Tetra Pak capitalises on 'green' expansion

Food processing and packaging solutions giant Tetra Pak plans to unveil a new visual identity in phases this year, after it reported impressive growths and hired an environment manager for the region.

"Tetra Pak is a brand with a rich heritage and an exciting future. Our motto 'Protect what's good' extends far beyond protecting the contents in a package.

We are protecting what is good in order to shape a better future for our customers, the company, our employees, our suppliers and the communities in which we operate," said CEO Dennis Jönsson.

The company has reported impressive growths in emerging markets, and revealed a sales increase of 6.1% to US $8.7 billion last year compared to 2006.

"Several factors helped stimulate global sales growth in 2007. These include continued strong growth in emerging and fast growing markets, our focus on cost effective innovation and our strategy of working closely with our customers to enhance operational performance and develop total system solutions, "said Tetra Pak's President and CEO Dennis Jönsson.

The firm achieved double-digit sales growth in a number of fast-growing and emerging markets last year, including the Middle East.

In 2007 Tetra Pak Arabia, the Arabian market company of Tetra Pak, witnessed its first year as an entity comprising GCC and Yemen. Previously known as Tetra Pak Saudi Arabia and Tetra Pak Gulf, the two different entities were merged serve markets better and support customers.

Strong consumer demand and increased production capacity pushed its Jeddah factory to turn out a total of five billion cartons in 2007, supplied to its vast customer based in Saudi Arabia and exported to customers in over 24 other countries.

Tetra Pak Arabia has hired Mohammed Angawi as its first dedicated environment manager to drive its post-consumer beverage carton recycling initiative.

In his role, Angawi will bolster environmental performance and awareness across Tetra Pak's activities, by creating and maintaining partnerships with agencies and environmental organisations.

"We realise that environmental consciousness in the region and around the world is increasing among consumers, and their interest in physical surroundings, where the products they consume are sourced from, and the environmental impact they have after consumption," Angawi told Retail News.

"We try and provide consumers with the message that Tetra Pak operates in an environmentally sustainable way to begin with. Our products come from sustainably managed forests, we look out for our impact throughout the supply chain, up to production and to the post-consumer phase."

The company has recognised that "consumers have an important role to play, along with NGOs, municipalities and other business leaders. The consumers at this point will receive the message that Tetra Pak cartons in this region are recyclable.