Tetra Pak has reached a major milestone in sustainable packaging by extending its paper-based barrier technology to high-speed Tetra Pak A3/Speed filling lines.

South Korea’s Maeil Dairies has become the first producer to implement the new line on an industrial scale for soy milk production. The first time the technology has been used in a plant-based solution.

The move marks a significant step forward in the food and beverage industry’s transition towards low-carbon, renewable packaging materials, proving that sustainability innovations can now operate at high speed and high volume without compromising food safety, shelf life or operational efficiency.

The new paper-based barrier has been developed to replace the aluminium foil layer traditionally used in aseptic cartons, while maintaining comparable levels of food protection and product shelf life.

When combined with plant-based polymers derived from sugarcane, the Tetra Brik Aseptic 200 Slim carton used for Maeil Soy Milk 99.9 in South Korea achieved 87% renewable content and delivered a 26% reduction in package carbon footprint, as verified by the Carbon Trust.

A key breakthrough is the technology’s compatibility with high-speed production. Maeil Dairies is the first producer globally to run packaging material with the new paper-based barrier on a Tetra Pak A3/Speed filling machine, demonstrating its readiness for large-scale industrial deployment.

The A3/Speed line delivers outputs of up to 24,000 packages per hour while maintaining low operational costs and high food safety standards.

Importantly for producers, existing A3/Speed lines can be upgraded with a high-frequency induction-heating sealing system, allowing adoption of the new packaging material without significant capital investment.

Tatiana Liceti, executive vice president, packaging solutions at Tetra Pak, said: “Scaling sustainable packaging solutions should go hand in hand with operational efficiency".

She continued: "By bringing our paper-based barrier to high-performing Tetra Pak A3/Speed packaging lines, we are offering beverage producers an opportunity to adopt low-carbon packaging solutions based on renewable materials while maintaining food protection and cost-competitiveness.”

The Maeil Soy Milk 99.9 launch also marks the first use of Tetra Pak’s paper-based barrier in the plant-based beverages category, underlining the technology’s relevance for one of the fastest-growing segments in the beverage market.

Maeil Dairies, a long-standing innovator in the plant-based space, views the transition as a natural evolution of its sustainability strategy.

Inki Lee, chief operating officer at Maeil Dairies, commented: “Introducing new packaging on our Soy Milk 99.9 line reflects our ongoing commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility. Our collaboration with Tetra Pak enables us to drive meaningful, forward-looking change that will benefit consumers and future generations alike.”

The development builds on Tetra Pak’s 2023 launch of the world’s first aseptic beverage carton in which the traditional aluminium foil layer was replaced with a paper-based barrier.

The innovation simplifies the carton structure from three to two main components, improving recyclability by maximising paper fibre recovery and generating higher-quality fibre and non-fibre fractions.

By combining a paper-based barrier with plant-based polymer coatings, the overall renewable content of the packaging is significantly increased, delivering measurable carbon footprint reductions and supporting the industry’s broader decarbonisation goals.