Like many other packaging firms, Tetra Pak is increasingly considering sustainability as important because more consumers are choosing brands on the basis of ecological criteria.

Carla Fantoni, head of marketing for the company in the US, told FoodProductionDaily.com that it created the new seal to show off to customers "how Tetra Pak products are some of the most sustainable packaging on the market."

According to Fantoni, the majority of Tetra Pak's packaging is made from paper, which is a renewable resource, and around 74 per cent of its products are made from paper sourced from certified renewable forests.

In an attempt to demonstrate these credentials at first glance, the green logo features a symbol to signify more trees above a 'minus CO2' sign. The ensemble is surrounded by the 'renewability matters' logo printed around the circle.

Fantoni said that US firms buying Tetra Pak packaging for liquid products would be not be obliged to use the logo, but she stressed that four or five companies are already working on artwork so that they can incorporate the seal into their packaging.

The company claims that the logo will prove popular with consumers, stating that studies conduced by Tetra Pak showed that 79 per cent of shoppers would be more inclined to purchase a product with the seal.

"The seal may be a key selling point for consumer packaged goods companies trying to take advantage of the green movement," the company said.

According to Fantoni, the logo is part of the company's overall drive to be a more sustainable firm.

"Tetra Pack committed to the three Rs - renew, reduce, recyle," she said. "And we have reduced energy consumption by 27 per cent over the last year."

The company has also reduced the inner layer of plastic for its carton packaging by 35 per cent, which it claims saves 50,000 metric tons of plastic per year.