Sabarkantha Dairy and Tetra Pak create sustainable cow-shed roofs

Sabarkantha Dairy, a leading dairy cooperative, and Tetra Pak, a global leader in food processing and packaging solutions, announced their partnership to promote sustainability in the dairy industry. Together, they’ve initiated a pilot project to build roofs for a 40-cow shed using polyAl material, obtained from recycling used beverage cartons. The polyAl sheets have been made by Eastern Cargo, a Gujarat-based recycling partner for Tetra Pak since 2016, specializing in producing roof tiles and flat sheets.

PolyAl is the non-fibre component of carton packages, comprising polyolefins and aluminium. These layers act as a barrier against oxygen and humidity to protect the contents of aseptic carton packages. The roofing sheets made from polyAl are lightweight, waterproof, rust-proof, and temperature-regulating, providing a cost-competitive and environmentally sound alternative to traditional materials such as cement and galvanized iron. According to studies done by Eastern Cargo, these sheets reduce the temperature of any enclosure by 5-7 degrees as compared to sheets made from cement sheets (or traditional materials)

“At Sabarkantha Dairy, sustainability is an important part of our ethos, and we are committed to doing what is best for the dairy industry in India. Our collaboration with Tetra Pak on this project exemplifies the potential of recycled materials to make a positive impact,” said Subhashchandra V.Patel, managing director, Sabar Dairy. “Over the coming months, Sabarkantha Dairy and Tetra Pak will monitor the impact of the temperature reduction property of these new PolyAl roofs on cow health and milk yield, with plans for future projects to further advance sustainability within the dairy sector.” 

“This initiative demonstrates the importance of recycling and the power of local partnerships to drive sustainable impact. Just think, if all sheds across the country were to adopt recycled materials in this way, we’d not only prevent recyclable waste from ending up in landfills, but also boost entrepreneurship in waste management and recycling. We’re excited to team up with Sabarkantha Dairy on this pilot, with an emphasis on long-term sustainability and collaboration,” said Cassio Simoes, managing director, Tetra Pak South Asia.

Tetra Pak and Sabarkantha Dairy have nurtured a robust partnership for 25 years, highlighting a mutual commitment to innovation and growth. During this long-standing collaboration, Tetra Pak has installed large-capacity liquid milk processing plants at Sabarkantha Dairy, boosting the dairy’s production capabilities. More recently, a baby food powder plant has been installed, representing Tetra Pak’s largest such facility in India. This partnership encompasses several other significant installations, such as cheese production facilities and whey powder processing plants. The successful relationship between Tetra Pak and Sabarkantha Dairy is a testament to their continuous drive for excellence in the dairy industry.

Tetra Pak cartons are paper-based, recyclable, and increasingly being recycled through a robust ecosystem nurtured by Tetra Pak over the last 20 years, working closely with various stakeholders such as urban local governments, NGOs, brand owners, academia, and consumers. Today, as per a recent report by The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI), roughly 1 in every 2 cartons sold in India is recycled. This has been accomplished with the support of over 30 collection partners and 8 recyclers. In addition, paper-mills across the country also actively recycle used cartons owing to the high-quality fibre used in making Tetra Pak cartons.

Eastern Cargo has been recycling the polyAl component of cartons since 2016 and supplying polyAl sheets to many other public & private organizations for use in various forms such as bio-toilets, furniture for Anganwadi schools, bus stops and more.