Tetra Pak
reliable, independent, third-party sources. (May 2019) ) |
Parent Tetra Laval | | |
Website | www |
---|
Tetra Pak is a Swedish multinational food packaging and processing company headquartered in Switzerland. The company offers packaging, filling machines and processing for dairy, beverages, cheese, ice cream and prepared food, including distribution tools like accumulators, cap applicators, conveyors, crate packers, film wrappers, line controllers and straw applicators.[2]
Tetra Pak was founded by
The company is privately owned by the family of Gad Rausing through the Swiss-based holding company Tetra Laval, which also includes the dairy farming equipment producer DeLaval and the PET bottle manufacturer Sidel.[6]
History
Åkerlund & Rausing
In 1929, Ruben Rausing and Erik Åkerlund established a food carton company in Malmö. Rausing, who had studied in New York at the beginning of the 1920s, had seen self-service grocery stores in the United States, unheard of in Europe at the time, and realised that pre-packaging was part of the future in food retailing as a more hygienic and practical way of distributing staple groceries. At the time, these were sold over the counter in cumbersome glass bottles or impractical paper wraps in most European countries.[7] At the end of the 1920s, Rausing bought a run-down packaging factory in Malmö together with the industrialist Erik Åkerlund.[8] Åkerlund & Rausing was the first packaging company in Scandinavia and eventually became a leading manufacturer of dry food cartons,[8][9] producing various paper packaging for dry staple groceries.[7]
Formation
By the early 1940s, Rausing, (now the sole owner of the company), began developing dairy packaging that could compete with loose milk. Erik Wallenberg, an assistant in the Åkerlund & Rausing lab, came up with the idea to construct a tetrahedron-shaped package out of a tube of paper in 1944.[10] On March 27, 1944, Rausing filed a patent for the idea.[11] Rausing's wife Elisabeth reportedly came up with the idea of continuously sealing the packages through the milk while filling the tube in the manner of stuffing sausages. In 1946, the company introduced the first prototype tetrahedron-package filling machine.[12]
Operating history
AB Tetra Pak was established in Lund, Sweden, in 1951 as a subsidiary to Åkerlund & Rausing. In May of that year, the new packaging system was presented to the press, and in 1952, the first filling machine producing 100 ml cream tetrahedrons was delivered to Lundaortens Mejeriförening, a local dairy.[13] In subsequent years, tetrahedron packages became more and more common in Swedish grocery stores, and in 1954, the first machine producing 500 ml milk packages was sold to a Stockholm dairy.[13] That same year the first machine was exported to Hamburg, Germany, soon to be followed by France (1954), Italy (1956), Switzerland (1957) and later the Soviet Union (1959) and Japan (1962).[14]
Rausing strove to improve the Tetra Classic system, beset with many technical problems during the 1950s, and spent enormous amounts on development. The different projects – the tetrahedron, the aseptic packaging technology, Tetra Brik – all demanded large resources and the company had financial troubles well into the 1960s.[15] Tetra Pak's commercial breakthrough did not arrive until the mid-1960s with the new Tetra Brik package, introduced in 1963, and the development of the aseptic technology.[11] To liberate capital, Åkerlund & Rausing was sold in 1965 while AB Tetra Pak was retained.[13]
International expansion had begun in the 1960s, when the first production plant outside of Sweden was established in Mexico in 1960, soon to be followed by another in the United States in 1962.[13] In 1964, the first Tetra Classic Aseptic machine outside of Europe was installed in Lebanon.[13] The late-1960s and 1970s saw a global expansion of the company, mainly due to the new Tetra Brik Aseptic package, launched in 1969, which opened up new markets in the developing world and sparked an explosion in sales.[7]
Mergers and acquisitions
In 1981, Tetra Pak relocated its corporate headquarters to
Operations
Business and markets
In 2010, Tetra Pak reported a 5.2 percent increase in sales, with an annual turnover of approximately €10 billion. Growth in Asian, Eastern European, and South American markets helped drive the increase.
