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Global packaging giant Tetra Pak has signed a landmark agreement with the Middle East Paper Company (MEPCO) to recycle used food and beverage cartons in Saudi Arabia. The agreement was announced at the weekend following World Environment Day on Friday (5 June).

The partnership between Tetra Pak and MEPCO will address the issue of recycling thousands of cartons that are discarded by households and business premises across Saudi Arabia every day. The agreement was signed after successful trials were conducted to demonstrate the recyclability of Tetra Pak cartons by MEPCO.

“We strive to be an eco-friendly company committed to the principles of conservation and sustainability,” said MEPCO Managing Director Abdullah Al-Moammar. “MEPCO partnered with Tetra Pak Arabia as they are serious about addressing the environmental issues within their industry and their imprint on the Saudi society.

“We are very pleased to announce this partnership, and look forward to recycling the cartons and raising consumer awareness about environmental issues.”

MEPCO will collect, sort and recycle cartons for use as raw material in manufacturing paper. Beverage carton recycling will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfill sites.

An industry first Mohammed Angawi, Environment Manager of Tetra Pak Arabia, said: “We are excited about launching our recycling initiative, which is an industry first in the food and beverage carton segment, with the largest paper manufacturing company in the Middle East.

“With MEPCO as our partner, we are confident that we can not only facilitate recycling, but also help drive environmental consciousness in the region. It gives Tetra Pak Arabia a great sense of pride to look after the community we operate in by bringing about positive environmental change.”

Recycling and sustainability are key concerns for Tetra Pak, both worldwide and in the Middle East. The core ingredient of Tetra Pak’s packaging is wood fibre that comes from sustainable managed forests, a renewable resource.

The Jeddah factory of Tetra Pak Arabia is ISO 14001 certified, and all factory waste is recycled. Globally, Tetra Pak recycles 21 billion cartons per year.

MEPCO produces almost 340,000 tonnes of paper annually, and also collects and recycles more than 379,000 tonnes of waste paper. The company plans to add 275,000 tonnes to its existing production capacity by September next year, with the long-term aim of raising capacity to 1 million tonnes by 2013.