BRUSSELS –The beverage carton industry creates GRACE – THE GLOBAL RECYCLING ALLIANCE FOR BEVERAGE CARTONS AND THE ENVIRONMENT, joining forces at a global level to strengthen the beverage carton position as low carbon, sustainable and recyclable packaging.
The CEOs of ACE’s member companies BillerudKorsnäs, Elopak, SIG Combibloc, Stora Enso, and Tetra Pak, created GRACE to support the industry in its drive to ensure that beverage cartons are recognized as a net zero-carbon emissions packaging solution. Using fact and science-based evidence, GRACE will highlight how beverage cartons low carbon and sustainable impact will help contribute to climate change mitigation, and the recyclability of beverage cartons and the importance of the proper collection.
The packaging industry needs to address the present and future challenges and expectations with regard to its environmental footprint and recyclability. “The beverage carton sector is well-positioned to respond,” said Petra Gerber, SIG Combibloc, president of ACE. “Beverage cartons have unique attributes such as being able to safely transport and store food and beverages, have a low carbon footprint and are recyclable. Launching GRACE is another key step for our industry to collaborate on climate action and towards the efficient collection and recycling solutions worldwide”.
The medium-term objective is to develop GRACE’s activities and collaborate with value chain partners. GRACE will complement the action of existing industry platforms such as ACE and EXTR:ACT, and will liaise with existing associations representing or encompassing beverage cartons in different regions of the world. The organization will be headquartered in the Brussels-based ACE secretariat.
ABOUT ACE
ACE provides a European platform for beverage carton manufacturers and their paperboard suppliers to benchmark and profile cartons as renewable, recyclable and low carbon packaging solutions. Engaging with stakeholders and partners seeking high environmental stewardship, it contributes expertise to EU policy, legislation and standard‐setting.
ACE members include beverage carton producers Tetra Pak, SIG Combibloc and Elopak; they develop, manufacture and market systems for the packaging and distribution of food and produce packaging material at 20 plants in Europe. Most of the paperboard used by ACE members in beverage cartons in Europe is produced by Stora Enso in Skoghall (Sweden) and Imatra (Finland), and BillerudKorsnäs in Gävle and Frövi (Sweden), who are also members of ACE.