finnish dairy producer valio became the first company to use tetra pak&39s carton package made entirely of plantbased raw materials last week. if the package proves popular among consumers, valio may adopt the cartons across its chilled product range.finnish dairy firm valio has rolled out tetra pak&39s innovative biomassbased carton packaging, which can be used for beverages such as milk and juices. image tetra pakby medilyn manibo tuesday 20 january 2015food packaging giant tetra pak announced on wednesday that its carton package manufactured entirely from plantbased raw materials has arrived on the shelves of retail shops in finland.the swedenbased firm said finnish dairy producer valio became the first company in the world to sell products packaged in tetra rex, which is made of certified paperboard cartons, bioplastic laminate films and necks and caps derived from sugarcane.valio is trying out the package with its eila lactosefree semiskimmed milk drink in retail outlets across finland until the middle of march, and then based on feedback from consumers, the dairy firm will decide whether to adopt the cartons more broadly across its chilled product range.tetra pak said the launch of the carton with all its components, including the plastic caps, made from biomass as a renewable source of raw materials instead of fossilfuel based derivatives, signals an important milestone in the company&rsquos commitment to environmental sustainability across its portfolio and supply chain.christina chester, product director of tetra pak&rsquos carton gable top, told ecobusiness that biobased plastics or bioplastics though derived from renewable plant materials have exactly the same properties and appearance as its petrochemicalbased polyethylene counterparts.therefore, they do not easily biodegrade or decompose like plants do.&ldquothis means that it can be recycled in exactly the same way as conventional plastics,&rdquo she added.chester explained that tetra pak does not use biodegradable plastic in its packages because the materials need to withstand light, oxygen and water for long periods of time to preserve the product and prevent spoilage.tetra rex&rsquos fully renewable package can be identified by the words &ldquobiobased&rdquo printed on the gable of the package and the materials can be traced from sustainable sources, said the packaging firm.the firm&rsquos renewable packaging initiative started in 2007 when it launched the world&rsquos first carton certified by the forest stewardship council and began using its biobased caps in 2012 the tetra rex packages were launched in october last year.&ldquowe have been gradually increasing the use of renewable materials in our packages over the years, and that work will continue, as we look for ways to extend the fullyrenewable concept to other parts of our portfolio without compromising safety, quality or functionality,&rdquo said charles brand, tetra pak&rsquos executive vice president for product management and commercial operations. 
