Tetra Pak, Stora Enso to Triple Recycling Capacity of Beverage Cartons in Poland

Tetra Pak and Stora Enso are joining forces to triple the recycling capacity of beverage cartons in Poland.

The partnership, which follows a feasibility study, sees the introduction of a large-scale carton repulping line at Stora Enso’s Ostrołęka production unit in Poland. The line will triple the annual recycling capacity of used beverage cartons in Poland from 25,000 to 75,000 tons. This will allow recycling of the entire volume of beverage cartons sold in the country as well as ones from neighboring countries, including Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The total investment is €29.1 million. Stora Enso will invest €17 million into a new repulping line that will recover the carton fibers, while Tetra Pak, along with Plastigram, will invest a total of €12.1 million to build an additional line. This will recover and separately recycle the polymers and the aluminum, using a patented separation technology. Both lines will be operational by the beginning of 2023.

The separated materials will be used as raw materials for various end applications. Recycled fibers will be integrated into Stora Enso’s recycled board. The separated polymers and aluminum will be given new life in the form of different kinds of products, such as crates and foils.

The investment aims to contribute to the development of a circular economy at a country level. It will also be fully aligned with the European Green Deal.

“Today, carton packages are recyclable. They are collected and recycled at scale where waste management and recycling infrastructure is in place. But for us, that’s not enough. We are seeking opportunities across the entire recycling value chain to improve how cartons get recycled and to develop solutions that effectively recycle all packaging components, including polymers and aluminum,” said Charles Brand, president of Tetra Pak Europe and Central Asia.

“Stora Enso delivers packaging materials produced from renewable sources. With this development we can advance towards a greater degree of recyclability, a critical factor in enabling a circular bioeconomy,” added Hannu Kasurinen, EVP of Stora Enso’s Packaging Materials division.