Competition
In an interview in Swedish business monthly
Products
Aseptic technology
Tetra Pak uses aseptic packaging technology. In aseptic processing the product and the package are sterilized separately and then combined and sealed in a sterile atmosphere, in contrast to canning, where product and package are first combined and then sterilized. When filled with ultra-heat treated (UHT) foodstuffs (liquids like milk and juice or processed food like vegetables and preserved fruits), the aseptic packages can be preserved without being chilled for up to one year, with the result that distribution and storage costs, as well as environmental impact, is greatly reduced and product shelf life expanded.[31]
The aseptic packaging technology has been called the most important food packaging innovation of the 20th century by the Institute of Food Technologists.[32]
Packages
- Tetra Classic is the name of the first, tetrahedral package, launched by Tetra Pak in 1952, with an aseptic version released in 1961 and still in use, mainly for portion-sized cream packages and children's juices.[33]
- The Tetra Brik, a package in the shape of a rectangular cuboid, was launched in 1963 after a long and costly development process. An aseptic version, Tetra Brik Aseptic was launched in 1969. In terms of entities sold, it is the most popular of the Tetra Pak packages.[34]
- The pillow-shaped Tetra Fino Aseptic was introduced in 1997, aiming to provide low cost and simplicity.[34]
- Tetra Gemina Aseptic was introduced in 2007 as the “world’s first roll-fed gable top package with full aseptic performance”.[34]
- The Tetra Prisma Aseptic was launched in 1996. It has an octagonal shape with the aim of providing a more ergonomicexperience.
- The Tetra Rex is a cuboid shaped package with a gable-top.[35] It was launched in Sweden in 1966.
- Tetra Recart was launched in 2003 and is a package shaped as a rectangular cuboid that is meant to provide an alternative to previously canned foodstuffs such as vegetables, fruit and pet food.[36]
- Tetra Top was launched in 1986 as a re-closable, rounded cuboid package with a plastic upper part, including opening and closure elements. The lid, molded in polyethylene in a single mold, makes it easy to open and reclose.
- Tetra Wedge Aseptic was developed to keep packaging material to a minimum while retaining a square surface underneath. It was introduced in 1997.
- The Tetra Evero Aseptic is the latest of the Tetra Pak packages, launched in 2011 and marketed as the world's first aseptic carton bottle for ambient milk.[34]
In November 2011, the
Processing and distribution
While the original idea was to provide hygienic pre-packaging for liquid foodstuffs, Tetra Pak is now providing a range of different packaging and processing products and services due to its acquisition of Alfa Laval in 1991, consequently supplying complete systems of processing, packaging, and distribution within fields as various as ice cream, cheese, fruit and vegetables and pet food.[2]
In addition to its various packaging products, Tetra Pak thus provides integrated processing and distribution lines for different kinds of food manufacturing, including packaging machines and carton paper, equally providing distribution equipment like conveyors, tray packers, film wrappers, crates, straws, and roll containers. The company offers automated production equipment and technical service.
Environment
Environmental policy
Tetra Pak products have been identified as solid waste problem by many NGOs and environmental groups. Unlike aluminum cans or glass bottles, it cannot be recycled in municipal recycling facilities. In order to stave off regulation, the company has engineered a strong Corporate Social Responsibility campaign. In 2011, Tetra Pak published a set of sustainability targets, which included maintaining its CO2 emission levels at the same level until 2020 and increasing recycling by 100 percent.[41] Previous Tetra Pak sustainability targets (2005–2010) were met and exceeded.[42] Maintaining current CO2 emission levels until 2020 would result in a 40 percent relative cut in emissions at an average growth rate of five percent per year, according to Food Production Daily.[43] Tetra Pak said it will increase its use of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper to 100 percent in 2020, with an interim target of 50 percent by 2012.[44] The new targets will encompass the whole value chain, from suppliers to customers, putting pressure on partners to perform coherently.[41]
As of 2017, Tetra Pak was a Carbon Disclosure Project "A-lister" and 100% of its paperboard that year was either FSC-certified or came from other controlled sources that exclude "five environmentally and socially unacceptable categories as defined by the FSC."[45] The company began producing paper straws for some of its smaller containers in 2019.[46]
In 2020, Tetra Pak joined the
The company reported that it secures raw material for paper cartons in cooperation with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and that it strives to source polyethylene made from sugarcane from sustainable suppliers in Brazil.[44] In 2010, 40 percent of Tetra Pak's carton supply was FSC-certified.[49] Slowly, sectors where glass bottles have been paramount, like the wine and spirits industry, have begun to look at carton containers as a possible packaging product as the carbon footprint of a carton container is said to be about one-tenth of that of an equivalent glass bottle.[50][51]
Tetra Pak's sustainability work has gained recognition from industry and retailers alike. In 2010 it received the Swedish Forest Industries Climate Award for assuming global responsibility for the forests which provide its raw material.
