Packaging company Tetra Pak has released what it claims to be the first fully renewable 'gable-top' package in the US.
The company's bio-based packages are made solely from renewable materials, defined as natural resources that can be replenished over time.
The new cartons are developed from a combination of paperboard and sugar cane-derived plastics.
The new Tetra Pak Gable Top Bio-based package was specially adapted for the US market.
Tetra Pak customers using the standard half-gallon gable top with or without closure can easily transition to the new bio-based version without the need for any additional investment or modification to their existing filling machines.
The Tetra Pak Gable Top Bio-based package follows a series of innovations in sustainability at Tetra Pak, including the launch of the fully renewable Tetra Rex Bio-based package in Europe, the global launch of the industry's first bio-based cap, and the introduction of bio-based coatings for all packages produced in Brazil.
In the last year, Tetra Pak has been recognized with seven awards, including first place in the Sustainable Innovation category at the Ethical Corporation Responsible Business Awards.
Tetra Pak now expects to deliver globally more than 100 million of these fully renewable packages to customers in 2016.