To support its aim to remove plastic rings, Budweiser Brewing has made a £6.3m investment to upgrade sites in South Wales and Lancashire to produce alternatives to plastic rings
Budweiser Brewing removes all plastic rings on beer packaging. (Credit: AB InBev UK Limited.)
AB InBev’s UK and Ireland business Budweiser Brewing Group has removed plastic rings on its beer packaging across its entire range of canned beer, including Budweiser, Bud Light and Stella Artois.
The group announced its ambition to remove all the plastic rings in September last year.
It has also made a £6.3m investment in the packaging infrastructure to renovate its breweries businesses in South Wales and Lancashire.
The sites, which upgraded three canning lines, will together produce over 4,000 cans per minute.
They are now equipped to produce alternatives to plastic rings that include fully recyclable wraps and Keel Clip, a new technology that uses recyclable paperboard to create a lighter weight pack.
Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I president Paula Lindenberg said: “Sustainability and the wellbeing of our planet is one of the most important priorities for our business.
“We couldn’t have predicted the events of this year, but we were determined to not let this hinder our sustainability progress.
“It’s why I’m so proud that we’ve met our target of removing plastic rings and shrink wrap from all our canned beers.
“Thanks to the hard work of our teams, there will be no plastic rings on any canned beer that leaves our breweries in the UK from today.”
Removal of plastic rings forms part of Budweiser’s 2025 sustainability goals
The group said that promoting circular packaging is an important part of its ambitious 2025 sustainability goals.
It aims to provide 100% of the products in packaging that is returnable or made from majority recycled content by 2025.
C&C Group, a distribution partner for Budweiser Brewing Group, has unveiled plans to eliminate plastic rings and shrink wrap across its cider portfolio, including Magner’s and Orchard Pig.