Recycling
Since aseptic packages contain different layers of plastic and aluminium in addition to raw paper, they cannot be recycled as "normal" paper waste, but need to go to special recycling units for separation of the different materials.[55] As a result, Tetra Pak cannot be put in recycling or compost bins. Recycled Tetra Paks may be used in producing polythene based products and construction material, third largest contributor to carbon footprint.[55] Tetra Pak has operated limited recycling since the mid-1980s, introducing a recycling program for its containers in Canada as early as 1990.[7][34] In 2000, Tetra Pak invested 20 million baht (€500,000) in the first recycling plant for aseptic packages in Thailand.[56] Recycling aseptic packages has been one of Tetra Pak's challenges.[57] Once separated, the aseptic carton yields aluminum and pure paraffin, which can be used in industry.[58] Even without separating the carton materials, however, the aseptic carton can be reused, for example, in engineering equipment.[58] In 2010, 30 billion used Tetra Pak cartons were recycled, a doubling since 2002.[59] The company aims to double the recycling rate within the next ten years, something that will require the engagement of the entire recycling chain.[44] As of 2011, 20 percent of Tetra Pak cartons are recycled globally, with countries like Belgium, Germany, Spain, and Norway showing local recycling rates of over 50 percent.[60] To increase the level of recycling and meet its targets, Tetra Pak engaged in driving recycling activities such as developing collection schemes, launching new recycling technologies, and raising awareness of recycling and sustainability.[60] Used Tetra Pak packages have been recycled as construction material in design projects, with varying results.[61][62]
By 2017, 25% of Tetra Pak cartons were recycled globally. At that time, the company announced that global recycling rates would no longer be one of its main metrics measured in sustainability reports, abandoning its previous target of increasing recycling rates to 40% by 2020, and instead introduced new metrics to measure against, such as public outreach, access to recycling facilities, and recycling capacity.[63] In 2018, Tetra Pak signed an agreement with the environmental services company Veolia "to recycle all the components of used beverage cartons collected within the EU by 2025."[64] Tetra Pak has also partnered with the Certified Renovated Equipment organization to refurbish old equipment so it can be resold as part of a circular economy initiative.[65]
Community projects
In the late-1970s,
After the 2008 Chinese melamine scandal, the Chinese government tightened regulations on safety and environmental standards, damaging the country's market for packaged milk and infant formula. Tetra Pak had nothing to do with the scandal, however Tetra Pak China established a training program which was delivered by a food safety school, DVDs and books, resulting in over 30 farms meeting EU quality standards, according to Tetra Pak China. The effort also included a push to reduce waste by advising customers on recycling, and working alongside the World Wildlife Fund to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The Financial Times indicated this was not a philanthropic act, but a way to establish a future for the company by ensuing there was always a market for their products.[68][69] In 2015, Tetra Pak in collaboration with DeLavel, signed a five year agreement with the Dairy Association of China to provide training to 150 Chinese dairy farm managers, providing them with the skills required to run larger-scale dairy farms.[69] It is unclear if this initiative was voluntary or paid for. Tetra Pak also works with Chinese schools to regulate storage, distribution and recycling of school milk. They certified 53 schools as ‘Promotion Model Schools’ in 2017 and aimed to certify 50 more schools in 2018.[70]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tetra Pak helped maintain the delivery of school feeding programmes via on-line orders and non-contact delivery methods.[71] The Tetra Laval Group donates 10 million Euro to various voluntary organisations supporting health care systems.[72]
Following the
Controversy
Monopoly
Tetra Pak has occasionally been subject to controversy, most notably regarding its near-monopoly position on certain markets for many years.
Parmalat scandal
In January 2004, Italian dairy giant Parmalat was caught in a multibillion-euro accounting scandal, culminating in the arrest of the owner Calisto Tanzi. Parmalat CFO Fausto Tonna told the Italian business daily Il Sole 24 Ore that Tetra Pak had made substantial payments to Tanzi and his family and to a company in the Cayman Islands belonging to Parmalat.[78][79] Tetra Pak acknowledged having made payments to Parmalat but stated that the payments had been made as discounts to subsidize marketing operations and pricing, as is usual practice with large customers.[79] Tetra Pak was asked by Italian authorities to provide documentation on the transactions, and found that payments had been made since 1995 as part of regular operations but that no payments had been made specifically to the Tanzi family.[80] Calisto Tanzi was eventually sentenced to eight years imprisonment for fraud by the Italian high court in Milan after several appeals in lower courts.[81]
Tetrahedron legacy
When visiting the Tetra Pak factory in Lund in the 1950s, Danish physics professor and Nobel Prize laureate Niels Bohr allegedly claimed to "never have seen such an adequate practical application of a mathematical problem" as the tetrahedron package and the innovation of the milk tetrahedron. The question of who invented it has been the subject of some disagreements.[82] Erik Wallenberg did not receive any formal recognition until 1991 when he was awarded the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences Great Gold Medal for outstanding achievement for the invention.[83]
References
- ^ a b c Tetra Laval 2019/2020 (PDF) (Report). Tetra Laval. 2021. p. 11. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ a b Tetra Pak International Bloomberg Businessweek, retrieved 29 November 2011
- ^ Our History Tetrapak.com, retrieved 28 November 2011
- ISBN 91-630-4789-6), p. 29
- ^ Company Facts and Figures Tetrapak.com, retrieved 10 September 2022
- ^ About Tetra Laval Archived 11 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine Tetralaval.com, retrieved 29 November 2011
- ^ ISBN 978-1-55862-485-6.
