Carton packaging producer Tetra Pak (Lausanne / Switzerland; www.tetrapak.com) has announced plans to close its plant in Moerdijk / The Netherlands. The news comes against the backdrop of a 16% cumulative decline in demand for the drinks cartons in central and northern Europe in the period from 2007-2013, which in turn has resulted in overcapacities, Tetra Pak said.

The Moerdijk plant is the group’s sole facility still employing offset printing technology. All of Tetra Pak’s other global plants are currently switching to a new and significantly cheaper technique that still guarantees the same quality, the company said. Adding that the prerequisites for doing so in Moerdijk, however, were much less favourable.

The group has already entered into discussions with the plant’s 215 employees on a social plan that foresees the facility’s closure by the end of this year.