Orpheus has selected the WaveGrip carriers to reduce its packaging footprint
Image: WaveGrip, Orpheus Brewing launch carrier return scheme. Photo: Courtesy of British Polythene Limited.
WaveGrip, a brand of plastic packaging products manufacturer and marketer Berry Global, has introduced a packaging solution and carrier return scheme for Orpheus Brewing to reduce packaging waste and the brewery’s annual packaging footprint by around 85%.
Orpheus Brewing, based in Atlanta, Georgia, operates a 20BBL, 16,000ft² brewhouse and taproom focusing on beers. The company offers four core beers and a range of specials from tart sours to strong barrel-aged stouts.
Orpheus has selected the WaveGrip carriers to reduce its packaging footprint. The carrier, which weighs 3.5g for a standard 6-pack carrier, reduces material usage by 85% when compared with HDPE plastic handles, and 10% savings compared to traditional ring carriers.
WaveGrip reduces manufacturing footprint and transport costs
WaveGrip also reduces manufacturing footprint, transport costs, offers ease-of-storage. It allows for up to 370% more carriers per pallet, reducing shipment costs, fuel consumption and the greenhouse gas footprint for Orpheus.
Furthermore, LDPE-made carriers are recyclable. However, Orpheus faced difficulties in ensuring that the carriers were collected for recycling, prompting the company to establish the ‘Orpheus Carrier Recycle Programme’.
The programme allows Orpheus consumers to return used carriers to any of Orpheus’s taprooms and receive an incentive off future Orpheus beer purchases.
The packaging company collects the returned carriers in bulk and recycles them into a range of products, including road paving, decking and other types of packaging, as well as more WaveGrip carriers.
Orpheus Brewing CEO Remco Bos said: “The sustainability of WaveGrip was fundamental to our choice of carriers and has helped to significantly reduce our packaging usage.
“The final part for us was ensuring that with its recyclability we could ensure that each WaveGrip carrier was not wasted. Our Carrier Recycle Programme now delivers this and by incentivising our customers to return their carriers we have a win-win situation for both the environment and them.”
More than 120,000 tonnes of plastic are recycled every year as part of the circular economy.
WaveGrip managing director Aaron McIvor said: “We know how important sustainability is to our customers and it is integral to our WaveGrip products and development. We are therefore delighted to support this initiative by Orpheus Brewing and ensure that WaveGrip carriers are collected as part of a circular approach to packaging.
“We very much hope that this is the first step in launching a wider collection scheme in the US and will be working closely with our existing and new customers to support their initiatives in the return of used carriers in the coming months.”