PolyAl reusable transport crates were unveiled at the Plastics Recycling Show Europe in Amsterdam.
2 April 2025 — Attendees at the Plastics Recycling Show Europe in Amsterdam this week witnessed the debut of an exciting new transport crate manufactured from polyAl, a composite material derived from used beverage cartons. The innovation is the result of a technical collaboration between Tetra Pak and Schoeller Allibert, aiming to deliver high-performance returnable packaging with a dramatically reduced reliance on virgin polymers.
Designed with industrial logistics in mind, the crates contain up to 50% polyAl blended with other post-consumer recycled materials. As such, they eliminate virgin plastic from the formulation. Initial field trials are underway, with Tetra Pak planning to replace over 50,000 crates at its global spare-parts distribution hub in Lund, Sweden, pending final validation.
“For our customers, making supply chains more sustainable is a key priority, and material innovation is one of the main drivers in making that happen,” said Britta Wyss Bisang, VP Sustainability and Strategic MarCom at Schoeller Allibert. “This project demonstrates how advanced recycling solutions can turn waste into durable, reusable packaging that supports circular logistics.”
Understanding PolyAl: Properties and Applications
From a materials engineering standpoint, polyAl—short for polymer-aluminium—is the multilayer residue left after the fibre content is separated during recycling of aseptic cartons. A typical Tetra Pak carton contains approximately 70% paperboard, 20–25% polyethylene, and 5% aluminium foil.
The fibre portion is readily recovered at paper mills. Historically, however, the polyAl fraction presented greater recycling challenges due to its composite nature. With improved separation technologies and processing techniques, polyAl can now be pelletized and extruded for use in rigid plastic products, including pallets, crates, logistics bins, and even outdoor furniture.
According to Tetra Pak’s most recent sustainability report, released last June, polyAl recycling in 2023 increased by 14% compared to 2022. Tetra Pak works with 66 polyAl recyclers, which convert the PolAl material into pellets that can be used to mold new plastic pSchoeller AllibertSchoeller AllibertSchoeller AllibertSchoeller AllibertSchoeller AllibertSchoeller Allibert. In addition the report indicates 38 integrated recyclers globally that can recycle both the fiber and polyAl. says.
Engineers working with polyAl note its moisture resistance, good impact strength, and suitability for low- to medium-load applications. The new crates from Schoeller Allibert are designed for multi-trip systems, where resistance to wear, temperature fluctuation, and cleaning processes is essential.
Design and Testing for Industrial Environments
According to Kinga Sieradzon, Vice President Sustainability Operations at Tetra Pak, durability and performance were central to crate development: “Over the years, we have been exploring viable applications for the recycled material polyAl, and we are pleased to see that our collaboration with Schoeller Allibert has resulted in a robust, competitive industrial product.”
Each polyAl crate contains material from roughly 200 post-consumer beverage cartons. Early prototypes have been undergoing rigorous field trials to assess mechanical properties, handling ergonomics, and stacking stability under operational conditions.
At the Lund facility, the plan is to phase out legacy crates and fully integrate the new design across spare parts handling operations. “We have actively worked over the past year to introduce sustainable and recycled materials in everything we do,” said Marie Sandin, Managing Director of Tetra Pak Sweden. “The results look very promising for our daily operations.”
Broader Implications for Packaging Systems
While the current focus is on warehouse and internal logistics applications, the potential to scale polyAl-based packaging to broader transport and retail systems is on the radar. Schoeller Allibert has confirmed it is already in discussion with other customers evaluating the material for diverse returnable packaging use cases.
For packaging engineers, the launch highlights a growing opportunity to design with recycled composites that offer functional parity with traditional plastics, particularly for non-food-contact secondary packaging.
As the industry pushes to meet regulatory targets and ESG commitments, such solutions illustrate how cross-industry material streams, in this case, post-consumer beverage cartons, can be reimagined for durable logistics assets, reducing both waste-to-landfill and virgin polymer demand.
To learn more about this development, readers are encouraged to follow up with Schoeller Allibert or the Food & Beverage Carton Alliance.
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Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
