Tetra Pak Germany to offer no defense in court against DUH complaint of misleading advertising campaign

HOCHHEIM AM MAIN, Germany, Dec. 22, 2011 (Press Release) - Tetra Pak Germany announced today that it will offer no defense in Court against the complaint filed on October 17 by the German special interest group, Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH).

The company was both surprised and disappointed by DUH's claim that it had attempted to misrepresent the environmental benefits of carton packaging in a recent newspaper advertising campaign. That was not Tetra Pak's intent. However, in light of the opinions expressed and publicized widely by DUH, and the risk, albeit small, that the advertisements may be misinterpreted by other parties, the company has opted not to continue the campaign. It therefore sees no merit or value in allowing this case to take up the time of the Court.

"There was no intent whatsoever to mislead anyone with this campaign and it is a great shame that DUH misinterpreted our statements as they did. Our intention was solely to motivate consumers into collecting beverage cartons for recycling, and to educate them regarding the features of carton packaging that makes it so ecologically advantageous," said Svend Weidemann, Vice President Mid Europe and Director Germany.

"However, we see no merit in continuing with this specific campaign if it creates controversy or risks bringing the very strong environmental profile of carton packaging into disrepute."