1. Certification of Tetra Pak’s carbon footprint calculators

• The Carbon Trust has reviewed Tetra Pak’s online carbon footprint calculator, accessible via the ProductXplorer tool, and certified it as capable of generating 'cradle-to-gate' product carbon footprints in compliance with the following international standards - PAS 2050, ISO 14044 and ISO 14067.
• The Carbon Trust has reviewed Tetra Pak’s internal product CO₂ model and certified it as capable of generating 'cradle-to-grave' product carbon footprints in compliance with the following international standards - PAS 2050, ISO 14044 and ISO 14067.
• The ‘cradle-to-grave' product carbon footprints include the lifecycle steps of raw material production, transport of raw materials, packaging material converting, closure converting, film extrusion and blowing and strip production, transport of packaging materials to filler, forming and filling of the package and end-of-life.
• Wherever possible, the product CO₂ model incorporates Tetra Pak-specific data building on the third-party verified Greenhouse Gas Accounting, where not available, industry data is used.
• For more information on the carbon footprint calculator certification, see here

2. Product footprint verification

• Comparative footprint verification: By comparing the cradle-to-grave product carbon footprints of Tetra Pak® beverage cartons using plant-based polymers with the same packaging using fossil-based polymers, the Carbon Trust has verified the comparative reduction achieved through the use of plant-based polymers. Verified every two years in accordance with ISO 14067.
• For more information on the product footprint verification, see here 

• The products and package specific reduction values listed here are only a small selection of beverage cartons in the Tetra Pak® portfolio. The individual reduction values shown on-pack are based on the respective packaging specific calculations from the Carbon Trust-certified product model, shared directly with Tetra Pak’s customers
• Tetra Pak has set ambitious climate targets, that if achieved will lead to a continued reduction of the product carbon footprints. More information on these targets and the measures implemented to achieve them can be found here.

Carbon neutrality

• As of September 2023, the Carbon Trust no longer provides carbon neutral verification. However, to reduce packaging waste and allow time for the transition, the verification will continue for one more year and the carbon neutral packaging label will appear on-pack until early 2025. For more information on the Carbon Trust’s updated label portfolio, see here.
• The product carbon footprint of selected beverage cartons with plant-based polymers in packaging material and closure has been certified as carbon neutral by the Carbon Trust in compliance with the internationally recognised PAS 2060 standard.
• This means that after the carbon footprints of those packages have been measured, the achieved reductions are verified and a future reduction plan is reviewed, an equivalent amount of offsets are purchased as the remaining CO₂ emissions from the lifecycle. The offsets are carefully selected by Tetra Pak from projects fulfilling the Gold Standard criteria.
• For more information on the carbon neutral verification, see here.

3. Product carbon footprint labelling

• Tetra Pak have licensed the use of the Carbon Trust Verified CO₂e Footprint label with the ‘Lower Family’ claim on Tetra Brik® Aseptic Edge packages using plant-based polymers. This communicates to end-customers that the cradle-to-grave footprint of Tetra Pak® beverage cartons using plant-based polymers in packaging material and/or the closure is lower than the footprint of the same packaging using only fossil-based polymers

  

Biogenic carbon uptake

• Packages that achieve more than 80% reduction in carbon footprint are displayed with “>80%” in the report.
• The high reduction values can be explained by the accounting of biogenic carbon uptake (characterized as -1kgCO2eq/kgCO₂) associated with the plant-based polymers in the packages.
• Plants capture and store carbon from the atmosphere. When e.g. sugarcane is processed into plant-based polymers, the finished packaging material contains biogenic carbon captured from the atmosphere.
• Emissions of biogenic CO₂ at end-of-life are characterized as +1 kg CO₂e/kg of biogenic carbon in the calculation of the carbon footprint.
• In some cases, this may lead to a very low or net negative carbon footprint. This means that the biogenic carbon uptake associated with the plant-based polymers in the package is higher than the calculated total emissions of CO₂e emitted during the package life cycle (including the end-of-life release under the model conditions).
• The 80% reduction threshold approach simplifies the information for consumers, avoiding the misunderstanding of exact percentages in cases of high reduction values.
• Tetra Pak will continue to use the Reducing CO₂ packaging and carbon neutral packaging labels on-pack until early 2025, when the transition to the Verified CO₂e Footprint label will be complete. This is to reduce packaging waste and to allow time for Tetra Pak’s customers to make the transition.

More information about Carbon Trust verified packages

Please note that, due to supply chain complexities and variations in packaging print times and product shelf lives, there may be occasions where labels referring to previous verifications remain on packaging. Older versions of the label will remain on packaging on shelves until sold in order to reduce packaging waste.