President & CEO, Tetra Pak International S.A.
Adolfo Orive A visão da Tetra Pak ES
About Adolfo Orive
In May and June 2021, Adolfo Orive, President and Global CEO of Tetra Pak, participated in the Innova Clubbing event, where he discussed the company's sustainability strategy. Orive stated that sustainability is a "fundamental building block" of Tetra Pak's 2030 strategy, with the company aiming to be a leader in sustainability transformation through low-carbon circular economy solutions. He noted that Tetra Pak's carton packages are made of approximately 70% paper and have a lower climate impact than other alternatives, and expressed an ambition to develop "the world's most sustainable food package" made from fully renewable or recyclable materials. Orive also outlined Tetra Pak's commitments to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its own operations and use 100% renewable electricity by 2030, with a broader ambition to achieve net-zero emissions for the value chain by 2050. He highlighted the company's partnership with paperboard supplier Klabin, with whom Tetra Pak has collaborated since 1982, and mentioned a global sustainability campaign called "Go Nature Go Carton." Orive emphasized the company's commitment to protecting the planet and its role in addressing environmental challenges.
Transcript (16 segments)
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Moderator0:18
Good evening and welcome to the program of the festival. We are honored to have with us the President of Tetra Pak, the multinational food packaging corporation. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Adolfo Orive, President of Tetra Pak.
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Adolfo Orive0:44
Thank you very much. It's a real privilege and pleasure to be here, especially as we celebrate the 120th anniversary of our company. Tetra Pak started as a brilliant idea — using a single material to produce simple, safe packaging for food. That pioneering spirit has always driven us toward innovation within the food industry.
We believe there is truly a strategic and vital role for companies like ours. I'm convinced that sustainability is essential to protecting the planet. It's a story we've been writing for decades, and it has always been supported by our industrial partners. This company believes in a better future — our purpose is rooted in the idea that food is a fundamental right, and we are committed to making sure that food reaches people safely while safeguarding the planet.
We continue to follow our commitment to sustainability with ambitious goals. We acknowledge that while we have made progress, there is still a long way to go. We need to go beyond what is necessary. Our goal is to ensure that our aspirations for sustainability are not just words but are reflected in concrete actions. In this regard, Brazil has shown a strong preference for sustainability, and it is emerging as a global leader — from forest management to enterprise sustainability.
Tetra Pak has different initiatives within its organization, and I'm very pleased to share with you some of the work we're doing. In the area of food safety, we understand that it is essential to nourish the world. But in my view, we must also rebalance our impact on the climate of the planet. The solution lies in sustainable practices — and the way we differentiate ourselves is through sustainability that is built into every product we design and produce.
This is a core part of our strategy. Our vision is one of transforming our industries through a circular economy — reducing our dependence on fossil-based carbon and improving our sustainability footprint. We want to ensure that we can always share our vision and ambition with all of you. Our strategy is concrete: it is supported by real actions and real investments.
One concrete example is our paper-based packaging, like Tetra Rex Plant-based, which is already available and has shown impressive results compared to traditional alternatives. Our ambition is to package food sustainably for the entire world — starting with materials that are fully renewable, sourced from natural and responsibly managed forests.
We are investing heavily in recycling and environmental restoration, while ensuring that food safety requirements are always met. We are investing in different projects here in Brazil with our materials and our people. We've developed innovative barrier technologies that protect food while being fully recyclable. This is something we are very excited about.
Our recycling operations are expanding. We are committed to achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions from our operations. This commitment will be at the center of everything we do, with the ambition of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. We are investing in many environmental programs to make this a reality.
We are very proud to be one of the first companies in our sector to participate in COP26 and to make concrete commitments under the UN Global Compact. These are important steps. Climate change is one of the most critical issues of our time, and we are committed to being part of the solution.
We have invested significantly in developing solutions that reduce the environmental impact across our portfolio — including cardboard, plastic, and aluminum. Our goal is to ensure that our materials can be fully recycled and that the lifecycle of our packaging is as sustainable as possible. This is fundamental to creating a truly circular system.
I'm happy to share that approximately 40 percent of our materials are now sourced from renewable or recycled content. We are working toward fully renewable and recyclable materials. Our principal initiative in Brazil is investing in new infrastructure in different regions of the country.
This is excellent for the industry and, logically, for the future of the country. We are committed to communicating transparently with all our stakeholders. We want everyone to know that we are working to address sustainability challenges. We have been consistent in our sustainability campaigns — promoting environmental awareness and raising strong visibility for our commitment to being part of the solution.
This reflects our promise to protect the environment. We have a great ambition for sustainability in the future, and we are confident that we will get there. We are encouraging the development of sustainable food systems around the world.
The second part of our strategy is to invest in ambitious innovation. This will lead us to a new era. Many congratulations to everyone here, and thank you to the festival for this wonderful invitation. I wish the festival and the country continued success. Thank you very much.
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Moderator8:09
Thank you, Adolfo, for that inspiring speech. Let's give him a round of applause.