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Bangkok – 25 February 2026: Marking the first-ever collaboration of three industry leaders, Taokaenoi Food & Marketing Public Company Limited, or TKN, a manufacturer of seaweed snacks distributed domestically and internationally, SCG Chemicals, or SCGC, a leading integrated polymer and solutions provider for sustainability, and Dow Thailand Group, or Dow, a global leader in materials science, have jointly announced the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to revolutionize the snack industry through the “Food-Grade Circular Packaging by Advanced Recycling Technology” project. This initiative aims to sustainably address plastic waste challenges under the concept of closed-loop recycling. This collaboration entails utilizing multi-layer packaging waste from the production processes of Taokaenoi, which was previously difficult to recycle. This waste will be processed using the advanced recycling technology of SCGC and converted back into circular feedstock. Following this, Dow will utilize the feedstock to produce new, clean, and food-grade plastic resins. These resins will then be safely used to manufacture food packaging for the Taokaenoi brand once again. It is anticipated that the packaging will be ready for commercial distribution by the end of 2026. Ms. Orrapat Peeradechapan, Chief Executive Officer of Taokaenoi Food & Marketing Public Company Limited, said, “Taokaenoi is committed to creating happiness for consumers through high-quality snacks, alongside prioritizing ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles by emphasizing sustainable economic, social, and environmental development. This collaboration represents a significant milestone that transforms the ‘challenge’ of hard-to-recycle packaging into an ‘opportunity’ to establish a practical circular economy. It is not merely about waste disposal, but rather about creating new value from used plastic. We do not only deliver great-tasting products, but we also aim to deliver a better world to consumers through eco-friendly packaging innovations that are clean, safe, and tangibly reduce environmental impacts. This will drive our business to grow alongside genuine sustainability.” Dr. Suracha Udomsak, Chief Operations and Innovation Officer of SCGC, said, “This collaboration reflects the capability of SCGC in utilizing advanced recycling technology to manage plastic packaging composed of multiple materials, which is difficult to recycle, and converting it back into circular feedstock. This feedstock can be used to produce new plastic resins (Certified Circular Polyolefin Resin), which possess properties and quality entirely equivalent to standard virgin plastic resins in all respects and are safe for direct food contact. As a result, the materials can be reused to manufacture food packaging for Taokaenoi. In addition, our process has achieved the globally recognized sustainability certification, ISCC PLUS (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification), throughout the entire supply chain, making SCGC the first company in ASEAN to achieve such certification. This partnership is considered a crucial step in driving SCGC’s goal of reintegrating used plastic into the circular economy system at a volume of 500,000 tons per year by 2030, through collaborations with business partners across the entire value chain.” Meanwhile, Mr. Vichan Tangkengsirisin, President of Dow Thailand, added, “As a materials science leader, Dow is proud to support this collaboration in Thailand by applying our technology to produce circular plastic resins from used flexible packaging feedstock with performance equivalent to fossil-based plastics. Dow Thailand Group’s polyethylene facility in Rayong is ISCC PLUS certified for its capability of converting advanced recycled feedstock into high quality, food grade circular resins. This initiative represents an important step toward closing the plastics loop in Thailand and advancing Dow’s sustainability ambition to transform the waste through collaboration with customers and value chain partners.” This collaboration serves as a model for the comprehensive management of used multi-layer plastic packaging. It reduces the accumulation of plastic waste in the country and decreases the consumption of new resources. This aligns with the sustainability goals of Taokaenoi, SCGC, and Dow, reinforcing the role of the business sector in tangibly driving the circular economy to build a sustainable future together.
Year 2026
February 2026

Tetra Pak Launches World's First Paper-based Barrier for Juice Packaging

Lausanne, Switzerland 30 January 2026- Tetra Pak, together with leading Spanish beverage producer García Carrión, has unveiled the first-ever use of its paper-based barrier technology for juice packaging. This innovation in sustainable food packaging solutions marks a significant step towards reducing reliance on fossil-based materials, with the new packaging material now being rolled out across multiple markets.

The launch of Tetra Brik® Aseptic 200 ml Slim Leaf carton features a paper-based barrier for juice, under the flagship Don Simón brand. This is the first juice portion pack globally to use the innovative barrier and the first such package available in Spain.

Made with up to 80% paper, the packaging reinforces its sustainability credentials. The combination of the paper-based barrier with plant-based polymers used in the packaging material coatings, pushes the renewable content to a remarkable 92%, while reducing the carbon footprint by 43% compared with an aseptic package that uses aluminium foil layer and fossil-based polymers, as verified by the Carbon Trust1.

“We are proud to lead the way in sustainable packaging for the juice category. For more than 135 years, García Carrión has been committed to responsible innovation and respect for the environment,” said Don José García Carrión, President of García Carrión. “This innovation supports our mission to reduce environmental impact while offering high-quality products to our consumers”, added Fala Corujo, Vice President of García Carrión.

For García Carrión, this packaging solution represents a new industrial application of its 360° Sustainability Strategy, recognised with the Factories of the Future Award 2024 for Excellence in Sustainability and Circular Economy.

Tatiana Liceti, Executive Vice President, Packaging Solutions at Tetra Pak commented: “This launch represents a significant step in our journey towards fully renewable and recyclable packaging. By working closely with our customers, we’re proving that sustainable innovation can scale across markets and categories, while ensuring packaging retains its functionality and quality.”

Tetra Pak’s paper-based barrier is a breakthrough in aseptic carton design. It replaces the traditional aluminium foil layer with a renewable, paper-based barrier, promoting the shift from a fossil-based material to a low-carbon, renewable alternative and reducing package’s carbon footprint. Together with other layers in the packaging, the paper-based barrier protects against oxygen, light, moisture and bacteria ensuring food safety is not compromised, and shelf life is comparable to packages with the aluminium foil layer.

Aseptic cartons with a new paper-based barrier can be collected, sorted, and recycled where recycling infrastructure is in place, at scale. The new paper-based barrier is expected to deliver additional benefits downstream for recycling infrastructure efficiency. These include maximising the recovery of paper content from the recycling process of carton packages, while ensuring high-quality fibre and non-fibre fractions.

Tetra Pak’s paper-based barrier technology is part of its broader ambition to create the world’s most sustainable food package – one that is paper-based, made solely from responsibly sourced renewable or recycled materials, has the lowest possible carbon footprint and is fully recyclable.

Tetra Pak’s aseptic beverage carton with a paper-based barrier was launched in collaboration with a dairy company in Portugal in 2023. It was recognised as a groundbreaking innovation in sustainable packaging, receiving the “Resource Efficiency” award at the Sustainable Packaging News Awards 2024.

Source: Tetra Pak