Tetra Pak invests in AI to enhance food, beverage carton sorting

Tetra Pak, with global headquarters in Switzerland, has engaged in the final phase of its three-part investment in enhancing food and beverage carton sorting efforts in the U.K.

In collaboration with U.K.-based Recycleye, the company will facilitate the installation of artificial intelligence- (AI-) powered optical sorting technology in central Scotland—the first of its kind to be installed in the country—at Levenseat Resource Management’s materials recycling facility (MRF). Recycleye’s QuantiSort technology uses a combination of AI and cameras to detect beverage and food cartons within the mixed-materials waste stream. Identified materials are ejected with pneumatic valves before being sent to be recycled.

“This first installation of the Recycleye QuantiSort in Scotland is a major milestone for us,” Recycleye co-founder and CEO Victor Dewulf says. “It has been a pleasure to collaborate with Tetra Pak and Levenseat Resource Management on this project and more broadly on Tetra Pak’s mission to improve the bulk recovery of food and beverage cartons in the U.K. AI has the capability to transform waste management, and we hope that our work with Levenseat and others will show MRFs and local authorities the possibilities this flexible technology offers.”

The Levenseat funding comes after two other upgrades at MRFs initiated by Tetra Pak earlier in 2025. In May, J&B Recycling, Hartlepool, England, received two robotic sorting arms from Recycleye, and in July, Cumbria Waste Management, Carlisle, England, became the first U.K.-based site to use QuantiSort technology.

Tetra Pak’s total investment toward U.K. sorting infrastructure amounts to $1.87 million (equivalent to 1.4 million British pounds) in 2025. With the investment at the Scotland MRF, Tetra Pak is working in tandem with the Scottish government to ensure cartons are included in the updated Code of Practice for local authorities.

“We’re proud to work with Tetra Pak and Recycleye to bring AI-powered carton sorting technology to Scotland for the first time,” Levenseat Resource Management CEO Angus Hamilton. “Strengthening our carton sorting capability means we can provide even greater value to the local authorities and communities we serve. Together, we are demonstrating how collaboration and innovation can make a real difference in building a more sustainable recycling system for Scotland and beyond.”

Tetra Pak commits more than $45.4 million annually aimed at expanding food and beverage carton collection and global sorting and recycling infrastructure.

"With almost three-quarters of U.K. councils now collecting liquid cartons at the curbside, it is vital that there is investment in MRF infrastructure to ensure that cartons are being effectively sorted and sent for reprocessing,” ACE U.K. Chief Executive Mandy Kelly says. “I am proud that the carton industry has made a number of investments in key facilities across the U.K., demonstrating effective carton sorting at scale.”

Tetra Pak says the U.K. efforts mirror its additional efforts in England with Simpler Recycling, legislation introduced by the U.K. government, aiming to create a consistent approach to collections. The company anticipates a substantial increase in curbside food and beverage carton across England.

“We are delighted to be able to demonstrate the power that investment in cutting-edge AI technology holds when it comes to improving the U.K.’s recycling infrastructure,” says Awantika Chadha, sustainability manager at Tetra Pak U.K., based in London. “We are committed to supporting the transition to a circular economy in the U.K. and will continue to advocate for our approach at Levenseat Resource Management and elsewhere to be seen as a blueprint for the future of food and beverage carton sorting capabilities both in Scotland and across the U.K.