HEINEKEN is to launch a new cardboard topper to replace plastic rings on its Foster’s and Kronenbourg 1664 packs of beer.
The move comes following the firm’s commitment to innovate sustainability to a point where plastic is eliminated their multipacks by the end of 2021.
Heineken said the new topper, dubbed Green Grip, not only removes plastic but minimises the use of material and reduced waste through the removal of shrink wrapping on consumer packs – eliminating 517 tonnes of plastic annually, the firm said.
Heineken revealed that they overcame a ‘significant’ logistical hurdle in releasing the new topper, after the installation of the new packaging machinery was scheduled to take place just as travel restrictions were implemented across Europe due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
To get around this, the firm used virtual technology to partly help install the machinery at its brewery in Manchester. The team in Manchester used smart glasses to collaborate with Italian engineers on the installation process and received virtual training on how to operate the machinery safely – allowing fewer people on the shop floor to support social distancing guidelines.C
Matt Callan, brewing & operations director at Heineken UK said, “Introducing a brand new technology is challenging at the best of times, but doing so at a time of social distancing measures and when we’ve adapted our operations to meet heightened supermarket demand is a testament to the adaptability and determination of our brewery and project teams. We continue to look at further options to eliminate single-use plastic, including in our logistics and distribution network as we remain committed to eliminating unnecessary plastic in our total supply chain.”
Michael Gillane, marketing director at Heineken UK added, “This is a game-changer – for so long, the plastic pack rings on cans of beer and cider have been rightly scrutinised. We have been working on a solution for several years – one that is durable, totally recyclable, and completely plastic free. Importantly, this is an innovation that can be used at scale on hundreds of millions of cans every year.
“After announcing our intention in November last year, we’re extremely pleased to launch Green Grip – our plastic free, recyclable and compostable topper in UK supermarkets this summer, especially during such a challenging time. The easy decision would have been to postpone the launch, but that was never an option. The use of innovative technology, combined with the hard work of our team in Manchester, meant we stay on track to achieve our ambition to eliminate single-use plastic on our products from supermarket shelves. This is a significant milestone in our journey, and we look forward to rolling the innovation out across the rest of our beer and cider portfolio in 2021.”
James Bull, head of packaging at Tesco commented, “We have plans to remove all non-recyclable and excess packaging from our business and are working with a number of brands to achieve this. It’s great to see Heineken UK eliminate plastic from its cans of beer – our customers want to use less plastic, so I’m sure they’ll appreciate this change.”
