SIG announced the commercial launch of SIG Terra Alu-free + Full barrier for multi-serve aseptic cartons. Building on the success of this groundbreaking packaging material innovation in the field of single-serve cartons – with over 300 million packs sold in China since 2023 – SIG is scaling up the world’s first, aluminum-layer-free full-barrier packaging material to multi-serve aseptic cartons and ready to provide it at scale to customers around the globe. 

The packaging structure for multi-serve cartons with no aluminum layer cuts the carbon footprint of SIG’s standard aseptic cartons by up to 61% when combined with forest-based polymers. Made of more than 80% paper, the material simplifies the packaging structure to only two main raw materials, that can all be linked to renewable sources. 

Performance and compatibility

According to the press statement, the packaging material offers the same full barrier protection as standard aseptic cartons and the same full shelf life of up to 12 months. It can seamlessly run on existing SIG carton filling lines with full performance including high-speed of up to 24,000 packs per hour on SIG filling lines for small-size cartons and up to 15,000 packs per hour on filling lines for multi-serve cartons with only minor, low-cost adaptations. The plug-and-play solution is enabling SIG customers worldwide to make use of the additional environmental benefits that come with the alu layer-free full barrier packaging material suitable for a wide range of beverages without compromising product quality or production performance. 

“At SIG, we are leading the industry transition to alu-layer-free aseptic carton packaging materials. With our full barrier material with no aluminum layer, we are offering a powerful differentiator and embodiment of sustainability in aseptic carton packaging, unlocking new opportunities for packaging sensitive product categories such as plant-based products, juices, and nutritional beverages. As a result, our SIG Terra portfolio now offers an aseptic carton solution without aluminum layer for all product categories we serve, without compromising on shelf life”, said Christoph Wegener, Chief Markets Officer at SIG. 

In aseptic cartons, an aluminum layer is traditionally used to protect food and beverage products from oxygen and light. Although aluminum accounts for just around 5% of a standard aseptic carton, it accounts for up to 25% of its carbon footprint in a full-barrier package. Removing the aluminum layer is a significant step in reducing the already low carbon footprint of standard SIG aseptic cartons even further and simplifies the packaging structure from 3 to just 2 main raw materials, thereby increasing the share of paper to over 80%. 

Since launching the first alu-layer-free aseptic carton in 2010, SIG has sold over 4 billion packs featuring no aluminum layer, including 300 million alu-free full-barrier cartons. These milestones reinforce SIG’s leadership in sustainable aseptic packaging. 

Gavin Steiner, Chief Technology Officer at SIG: “Sustainability is integral to our business, and we strive to create a regenerative food packaging system. Looking ahead, SIG plans to raise the paper content in its aseptic cartons to at least 90% including closures by 2030, with an interim target of 85% without closure this year – further boosting renewability, lowering carbon footprints, and with the potential to streamline the recycling process for aseptic cartons, only requiring the separation of paperboard and polymers.”