Ardagh | A unique ‘ribbed’ can which keeps Jupiler beer cool in the hand has won ‘Best Can/Alubottle’ at the 2019 World Beverage Innovation Awards.

Brewing in the Arctic: gloriously glacial gratification

Canning line | When it comes to brewing, the Mack Brewery in Norway has long since been putting its trust in Krones’ technology, most recently for canning as well. This means the Bavarian plant engineering specialist is handling the brewery’s core remit, since cans account for over 90 per cent of total beer sales.

Sustainability | OneCircle, Den Helder, Netherlands, formerly known as Lightweight Containers, has produced a version of its 30l KeyKeg with an overall recycled material content of 58%.

Stainless steel kegs as single-use containers for beverages

Draft beer market | The market for beverage containers in gastronomy has been in transition for a number of years. Changing consumer habits and new innovative beverages require a different perspective and a departure from the old ways of thinking, especially on the part of established beverage producers. WorldKeg stands for no-deposit, single-use stainless steel kegs – a new alternative to conventional beverage containers.

Crown Holdings | According to a press release dated 16 September 2019, the provider of packaging products has officially committed to the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a project that aims to transition companies into a low-carbon economy by helping them set specific goals to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Lightweight Containers | KeyKeg is expanding its European footprint with the appointment of two new official resellers of KeyKeg and UniKeg – Apiglass in Spain and SwedBeer.se in Sweden. These appointments complement the firm’s global network of warehouses and reduces the supply chain, helping minimise CO2 footprint and save on logistics and response times.

Germany | Krones is facing strong headwinds. Counter-measures, introduced in July this year, included a hiring freeze and cuts to material costs. But on 17 September 2019 Krones announced that there will be redundancies. Up to 400 jobs could be lost.

Lightweight Containers | The Guadalajara facility is state-of-the-art with the latest Lanfranchi blow moulding technology and equipment, as well as the latest automation and robotics technology. This facility will support the large customer base of KeyKeg and UniKeg in Spain, as well as the other parts of Southern and Central Europe.

USA | Having made sweeping sustainability pledges, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo did the only logical thing and stepped away from a plastics lobbying group, the Plastics Industry Association, amid activist pressure.

On July 18, Sidel announced the acquisition of Cognac Moules Emballages Plastiques (COMEP), a French producer and designer of moulds for PET, adding further strength to the group in the manufacturing of moulds and tooling.