EU dairy co-ops to merge
Two European dairy co-operatives are set to merge and create a €14 billion business.
The already-paper cartons will have their caps and coatings made from certified-organic waste polyethylene.
FrieslandCampina says this innovation makes the container the most sustainable beverage carton ever. “The CO2 footprint of this bio-based milk carton is 20% lower than the current carton.”
The co-op’s managing director in the Netherlands, Berndt Kodden, recently presented a carton to Jacqueline Cramer, professor of sustainable innovation, Utrecht University.
Says Knodden, “In recent years our beverage carton has undergone a sustainable evolution. Now we [have] a bio-based milk carton in which we invest in the transition to renewable raw materials.”
Cramer says the carton fits perfectly within the movement to a ‘circular’ economy, where the raw material of the carton is completely renewable. “This step can work as a flywheel because the technology is accessible to everyone.”
The carton is a useful application of waste streams, the co-op says. The material supplier, Elopak, says it hopes the project will lead to an increase in demand for the certified bio-based cartons.