- ^ ISBN 91-630-4789-6), p. 20
- ^ Ruben Rausing Tetrapak.com, retrieved 1 November 2011
- ^ "Tetra Pak". Tekniska Museet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ ISBN 91-520-0910-6.
- ^ Meissl Årebo, Ingrid (31 August 2021). "Tetra Pak machte ihn zu einem der reichsten Menschen der Welt – ein Nachruf auf Hans Rausing" [Tetra Pak made him one of the richest people in the world - an obituary for Hans Rausing]. Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Our History Tetrapak.com, retrieved 1 November 2011
- ISBN 91-630-4789-6), pp. 195, 165 and 179
- ISBN 91-630-4789-6), p. 123ff
- ^ a b Our Company History Archived 8 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine Alfalaval.com, retrieved 30 November 2011
- ^ Alfa Laval AB Claus Wohlert and Christina Stansell in International Directory of Company Histories, retrieved 30 November 2011
- ^ DeLaval in brief Archived 4 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine DeLaval.com, retrieved 30 November 2011
- ^ Court of First Instance Annuls Tetra Laval/Sidel Merger Prohibition Archived 7 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, retrieved 9 December 2011
- ^ Tetra Laval decision: good news for business? Thomson Reuters, retrieved 9 December 2011
- ^ a b Tetra Laval II: the Coming of Age of the Judicial Review of Merger Decisions Matteo F. Bay and Javier Ruiz Calzado in World Competition 28(4), p. 433–453, 2005
- ^ Tetra Laval International Archived 10 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine Tetralaval.24, retrieved 30 November 2011
- ^ "CARBONATED SOFT DRINKS". Tetra Pak. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
- ^ "Tetra Pak Acquires Miteco to Strengthen Carbonated Soft Drinks Capabilities". Food Ingredients First. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
- ^ "Tetra Pak in figures". Tetra Pak. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ^ Wiggins, Jenny (31 May 2009). "Tetra Pak to step up drive in new markets". Financial Times. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ Montague-Jones, Guy (4 April 2011). "Tetra Pak nearly reaches annual sales of €10bn". Dairy Reporter. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ Eagle, Jenny (3 July 2019). "Tetra Pak opens aseptic carton packaging plant in Vietnam". Dairy Reporter. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
- ^ a b "Rausings nya städare" [Rausing's new cleaners]. Affärsvärlden (in Swedish). 14 March 2006. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ Tao, Zhigang; Chung, Rebecca (2 December 2013). "Tetra Pak versus Greatview: the Battle Beyond China". Retrieved 12 September 2013.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ a b Tetra Pak vs Plastic Water Bottles? The Guardian, retrieved 2 December 2011
- ^ Aaron L, Brody (1 May 2003). "A Wonderful World for Aseptic Packaging". Institute of Food Technology.
