The Indian industry has come together to launch ‘AARC’, a first of its kind recycling initiative led by Tetra Pak. Leading corporations have joined hands to form the Action Alliance for Recycling Beverage Cartons (AARC) to encourage end-to-end waste management ecosystem by engaging with all stakeholders across the value chain. The association aims to increase recycling of used cartons from 30% to 60% by 2025. Ten industry leaders such as CavinKare, Dabur India, Diageo India, Halewood Laboratories, John Distilleries, Karnataka Milk Federation, Parag Milk, Radico Khaitan and Schreiber Dynamix Dairies have come together to kick start the alliance and many more are expected to join along the way..
The alliance envisions to alter the reusing landscape by combining resources to build a productive waste management ecosystem by engaging with waste pickers, scrap dealers, waste management companies, recyclers, and NGOs.
Commenting on the genesis of AARC, Kandarp Singh, Managing Director, Tetra Pak and Chairman of AARC, said, “This is the first time ever that an initiative of this nature and scale has been launched. It is a strong platform that brings the industry together with one common mission – of radically transforming the recycling landscape and positively impacting millions engaged in the waste trade. We are very grateful for the support that we have received from the industry.
‘Our cartons are fully recyclable and primarily made of paper, with 100% of the paperboard sourced from FSC certified and other controlled sources. AARC welcomes the Government’s recent waste management reforms and now with the beverage carton industry pooling its resources together, we will work actively to step up recycling in the years to come.”