Elopak rolls out environmentally friendly aseptic carton
The Pure-Pak eSense carton is aluminium-free and is made with a polyolefin blend barrier. Imagae: Elopak
Pure-Pak eSense is Elopak’s more environmentally friendly aseptic carton made without an aluminium layer.
Designed using technology from its fresh portfolio, as well as traditional sustainably sourced paperboard, the Pure-Pak eSense carton is made with a polyolefin blend barrier. This results in up to a 50% lower carbon footprint than a standard Pure-Pak aseptic carton and offers full recyclability.
With no aluminium layer, the Pure-Pak eSense carton unlocks the potential to be fully renewable.
It also simplifies the recycling process as the new polyolefin structure enables a one operation separation of the fibres and the polyolefin layers, and the polyolefin material does not contain value reducing elements.
Furthermore, the carton is designed with easy folding crease lines, which help consumers to empty all the product inside before folding the carton for more convenient recycling while reducing food waste.
This falls in line with Elopak’s ambition to promote a net zero circular economy for packaging; driving the transition from plastic bottles to fully renewable, low carbon cartons.
The first company to bring the benefits of the Pure-Pak eSense package to market is Spanish drinks manufacturer Garcia Carron, owners of the Don Simon brand.
A few years ago, Don Simon introduced Natural Brown Board, which enabled it to remove the bleaching process from its packages and join the CarbonNeutral program.
Elopak’s director of sustainability Marianne Groven said “the arrival of the Pure-Pak eSense carton is very significant because it extends the environmental credentials of our cartons to customers in our aseptic segment.”
The Pure-Pak eSense carton is suitable for both low and high acid food & beverage products, including milk, juice and plant-based drinks. The new barrier replaces the aluminium layer while still retaining the classic rigidity of a carton.
The Pure-Pak eSense carton is available in 500ml, 750ml, and 1l sizes, with 1.5l, 1.75l and 2l and US relevant sizes to be introduced at a later stage.
The carton will be available with a range of compatible aseptic caps, as well as a cap-free easy-opening feature which reduces plastic consumption and lowers the carbon footprint even further.
Customers can also opt for polyethylene based on feedstocks from second generation renewable sources, or a carbon neutral version of the Pure-Pak eSense carton, where the remaining emissions are offset through Elopak’s verified CarbonNeutral packaging program.
