Overview
Tetra Pak is a Swedish-Swiss multinational food packaging and processing company headquartered in Lund, Sweden, with operations in over 160 countries. Founded in 1951, the company is the world’s largest supplier of carton packaging for liquid foods. Tetra Pak has been at the forefront of integrating bio-based materials into food packaging, partnering with companies like UPM to develop renewable alternatives to fossil-based plastics.
Bio-based Packaging Initiatives
Bio-based Polyethylene Coatings
Tetra Pak was among the first major packaging companies to adopt bio-based polyethylene derived from UPM BioVerno naphtha. This renewable PE is used as a barrier coating in beverage cartons, replacing fossil-based polyethylene while maintaining identical protective properties and recyclability.
Plant-based Caps and Closures
Tetra Pak has introduced bio-based caps made from sugarcane-derived polyethylene (bio-HE). These plant-based closures reduce the carbon footprint of the packaging without compromising food safety or functionality.
FSC-Certified Paperboard
All Tetra Pak carton packages use 100% FSC-certified paperboard, ensuring that the wood fibers come from responsibly managed forests. The company has committed to using only renewable or recycled materials in all its packaging by 2030.
Sustainability Roadmap
Tetra Pak’s environmental strategy focuses on three pillars:
- Renewable Materials: Transitioning from fossil-based to plant-based and recycled materials across all product lines
- Circularity: Designing packaging for recyclability and supporting collection infrastructure globally
- Carbon Reduction: Achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by 2050
Key Facts
- Founded: 1951
- Headquarters: Lund, Sweden
- Employees: 25,000+
- Markets: 160+ countries
- Bio-based content: Increasing share of plant-based PE in carton packaging
- Partnerships: UPM (BioVerno PE), Braskem (bio-based materials)
Industry Impact
Tetra Pak’s adoption of bio-based polyethylene has demonstrated that renewable materials can meet the stringent food safety and performance requirements of liquid food packaging. The company’s scale (billions of packages annually) makes its material choices influential throughout the packaging supply chain, driving demand for bio-based polymers and encouraging other manufacturers to follow suit.
Last updated: June 28, 2026 Information sourced from Tetra Pak corporate website, UPM partnership announcements, and industry reports