Last week I was invited to the Anuga FoodTec conference in Cologne. Tetra Pak invited me to cook on their stand where we showcased ingredients packaged in their Tetra Recart retortable cartons.
Truth be told, I’ve never put much thought into whether my ingredients come in a carton or tin can. However I must say, I learned a lot about the environmental benefits of choosing Tetra Recart over its tin counterpart.
The first thing that’s apparent is how unbelievably passionate the Tetra Pak guys are about raising awareness on how bad for the environment tin cans are. As a consumer, I’ve always felt if something can be thrown into the recycling bin when I get it home then it must be good for the environment. However, it was explained to me how big a part the entire production lifestyle plays when considering the environmental footprint of packaging.
For example, the tin can is produced from steel which requires a lot of energy. Cans cannot be flat packed, which means when transporting them from manufacture to where they will be filled, approx. 9 times as many lorries are required to transport the same number of tin cans compared to Tetra Recart cartons (which are delivered in rolls).
Furthermore, the square shape of a carton means there’s a lot less wasted space when shipping and storing on supermarket shelves. This means less space is required in shops and fewer lorry loads to transport. Oh, and an empty Tetra Recart carton is also lighter than an empty tin can!
The thing I don’t understand is why aren't we embracing square cardboard packaging more - especially in the UK? The benefits are clear, plus, the tin can was first patented in 1810 – surely it’s time we moved on to something more environmentally friendly?
I understand people’s attitudes need to change and education is required to reassure consumers that flavours are not compromised when stored in retortable cardboard cartons. This may take time, however, the guys at Tetra Pak are definitely making progress in educating the world about the cost savings and environmental benefits of using Tetra Recart.
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