Signaling a shared commitment to sustainability, four leading carton manufacturers — Tetra Pak, Elopak, Evergreen Packaging and SIG Combibloc — have established the Carton Council to help increase carton recycling in the United States.

    The council plans to promote both recycling technology and local collection programs. It will also encourage consumers to consider the environmental impact of product packaging before they make a purchase. As examples, both gable top and aseptic cartons are made primarily from paper, a renewable resource that is highly recyclable.

    The $35 billion U.S. market for food and beverage packaging has plenty of opportunities for growth in sustainable packaging options, according to a new report on paper, plastic, metal, glass and flexible packaging for the food and beverage industries. According to the second annual Beverage Container Recycling Scorecard and Report, most beverage companies continued to fail basic criteria for dealing with environmental implications of their packaging.

    According to the Carton Council only 26 states have communities that are able to recycle carton. One of the first alliances established by the council to increase carton recycling is with Waste Management, which has agreed to include cartons in all its recycling programs.

    Tropicana, Waste Management, Dean Foods and the Carton Council launched a pilot program in Tampa, Fla., to promote carton recycling, reported Environmental Protection. The initiative is now expanding to include all areas that Waste Management has recycling processing facilities.

    Tropicana, Waste Management and the Carton Council also announced a national campaign to increase carton recycling to every community in the U.S. The paper board used in Tropicana’s juice cartons has received certification to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) fiber sourcing standard.

    利樂包、艾羅派克、唯綠包裝、康美包等四大紙箱生產商已經建立了紙箱理事會促進紙箱在美國的循環利用。這是四大生產商共同承諾可持續發展的一項標志。

    理事會計劃促進循環利用技術的發展并促進紙箱在各地的收集。 理事會還將采取行動鼓勵消費者在購買產品前首先考慮產品包裝對環境的影響。 例如，山頂形包裝盒和無菌盒通常都是紙制的，而如果采用可再生材料制造，就可以更好的回收利用。

    一份關于紙、塑料、金屬、玻璃及柔性材料等食品及飲料包裝材料的報告最近指出，美國食品及飲料包裝業有350億美元的市場，在發展可持續包裝業方面有很好的機會和潛力。 據第二次年度飲料容器循環利用評分及報告顯示，多數飲料公司在解決其飲料包裝對環境的影響方面依然達不到最基本的要求。

    紙箱理事會稱，全國只有26個州，其社區擁有回收紙箱的能力。 最近，紙箱理事會與廢棄物管理組織達成合作，廢棄物管理組織同意將紙箱納入其循環再利用規劃。

    據環境保護的報道，為了促進紙箱的循環利用，純品康納、廢棄物管理組織、迪安食品及紙箱理事會在佛羅里達坦帕市開展了一項試點項目。 現在已經計劃在全部有廢棄物管理組織回收利用處理設施的地區開展紙箱回收利用活動。

    純品康納、廢棄物管理組織、及紙箱理事會已經在全國范圍內發起號召，希望能增加每個社區的紙箱循環利用。純品康納所采用的果汁包裝箱已經通過了永續森林計劃纖維原料標準的認證。