Tetra Pak homogenizer range incorporates Circle Green stainless steel

Switzerland-based packaging developer Tetra Pak has expanded its homogenizer portfolio, offering machines with Outokumpu Corp. Circle Green stainless steel, a material the company says boasts a carbon footprint up to 93 percent lower when compared to the global industry average.

This material will be available as an option for all models in its homogenizer line in Europe starting in June before rolling out globally later this year.

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“Innovation sits at the heart of our philosophy as a business and our approach to sustainability,” says Fiona Liebehenz, vice president of key components, plant solutions and channel management at Tetra Pak. “The incorporation of Circle Green into our product portfolio is an important step in leveraging the latest innovations to improve our upstream emissions, whilst also helping to reduce emissions at customer sites. Working together to help both Tetra Pak and our customers to reach our individual sustainability goals is fundamental to our promise to protect what’s good.”

In a news release, Tetra Pak says that with approximately 7 percent of the world’s CO₂ emissions stemming from the global steel industry, innovating with new forms of stainless steel plays an important role in reducing overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The company notes that in the food and beverage industry, everything from dairy beverages to table sauces relies on homogenization as part of its production process.

The company says its homogenizers—with a Circle Green stainless steel hood—offer food and beverage manufacturers a viable path to reducing their Scope 3 emissions. Depending on the model, using Circle Green on a homogenizer will reduce the CO₂ emissions by between 160 kilograms to 1,370 kilograms per machine. Tetra Pak says the Circle Green variant range offers the same benefits as its other homogenizers in the line, such as durability, reliability and ease of operation.

“This strategic collaboration with Outokumpu, the global leader in sustainable stainless steel, marks the beginning of a partnership that will see the two companies explore other applications of Circle Green across the Tetra Pak equipment portfolio,” Tetra Pak says. “This work aims to further help F&B [food and beverage] manufacturers achieve their sustainability goals and ensure compliance with evolving environmental regulations.”

The launch of the portfolio is the latest step towards Tetra Pak’s own commitment to reach net-zero across the value chain by 2050, it says, and forms part of a range of solutions that aim to take a holistic view of food and beverage manufacturers’ emissions, considering the emissions involved in equipment manufacture alongside taking a factory-wide approach to energy, water and Cleaning in Place (CIP) optimization.

Low emission stainless steel is at the heart of sustainability solutions across the world,” says Niklas Wass, executive vice president for stainless Europe at Finland-based Outokumpu. “It plays a pivotal role in accelerating the green transition, and the food and beverage industry is a good example of where low-emission steel can have a significant impact.

"We are proud to partner with Tetra Pak on this transformative initiative and look forward to delivering and developing sustainable solutions that facilitate the decarbonization across the value chain. The cooperation with both companies is a concrete action towards reducing emissions in manufacturing.”