Tetra Pak Forecasts Adding 2 Million Households to Curbside Carton Recycling Program...

Tetra Pak Forecasts Adding 2 Million Households to Curbside Carton Recycling Program in 2008

Carton Recycling Has Grown 50 Percent in Five Years
VERNON HILLS, Ill.--(Business Wire)--Tetra Pak helped facilitate carton curbside recycling for more
than 2 million households in 2007.

The liquid foods carton manufacturer achieved this by adding
programs for more than 1 million new households and then expanding
existing programs by 1 million more.

With heightened awareness about global climate change, consumers
are looking for new ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Tetra Pak
is meeting that demand by working with regional recycling coordinators
and organizations across the nation to add carton recycling to their
current curbside programs. Moving into 2008, the liquid foods
packaging producer is taking an equally aggressive approach to offer
even more communities the ability to recycle milk cartons, juice boxes
and other cartons.

"Our goal is to have another 2 million households come on board in
2008," said Michele Wagner, environmental manager for Tetra Pak.
"We're continually working to help communities expand their current
recycling programs, especially in states where we do not yet have a
presence."

In 2007, more than 40 new cities throughout the U.S., including
Chicago, Detroit and Raleigh, N.C., added the recycling program. The
new communities represented eight states: California, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota and North Carolina.

The total now tops 20 million households with easy access to
carton recycling -- a 10 percent increase compared with 2006. Since
2003, carton recycling has grown by more than 50 percent overall.

"With the consumer and retailer growth in demand of 'green'
packaging, we anticipate a steady increase of participating
communities," added Wagner.

What's Recyclable and Where

There are two main types of cartons: aseptic and gable-top.
Aseptic, made primarily of paperboard with thin layers of plastic and
aluminum, allows liquid food to be safely stored at room temperature
without the use of preservatives. Gable-top includes regular
refrigerated milk and juice cartons. The most common types of
packaging include milk cartons, juice boxes, wine cartons, soup and
broth cartons, and soy and rice beverage cartons.

Twenty three states currently have a curbside program in place
that accepts these cartons. To find participating cities, visit
www.TetraPakUSA.com and click on Sustainability, then Recycling. Each
city's recycling services office can also provide details of their
specific program.

In places without a program yet, consumers can send flattened, dry
cartons to be recycled at Tidewater Fibers, 12200 Old Stage Rd. in
Chester, VA. 23836. The outside of the box must be labeled "Milk
Cartons & Drink Boxes" to be routed correctly.

Cartons and the Environment

In addition to being recyclable, the transport of cartons produces
fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared with traditional types of
packaging such as glass or steel cans, a significant environmental
benefit. Distributors can move the same amount of product with fewer
trucks, which means less fuel used and fewer greenhouse gases emitted.
Additionally, the carton is between 70 and 81 percent paper, coming
from well-managed forests using guidelines set forth by organizations
like the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and The Forestry Stewardship
Council.

This is proving important to manufacturers too. In October 2007,
Packaging Digest surveyed 1,255 businesses about the state of green
packaging. When asked, "What do you perceive as the most
environmentally friendly form of package," 38 percent of respondents
whose company has a formal (F) sustainability policy and 51 percent of
respondents whose companies have an informal (I) policy said
"paper-based" solutions were the best environmental choice.

Other packaging types were cited as follows:

-- Bio-polymers: 15 percent (F) and 14 percent (I);

-- Glass: 13 percent (F) and 16 percent (I);

-- Aluminum: 13 percent (F) and 7 percent (I);

-- Petroleum-based polymers: 7 percent (F) and 6 percent (I); and

-- Metal: 2 percent (F and I).

For more information about sustainable packaging, visit
www.tetrapakusa.com.

Tetra Pak
Giovanna Prestes Lemos, 847-955-6281
giovanna.prestes@tetrapak.com
or
EnviroMedia Social Marketing
Kelli Johnson, 512-476-4368, ext. 310
or 512-773-7452 (cell)
kjohnson@enviromedia.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008