A low carbon footprint benefit
To assess the carbon footprint of beverage cartons, numerous Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) have been undertaken by the industry and leading environmental research institutes. Most studies have shown that beverage cartons have the lowest carbon footprint in its core categories of milk and juice. The beverage carton has a low carbon footprint for a number of reasons:
The low carbon footprint of its main material, paperboard, because :
- The low amounts of energy needed to harvest the trees as compared with the sourcing of other raw materials
- The high share of biofuels at the European paperboard production sites (more than 80%)
- The low carbon intensity electricity mix in the countries where paperboard is produced
- The increasingly high share of internal electricity production at the paperboard sites
- The energy efficiency measures along the supply chain
- The efficient utilisation of fibres in the paperboard (low grammage board)
The resource-efficient processes used by the carton manufacturers
From the choice of raw materials to the design of packaging, energy efficiency measures and use of renewable energy in production, ACE members strive to reduce carbon emissions at all stages of the life-cycle. At the production stage, the highly energy-efficient processes used by the carton manufacturers reduce reliance on fossil fuel energy consumption. And manufacturers increasingly use certified renewable energy in their operations.
The shape and weight of beverage cartons
Take the cuboid structure of the carton : when filled, the cartons are able to stack without any wasted space which can mean fewer trucks on the road. The lightweight design also contributes positively to transportation, and all the materials, of course, are recyclable.
Growing trees absorb CO2
In addition to the low carbon footprint benefit of the carton, the trees grown to produce the original wood fibre (and the new ones planted after harvest) help to mitigate global warming, as they continually absorb CO2 in order to grow. As more trees are grown than are harvested this renewable resource not only benefits industry by providing a continual source of packaging raw material, it benefits the environment too.
Recycling (as opposed to landfill) reduces the carbon footprint
Once it has been used, the beverage carton is recovered or recycled, completing its life- cycle with a further action to lower the overall CO2 impact.