Budweiser to eliminate plastic rings and wrap

Budweiser Brewing Group to remove plastic rings on UK beer four-can packs by end of 2020

As part of wider company sustainability goals, Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I has announced a £6.3m investment in new technology, allowing it to eliminate plastic rings and shrink wrap from packaging across its entire UK-produced beer range by the end of 2020. The move will see the use of alternatives to plastic, including Keel Clips™, a new technology which uses recyclable paperboard to create a lighter weight pack, as well as wraps and boxes.

Producing more than 870 million cans per year, the reduction will be equivalent to 850 tonnes of plastic annually, and the removal of plastic rings from all UK products, including the Stella Artois pint can four-pack, the nation’s biggest selling small pack format, will have a significant impact in reducing plastic on store shelves.

Paula Lindenberg, the President of Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I (pictured), said, “Protecting our natural resources and operating efficiently is crucial for our business, as well as the communities we live and work in. This is why we have spent the past decade investing in circular packaging initiatives around the world to close the loop and reduce waste.”

“We’re proud of the work we’ve already done so far, but we realised more needed to be done to address the issue of single use plastics,” she continued. “This announcement ensures that the UK’s favourite beers will soon come in recyclable paperboard packaging, so consumers can make even better choices each time they shop. This is another important step towards a more sustainable future, as we move towards brewing our biggest beer brands with 100% locally-sourced barley and 100% renewable electricity from solar power.”

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