Tetra Pak finds upgrading dairy processing lines could slash emissions by nearly 50%
A new analysis by Tetra Pak reveals that modernising existing dairy production lines can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and product loss, offering a practical pathway for the industry to meet climate targets without costly infrastructure overhauls.
A new analysis from Tetra Pak suggests that dairy processors could cut greenhouse gas emissions sharply by upgrading existing production lines rather than replacing them outright.
The company said the study found emissions reductions of 40% to 49%, depending on the type of line, when producers modernise equipment already in use. The assessment, called the Dairy Processing Impact Assessment, was independently reviewed by the Carbon Trust and was designed around avoided-emissions methodologies used in wider climate accounting. Rather than assuming wholesale plant rebuilds, it examines gains available from current market-ready technologies applied to liquid dairy lines.
Tetra Pak said the model covered pasteurised milk, fermented yoghurt and both indirect and direct UHT systems, comparing its 2019 best-practice lines with a 2025 scenario in which upgrades are rolled out more broadly. On that basis, the company said average reductions could reach 47% for greenhouse gases, 45% for water use and 57% for product losses. It also estimated that global adoption could deliver up to 12.7 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in annual carbon savings, alongside water savings of as much as 455 million cubic metres a year.
The findings land against a backdrop in which dairy remains both economically important and environmentally significant. Tetra Pak pointed to research indicating that the sector accounted for 2.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2023. The company argues that this makes efficiency gains in processing a practical lever for producers under pressure to reduce costs, cut waste and improve resilience without waiting for entirely new infrastructure.
Among the measures highlighted are electrically powered heat pumps, process integration tools such as OneStep Technology for UHT milk and yoghurt, and filtration and recovery systems that can reclaim water and product from cleaning and production streams. Rodrigo Godoi, Tetra Pak’s vice-president for processing portfolio management, said the upgrades could help customers lower total cost of ownership while reducing disruption. Veronika Thieme of the Carbon Trust said the assessment shows how avoided-emissions analysis can help quantify the climate value of such solutions and build the evidence base needed to scale them.