Tetra Pak has announced a €60 million investment in a new paper-based barrier pilot plant in Lund, Sweden, reinforcing its long-term strategy to accelerate the development of more sustainable packaging materials. The new facility will focus on advancing aseptic carton structures that replace the traditional aluminium foil layer with a paper-based barrier, significantly increasing the renewable content of beverage cartons.

The pilot plant is designed to support faster testing, validation and scale-up of next-generation materials, enabling Tetra Pak to bring alternative barrier solutions to market more quickly. According to the company, the paper-based barrier, when combined with plant-based polymers, can reduce the carbon footprint of aseptic cartons by up to 43% compared with conventional structures.

This development addresses one of the most complex challenges in food and beverage packaging: maintaining product safety and shelf life while reducing reliance on fossil-based and resource-intensive materials. Aluminium foil has traditionally played a critical role in aseptic packaging by protecting products from oxygen and light. Replacing it with a paper-based alternative without compromising performance represents a significant technical milestone.

The Lund site was selected due to its close integration with Tetra Pak’s existing research and materials development ecosystem. The location offers strong collaboration opportunities with Lund University and access to advanced testing infrastructure, including the MAX IV Laboratory, which supports high-level material analysis and performance evaluation.

Joakim Tuvesson, Vice President of Materials and Packaging at Tetra Pak, highlighted the strategic importance of the investment, noting that expanding facilities and strengthening partnerships will help make paper-based barrier solutions accessible to a wider customer base. The company expects the pilot plant to begin production and welcome its first customers in the first quarter of 2027.

The €60 million investment forms part of Tetra Pak’s broader sustainability roadmap, under which the company plans to invest around €100 million per year through to 2030 in developing lower-impact packaging solutions. These efforts reflect growing regulatory, customer and consumer pressure to reduce packaging emissions and increase the use of renewable materials, particularly in high-volume categories such as beverages.

Tetra Pak has already taken steps in this direction, launching the world’s first aseptic beverage carton with a paper-based barrier in 2023 in collaboration with a Portuguese dairy producer. That innovation set a new benchmark for carton sustainability and was recognised with the Resource Efficiency award at the Sustainable Packaging News Awards 2024.

As brands across the food and beverage sector accelerate their transition toward lower-carbon packaging, investments such as this underline the importance of material innovation at scale. By rethinking barrier technologies and strengthening its R&D capabilities, Tetra Pak is positioning itself to support customers in meeting sustainability targets while maintaining the performance standards required for aseptic packaging.