In a landmark move to boost sustainability in packaging, Seoul Dairy Cooperative (SDC), Korea’s leading milk producer, has become the first company in the country to launch products in aluminum-layer-free full barrier aseptic carton packs that are recognized as recyclable under the country’s recyclability grading system. In a first move, SDC will offer organic white milk in SIG Terra Alu-free + Full barrier. This innovation, developed by SIG, is the world’s first full-barrier aseptic carton packaging material without an aluminum layer. It provides the same full-barrier protection as standard aseptic cartons and the same shelf life of up to 12 months.
The environmental benefits are substantial. Although aluminum accounts for only about 5% of a standard aseptic carton’s weight, it contributes about 25% of its carbon footprint1. Eliminating the aluminum layer significantly reduces environmental impact while also paving the way for simplified recycling. Under Korea’s current environmental regulations, the new packaging introduced by SDC is officially labeled recyclable. The aseptic cartons are the first in Korea to achieve a recyclable grade from Korea’s recyclability grading system. This means, the cartons can be collected and recycled alongside chilled gable top cartons that currently have a 10 times higher recycling rate in Korea than conventional aseptic cartons .
“Seoul Dairy has always delivered the best products to Korean families under our philosophy of Making the World healthier with Milk, and that commitment extends to the way we protect our environment,” said Jinsup Moon, President & CEO at Seoul Dairy Cooperative. “By adopting SIG Terra Alu-free + Full barrier, we are taking a significant step toward enhanced recycling and supporting Korea’s drive for a circular economy.”
Conventional aseptic cartons are made of three materials – paper, polymers, and an aluminum layer – to ensure full-barrier protection and long shelf life without refrigeration. SIG Terra Alu-free + Full barrier packaging material replaces the aluminum layer with an ultra-thin polymer layer, simplifying the packaging structure from 3 to just 2 main raw materials: FSCTM-certified paperboard and polymers. This streamlined design maintains full-barrier protection and is fully compatible with South Korea’s existing recycling infrastructure.
“This is more than just an incremental improvement – it’s a game-changer for the industry,” said Hans Cho, Country Manager at SIG Korea. “SIG Terra Alu-free + Full barrier can seamlessly run on existing SIG carton filling lines with full performance including high-speed of up to 24,000 packs per hour on SIG filling lines for small-size cartons with only minor, low-cost adaptations. It’s a plug-and-play solution for beverage producers who want to future-proof their packaging and deliver on sustainability without compromising product quality or production performance.”
SIG is a pioneer in its industry and introduced the first packaging material without an aluminum layer for aseptic cartons in 2010: SIG Terra Alu-free. Since then, SIG has sold over 4 billion packs featuring no aluminum layer. Drawing on its extensive knowledge and experience with alu-layer-free structures and building on the success of SIG Terra Alu-free, the company has continued to grow its aluminum-layer-free aseptic carton portfolio – with every solution reducing the already low carbon footprint of standard SIG aseptic cartons even further.
With SIG Terra Alu-free + Full barrier SIG expanded the alu layer-free options for wider use with oxygen-sensitive products such as fruit juices, nectars, flavored milk or plant-based beverages. With over 400 million packs already sold since 2023, SIG Terra Alu-free + Full barrier has proven its scalability and market readiness. The market launch in Korea opens the door for brands to differentiate themselves with visible sustainability gains and to respond swiftly to evolving consumer and regulatory demands, without compromising barrier performance, product safety, or shelf life.
SIG Terra Alu-free + Full barrier is one of the milestones moving toward SIG’s goal of developing an aluminum-layer-free full-barrier aseptic carton with at least 90% paper content – including the closure – by 2030.
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