Tetra Pak launches snap-on lids on cartons

Tetra Pak, in partnership with some of the world’s largest beverage producers, is launching the market’s first snap-on lids for beverage cartons. This represents a major achievement in the company’s long-term work on eco-design, as five new integrated lid solutions are being introduced across different product categories in the Baltics, Germany, Ireland and Spain. As part of a wider project, this development paves the way for customers with operations in Europe to comply in advance with the Single Use Plastics (SUP) Directive, which will come into force by 2024.

ulia Luscher, Vice President Marketing, Tetra Pak, comments: “We are proud to provide integrated lidding solutions to our customers, helping them to navigate a path towards their sustainability ambitions. Tetra Pak’s new grab-n-go lid solutions are designed to increase consumer convenience and have relied on multiple pieces of research to test their usability. For example, the new lids are easy to open and reseal for later consumption, while featuring carefully sized diameters for smooth pouring and drinking.”

Snap-on lids play an important role in preventing litter creation, as the lid will remain attached to the pack. They can also help reduce the carbon footprint of the packaging if plant-based options are selected, made from polymers derived from responsible sources such as sugar cane, thereby increasing the renewable content of the packaging. In addition, most of Tetra Pak’s portfolio of snap-on closures feature a reduced amount of plastic. Depending on the solutions selected, the company achieved a plastic reduction ranging from 7 to 15 per cent.

Marco Marchetti, Vice President Packaging Materials, Sales and Distribution Solutions, Tetra Pak, adds that: “With these five new launches, we are planning to equip approximately 300 production lines, in Europe, by the end of 2022. Considering the scale of change needed across the value chain, these collaborations are putting us and the food and beverage industry on a fast track to accelerating the transition to a low-carbon circular economy.”