ACE Belgium
The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment in Belgium, ACE Belgium, is an association that brings together the leading manufacturers of beverage cartons for the Belgian and European markets Tetra Pak, Elopak and SIG Combibloc.
Our mission is to contribute to improve and reach the recycling rate target for this packaging and to provide a platform to voice its environmental assets.
ACE Belgium commits, together with the stakeholders of the sector (suppliers, producers, Producer responsibility organizations, municipalities, recyclers, …), in setting up concrete actions and developing tangible tools.
About beverage cartons
Beverage cartons are a circular and sustainable nature-based packaging solution widely used by Belgian households and businesses as part of everyday life. They protect the freshness, flavours and nutritional qualities of both fresh and long-life food and drink products, enabling distribution at ambient temperatures or under refrigerated conditions.
Key figures
640
millions beverage cartons are consumed every year in Belgium
+90%
beverage cartons were recycled in Belgium in 2020.
100%
beverage cartons sold in Belgium are FSC certified
What are beverage cartons
made of?
On average, beverage cartons are made of:
75%
Wood Fibre
The high-quality wood fibres in cartons are long lasting and strong, and can be recycled up to six times, making them a valuable raw material for new paper and board products, contributing to a circular economy.
Pulp
Cardboard, Paper cores, Paper tissues, Food boxes…
21%
Polymers
Mostly polyethylene to prevent leakage.
4%
Aluminium
A very fine layer to protect from and oxygen, ensuring aroma and flavour retention.
PolyAl (Polymers + Aluminium)
PolyAL: Profiles, Crates, Tiles, Furniture…
HDPE: Pipes, Pallets, Containers, Bins
Composition of a beverage carton
Raw material
Recycled end products
Sustainability
The ACE Belgium members are committed to providing a renewable, climate positive, and circular packaging solution suitable for the needs of today and the future. Through the sourcing of renewable materials from sustainably managed forests* and recycling at end-of-life, our packaging has a reduced environmental footprint and contributes to a low carbon circular economy, which makes it a smart and sustainable choice.
*98% of the paperboard used by ACE members to produce beverage cartons in the EU comes from sustainably managed, European forests.
Five benefits of beverage cartons
Low carbon footprint packaging solutions.
Contribute to food waste reduction.
Higher use of renewable* materials than other beverage containers.
Fully recyclable and circular.
Space efficient and safe for transport and storage.
*75% is already from renewable sourcing. The members have committed to use fully renewable materials in 2030 by replacing gradually fossil-based material with plant-based material.
Beverage Carton Recycling
Beverage cartons are fully recyclable and are being widely recycled across the EU.
Effective collection and sorting is the precondition to recycling.
In Belgium, more than 90% of the beverage cartons are collected and sent to recycling.
The used beverage cartons are collected in the New blue PMD (Plastic, Metal and Drinking cartons) bag in kerbside collection. By collecting all packaging materials separately, the volume of materials available for recycling has significantly increased, providing a more predictable, higher quality waste stream.
When placing beverage cartons in your recycling bin, ensure they are:
Completely empty
Flattened lengthwise
Cap is put back on
DESIGN FOR RECYCLABILITY Guidelines to maximize the recyclability of beverage carton
Our industry committed to develop and annually review the Design for Recycling (DfR) Guidelines that will provide producers of beverage cartons with technical guidance to identify the materials needed in the packaging composition that are compatible with existing recycling processes and how the recyclability of beverage cartons can be optimized. The guidelines are a first deliverable connected to the industry’s 2030 Roadmap and Beyond.
A simple step to saving 1m tons of CO2 by 2030
Beverage cartons play an important role in a sustainable and low-carbon circular economy in Europe. It comes as no surprise then that ACE, the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment, is strongly committed to a low carbon circular economy.
Our happy team!
ACE delivers sector-wide environmental initiatives on behalf of its members. Our objective is to provide a platform in Belgium to benchmark and profile beverage cartons as a safe, circular, and sustainable packaging solution with low carbon benefits.
Inge Eggermont
Chairman
Nathalie Walter
Managing Director
