Tetra Pak, a multinational food packaging and processing company, has partnered with García Carrión, a Spanish beverage company, to introduce world’s first paper-based barrier technology for aseptic juice packaging.
This is part of the Swedish firm’s innovative efforts at accelerating its transition away from fossil-based materials.
The innovation, launched under the Don Simón juice brand in Spain, features the Tetra Brik® Aseptic 200ml Slim Leaf carton, which replaces the traditional aluminium foil layer with a renewable, paper-based barrier.
The new pack is made with up to 80 percent paper and achieves as much as 92 percent renewable content through the use of plant-based polymers.
Tetra Pak said the development delivers up to a 43 percent reduction in carbon footprint compared with conventional aseptic cartons that rely on aluminium and fossil-based polymers, a claim verified by the Carbon Trust.
According to the President of García Carrión, José García Carrión, the project aligns with the company’s long-standing focus on environmental stewardship, while Vice President, Fala Corujo, said the move supports its strategy of reducing environmental impact while maintaining product quality.
Read also: Tetra Pak reveals 20% greenhouse gas emissions reduction
Tetra Pak’s Executive Vice President, Packaging Solutions, Tatiana Liceti, said the launch marks a commercial breakthrough in the company’s sustainable packaging roadmap, noting that the collaboration demonstrates the scalability of low-carbon packaging technologies across markets and product categories.
The paper-based barrier substitutes aluminium foil in traditional aseptic cartons and is designed to protect products from oxygen, moisture, light, and bacteria, while supporting more efficient fibre recovery and recycling in markets with developed collection and recycling infrastructure.
The company said the innovation builds on its earlier introduction of paper-based barrier aseptic cartons for dairy products in Portugal in 2023, a development that won a Resource Efficiency award at the Sustainable Packaging News Awards 2024.
Tetra Pak said the launch supports its long-term ambition to develop fully recyclable, paper-based food packaging made from responsibly sourced, renewable or recycled materials, with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.
Tetra Pak is a world-leading food processing and packaging solutions company. With a commitment to making food safe and available everywhere, the company works closely with customers and suppliers and is powered by more than 24,000 dedicated employees worldwide to provide safe, innovative, and environmentally sound products.
Tetra Pak’s sustainable approach drives the company to protect food, people, and the planet.