Coca-Cola has won the Technology in Beverage Packaging prize at the 2014 ABRE awards for using Tetra Pak’s cartons with bio-based low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films derived from sugarcane.
Coca-Cola's Del Valle Reserva brand of juice won the award for being the first brand to use the technology.
These cartons have been manufactured by Braskem which is considered to be the world's leading biopolymers producers. These cartons have the same physical and chemical properties as the traditional fossil-fuel derived polyethylene.
Speaking about the product, Coca-Cola Brazil technics and logistics vice-president Rino Abbondi said: "Tetra Pak has been characterized by its expertise and leadership in renewable resources. The packaging with green technology is part of that.
Our participation in this innovative process, with Del Valle, is also the result of the environmental vision already incorporated into the DNA of Coca-Cola. The partnership with Tetra Pak puts us, once again, in front of the most modern and sustainable in the packaging sector."
Coca-Cola sells the Del Valle juice in Tetra PrismaR Aseptic 1000 to more than 200 million Brazilian consumers annually.
Tetra Pak has introduced these cartons to more than 150 of their clients in Brazil who use close to 13 billion packs every year. When this is combined with paperboard, the use of bio-based LDPE increases the content of renewable materials to 78% in the Tetra Prisma Aseptic package used by Coca-Cola.
Tetra Pak president marketing and product management Charles Brand said: "We are delighted that Coca-Cola has won this award, which stands as testimony to their vision and their commitment to drive the sustainability and performance of their packaging through the use of renewable materials.
"We will continue to work with both customers and suppliers to find innovative ways to increase the renewable content of our packaging - which currently averages 70% across our portfolio - because we strongly believe this is the best way to protect the sustainable future of the packaging industry."
