The assessment was funded by carton-maker Tetra Pak, for products sold in Australia and New Zealand. But it’s robust, said Massey University life-cycle researcher Sarah McLaren, because it follows international standards and is peer reviewed. Only four councils accept juice and milk cartons for recycling – though one is Auckland, which covers one-third of the population. These cartons are shipped offshore to be recycled, though the rest go to landfill. So the results may seem counterintuitive, said Thinkstep technical director Jeff Vickers. “People have an expectation that cartons are not the most recyclable and perhaps therefore not the most environmentally friendly packaging option.”