Tetra Pak has announced a €100 million investment into the expansion of its caps production facility in Châteaubriant, France, which will ensure customer access to tethered caps.
The investment will take place across three years (late 2021-2023) and will support the plant’s transition to the production of tethered caps by 2024, which can help to minimise litter.
Tetra Pak says the project – which will be carried out in two phases – is key to ensuring that its European customers will be ready to comply with the Single Use Plastics (SUP) Directive.
The first phase will begin in late 2021 and will see Tetra Pak boost its manufacturing capacity by 30% through installing ten additional production lines for tethered caps. Meanwhile, between 2022 and 2023, approximately 50% of the existing lines will be replaced.
Tetra Pak’s latest project is in addition to its commitment to invest approximately €100 million annually over the next five to ten years, in an effort to develop more sustainable packaging solutions. This includes alternatives to replace fossil-based plastics and avoid littering; as well as maximising the use of renewable materials in its packaging.
Charles Brand, president of Tetra Pak Europe & Central Asia, said: “We are particularly proud of this investment project, which demonstrates how we consistently strive to provide customers with sustainable innovations and meet the rapidly changing demands of regulators and society.
“High-performance food packaging plays a critical role in feeding the world, but it must do so sustainably, so that food availability does not come at the cost of the planet.”
The Châteaubriant facility serves food and beverage manufacturers globally and had a production capacity of approximately 5 billion caps in 2020. It is also equipped to produce additional materials integrating attributed recycled polymers.
The site currently covers over 30,000 square-metres and features 19 lines dedicated to the manufacture of six types of caps.
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