Carton sustainability marches on
Can makers are going to have to keep on their toes over the next few months as rival packaging mounts more of a recycling drive.
It was a surprise to me that the UK, until last week, had no recycling facilities for cartons at all. They were all shipped abroad to be recycled instead.
That all changed when the Alliance for Beverage Cartons & the Environment (ACE) UK, who represent carton manufacturers Tetra Pak, Elopak and SIG Combibloc and paper and packaging producer Sonoco Alcore, opened a recycling centre.
Tetra Pak has itself recently admitted it needs to triple the amount of recycled packages sold by 2020, from 2010, to meet its 40% target, according to the company’s sustainability update.
But as it marches on the sustainability of cans will come under more pressure and the industry has to be ready to respond to this.
