TINE, a leading dairy producer, distributor and exporter based in Norway, is the first brand in Europe to use the bio-based LightCap 30 closure. Its Piano vanilla sauce, TINE iced coffee, iced tea and chocolate milk will be packaged in Tetra Brik Aseptic Edge cartons topped with the LightCap 30, a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) cap made from sugar cane. Along with the cartons, the cap is also from Tetra Pak.
"As one of Norway's largest users of packaging, it is important that we use our resources optimally and prioritize sustainability. This is a business imperative for us. Tetra Pak's TBA Edge, which is made from about 75% renewable resources, now comes with bio-based cap, offering us the opportunity to further enhance the environmental profile of our products", says Bjrn Malm, Sustainability Manager, at TINE.
The renewable polyethylene used in LightCap 30 starts out as sugar cane. The cane is crushed and the juice fermented and distilled to produce ethanol. Through a process of dehydration, ethanol is converted into ethylene, which is then polymerized to produce the polyethylene used to manufacture the cap.
"The development of the bio-based LightCap 30 is another important step towards our goal of producing a 100% renewable packaging solution. This launch demonstrates our continued commitment to environmental innovation and providing customers, retailers and consumers with the highest level of environmental performance for their packaging," says Erik Steijger, Product Manager Environmental Innovation, Tetra Pak.
