Circular economy legislation and new taxes on single-use plastics across Europe prompt need for craft brewers to adjust packaging
This article contains paid-for content created in collaboration with DW Reusables.
DW Reusables has launched a Webshop (www.crates4brewers.com) dedicated to craft breweries in Europe that brings the greater sustainability and lower costs of reusable crates and reusable six-pack Fillbees within easy reach. The standard portfolio provides a solution for any type of bottle in Europe, and are available in lower quantities.
“Up until now craft brewers, because of their size, were often condemned to use the most polluting and most expensive packaging options. That’s not good for craft brewers, the planet, or beer lovers,” said Paul Baeyens, CEO of DW Reusables. “But crates4brewers is about more than selling crates in smaller quantities. The shift to circular packaging is a real production change so DW Reusables will partner with our craft brewing customers to help them find external bottle sorting and washing help or design their own systems in house.”
The shift to circular packaging is driven by legislation at European and national level, the growth of deposit return systems (DRS) and additional taxes on single-use plastics. DW Reusables’ beverage crates are the perfect solution to avoid these taxes, as the crates are 100% reusable, and 100% recyclable after their useful long life.
DW Reusables will provide 4 different types of standard crates with a modern, timeless design incorporating environmentally responsible messages such as, ‘Sustainable Taste, Sustainable Crate’, and ‘Never throw away a good experience. Reuse!’
The sleek and e-commerce ready crates in black and grey will frame the branding of the craft beer labels allowing them to shine and attract customers’ attention. The crates will cover every type of bottle used in the EU and UK and be available in quantities as low as just ten so craft brewers can shift at their own speed.
The economic and environmental case for reusable crates is very strong.
“A reusable crate costs 10 times more than a cardboard sleeve but it lasts at least 100 times longer, so we are talking about slashing packaging costs for brewers. And it is the same for carbon. Paper-making is the fourth most carbon intensive industry in Europe today whereas DW Reusables uses renewable, carbon-free energy in production and recycling.” continued Baeyens.
