Tetra Pak invests US$1.2M in carton recycling machine

SOUTH AFRICA – Tetra Pak has invested R19 million (US$1.18 million) in a new carton recycling machine in Johannesburg, producing pellets that transform used beverage cartons into roof tiles, pipes and furniture.

The machine, operated by manufacturing partner Unique Timber Plastics at its plant in Johannesburg’s Heriotdale industrial area, strips plastic and aluminium layers from used cartons, converting them into pellets reused as industrial inputs. 

Cartons typically comprise 70 percent paperboard, 25 percent polyethylene plastic and 5 percent aluminium composite, layered to protect food from spoilage. 

The facility will create 24 jobs and support thousands of waste pickers.

Carton recycling in South Africa has climbed sharply from just 8 percent in 2023 to 33 percent today. 

The investment forms part of Tetra Pak’s push to recycle 40 percent of the country’s food and beverage cartons within two years. 

Masele Manoko, Tetra Pak’s head of sustainability for Southern Africa, said the pellets would be a low-cost and more sustainable competitor to high-density polyethylene pipes and could also compete with concrete roof tiles.

Paperboard Component Processed by Mpact

Mpact, South Africa’s leading paper recycler, will process the paperboard component of the waste. 

Bruce Strong, chief executive of Mpact, said paperboard fibres could be recycled up to seven times, noting that cooperation between parties including producer responsibility organisation Petco had been delivering real results. 

Petco’s 29 members, including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Tiger Brands and Tetra Pak, represent most plastic beverage bottle manufacturers and have boosted recycling of such bottles from 16 percent in 2005 to nearly 76 percent.

Waste Picker Network and Monitoring Systems Underpin Strategy

Manoko said the push toward the 40 percent recycling target followed years of effort including work with waste pickers, aggregators and municipalities as part of the transition toward a circular economy. 

The group has built a monitoring system tracking waste aggregation across South Africa. Telly Chauke, chief executive of Petco, said efforts toward a circular economy might seem abstract but were keeping cartons out of rivers while creating opportunities for marginalised communities. 

Strong added that manufacturing capacity was hard to build but easy to lose, appealing for deeper cooperation between industry and government to protect local capacity.

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