.

According to Michael Wu, Managing Director of Tetra Pak Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia (MSPI), “We recognize that to ensure we meet sustainability challenges while building a better future; we must continue innovating in this area. We also believe that we can’t do it alone. We invite everyone to join us on this journey towards building a sustainable tomorrow.”

In 2019, Tetra Pak partnered with The Watertree ™ Project to introduce the first locally-branded carton-packed water to Malaysians in hopes of replacing single-use plastic water bottles with paper-based cartons packages over time.

Aware of the need to further support the development of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes globally to help increase carton recycling rates, Tetra Pak Malaysia teamed up with key leaders in the FMCG sector to establish the Malaysian Recycling Alliance (MAREA). The first of its kind in the country, MAREA, aims to tackle the rising environmental impact of consumer packaging waste with sustainability-centered solutions. The Alliance comprises ten initial members - Coca-Cola Malaysia, Colgate-Palmolive Malaysia, Dutch Lady Milk Industries, Etika Group, Fraser & Neave Malaysia, Mondelēz International Malaysia, Nestlé Malaysia, Spritzer, Tetra Pak Malaysia, and Unilever Malaysia.

The company has made its sustainability footprint known across Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, Tetra Pak designed a process for smallholder farmers to maintain the flavour of coconut water and transform the other parts of the fruit into high-value coconut cream, oil, and milk. In the Philippines, Tetra Pak invested in recycling facility Rural Industrial Corp in Bulacan to help raise recycling capabilities in key city Luzon.

Looking forward, the company has announced that it will be working towards achieving net-zero GHG emissions in its operations by 2030, with an ambition to go net-zero across the value chain by 2050. Tetra Pak is also working on creating sustainable packaging made solely from plant-based materials that are fully renewable, fully recyclable and carbon-neutral.

To learn more about the Company’s sustainability initiatives, you can find the Sustainability Report 2021 here: www.tetrapak.com/en-my/sustainability/sustainability-updates.

Paul Tay
Edelman Public Relation
+60 11-5620 3945
Paul.Tay@edelman.com