- ^ Tetra Pak in Figures 2011 Archived 11 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine tetrapak.com, retrieved 29 November 2011
- ^ a b c d e Tetra Pak in Figures 2011 Archived 11 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine Tetrapak.com, retrieved 29 November 2011
- ^ Tetra Rex gable top carton packages
- ^ "Tetra Pak history, tetrapak.com, retrieved 01 April 2019"
- ^ Miraculous Mundane Objects: From Tetra Pak to Bubble Wrap The Telegraph, retrieved 28 November 2011
- ^ Hidden Heroes – The Genius of Everyday Things Archived 22 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine The London Science Museum, retrieved 28 November 2011
- ^ Hidden Heroes The Vitra Design Museum, retrieved 28 November 2011
- ^ Tetra Pak Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, IVA, retrieved 28 November 2011
- ^ a b Tetra Pak sets new environmental targets Greener Package, retrieved 2 December 2011
- ^ Climate Savers – Tetra Pak Archived 25 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine WWF, retrieved 2 December 2001
- ^ Tetra Pak Publishes new Environmental Targets Food Production Daily, retrieved 1 December 2011
- ^ a b c Mission Possible. Tetra Pak sustainability update 2011 Archived 26 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine Tetrapak.com, retrieved 1 December 2011
- ^ Manuel, Claire (1 December 2017). "Report review: Climate A-lister Tetra Pak links reporting with SDGs". Reuters. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- ^ Qureshi, Waqas (19 July 2019). "Tetra Pak becomes 'first carton packaging' company to launch paper straws in Europe". Packaging News. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
- ^ Cornall, Jim (21 May 2020). "Tetra Pak joins European Alliance for a Green Recovery". Dairy Reporter. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
- ^ Keating, Cecilia (11 June 2020). "Tetra Pak commits to net zero emissions". Business Green. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
- ^ Tetra Pak to Double Carton Recycling Environmentalleader.com, retrieved 2 December 2011
- ^ Losing their Bottle The Economist, retrieved 2 December 2011
- ^ Ecohols – Sustainable Alcohol in Tetra Pak Cartons PSFK.com, retrieved 2 December 2011
- ^ Our History Tetrapak.com, retrieved 1 December
- ^ The Forest Industries Swedish Forest Industries, retrieved 1 December 2011 Archived 4 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Is Tetra Pak better for the environment than tin cans? The Guardian, retrieved 1 December 2011
- ^ a b Taylor, Chris (3 November 2019). "Meet Tetra Pak, the most maddening piece of packaging in your kitchen". Mashable. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ Tetra Pak to set up Recycling Facility The Nation (Thailand), retrieved 1 December 2011
- ^ Recycling of Aseptic Cartons Environmental Expert, retrieved 1 December 2011
- ^ a b Designers Must Cater for Products' Afterlife Financial Times, retrieved 30 November 2011
- ^ Tetra Pak to Double Carton Recycling Environmentalleader.com
- ^ a b Environment and Recycling Archived 15 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine Tetralaval.com, retrieved 1 December 2011
- ^ Edward Chew's Tetra Pak Origami Lamps Inhabitat.com, retrieved 2 December 2011
- ^ Tetra Pak Craft Recycling Archived 9 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine Veggies.org.uk, retrieved 2 December 2011
- ^ Manuel, Claire (1 December 2017). "Report review: Climate A-lister Tetra Pak links reporting with SDGs". Reuters. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- ^ Bean, Alex (20 November 2018). "Tetra Pak join forces with Veolia to recycle all beverage carton components". REB News. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- ^ Norris, Maya (19 August 2020). "Tetra Pak moves the needle significantly in meeting its ambitious sustainability goals". ProFood World. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- ISBN 91-7263-014-0.
- ^ Astley, Mark (17 September 2014). "School milk programs 'catalyst' for dairy market growth: Tetra Pak". Dairy Reporter. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ Witzel, Morgen (29 June 2011). "How to Restore Faith in an Industry". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 4 July 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ a b "TETRA PAK AND DELAVAL COMMIT TO UP-SKILL DAIRY FARM MANAGEMENT IN CHINA". 27 November 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- ^ "Establishing standards in milk safety at schools in China". Tetra Pak. 31 July 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
- ^ "Continuing to deliver nutrition to school children during COVID-19". Tetra Pak. 16 April 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ "Tetra Laval Group is donating € 10 million towards COVID-19 relief effort". Tetra Pak. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ "Our support to Ukraine". Tetra Pak. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ Tetra Pak International SA vs Commission of the European Communities EUR-Lex, retrieved 9 December 2011
- ^ Italy's Antitrust Body Fines Tetra Pak Food Production Daily, retrieved 9 December 2011
- ^ Boxed In. Where next for Europe's biggest food packager? The Economist, retrieved 9 December 2011
- ^ Country fighting against monopolies China Daily, retrieved 9 December 2011
- ^ Parma Splat The Economist, retrieved 30 November 2011
- ^ a b Tetra Pak defends Parmalat payments New York Times, retrieved 30 November 2011
- ^ Swedish Company Traces Parmalat Money, New York Times, retrieved 30 November 2011.
- ^ La Cassazione riduce la pena per Tanzi a 8 anni, Il Sole 24 Ore, retrieved 30 November 2011
- ISBN 91-7263-014-0), p. 23.
- ISBN 91-630-4789-6), p. 28.