Brownes Dairy will replace their existing milk cartons with an Australian first – a carton package made entirely from plant-based, renewable materials.
The Tetra Pak bio-based package is the world’s first fully renewable beverage carton, with the protective layers derived from sugar cane.
“There is a lot of emphasis on the importance of recycling, but less of a focus on how we can make products more sustainable from the beginning. Brownes Dairy wanted to improve the sustainability of our packaging across the entire lifecycle of our products,” said Brownes Dairy CEO Tony Girgis.
The bio-based package offers a more sustainable alternative to the standard milk cartons, reducing the reliance on fossil based polyethylene plastic in the lining.
“We have tested this packaging format to ensure our product quality, freshness and food safety are fully maintained,” said Mr Girgis.
Brownes Dairy will switch 25 of its milk carton products to the new sustainable packaging – about 17.8 million milk cartons per year.
This includes the Brownes Dairy white milk, cream and CHILL range.
“Brownes Dairy scoured the planet in search of the best sustainable packaging on the market,” he said.
“Making the switch to a protective layer derived from sugar cane is not only better for the environment, but our consumers can trust the package is made from a renewable source that has a lower carbon impact to climate change.”
Tetra Pak has delivered more than half a billion renewable packs since its bio-based packages was first introduced in dairy by Finnish brand Valio in 2015.
Brownes Dairy will be the first company in Australia to integrate the renewable cartons across its entire milk carton range.
“Brownes is proud to be the first company in Australia to embrace this new environmentally-friendly packaging, with innovation top of mind in everything we do,” said Mr Girgis.
Brownes Dairy is Australia’s oldest dairy company.