Brewing company Heineken UK and coffee giants Nespresso have this week launched separate recyclable packaging ranges in bids to meet sustainability goals.
Dutch company Heineken said it is this summer to roll out a plastic-free cardboard topper across Foster’s, Kronenbourg 1664 and Heineken, with its entire beer and cider portfolio to follow in 2021.
And, industrial aluminium company Novelis Inc announced yesterday (17 August) it had partnered with Nespresso to launch a coffee capsule made from 80% recycled aluminium.
Heineken UK
Foster’s and Kronenbourg 1664 launched in supermarkets with the new cardboard topper, dubbed Green Grip, at the end of July. The topper is to be launched for Heineken cans ahead of the August bank holiday weekend.
Heineken UK’s cardboard topper is dubbed Green Grip
Heineken UK launched the topper as part of a £22 million investment go 100% plastic-free by the end of 2021.
Michael Gillane, marketing director at Heineken UK, said: “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.”
Heineken UK says the combination of Green Grip and the removal of shrink wrapping on consumer packs will eliminate more than 517 tonnes of plastic annually.
The brewing company’s portfolio includes Foster’s, Heineken, Strongbow, Desperados, Kronenbourg 1664, John Smith’s, Bulmers, Amstel, Birra Moretti and Old Mout, amongst others.
Manchester
The Green Grip topper was piloted at Heineken UK’s Manchester brewery, with its Tadcaster and Hereford sites to follow in March 2021.
The Green Grip topper was piloted at Heineken UK’s Manchester brewery
With the installation of new packaging machinery taking place at the same time as travel restrictions were implemented across Europe, Heineken UK says it had to overcome a significant logistical hurdle. The company used virtual technology to help install the machinery at its brewery in Manchester.
The Manchester team used smart glasses to collaborate with Italian engineers on the installation process and to receive virtual training on how to operate the machinery safely. This enabled there to be fewer people on the shop floor, supporting social distancing guidelines, Heineken UK said.
Heineken UK’s Green Grip line brewing and operations director Matt Callan 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.”
Nespresso
Meanwhile, Nespresso’s new capsules comprise a thinner aluminium foil, containing 9.2% less aluminium material and 8% lighter than previous capsules.
Nespresso’s new capsules comprise a thinner aluminium foil, containing 9.2% less aluminium material
Jérôme Pérez, Nespresso head of sustainability, said: “We are constantly challenging ourselves to improve the sustainability and circularity of our operations, including the way we source, use, and recycle material.
“Reaching 80% recycled aluminium in our capsules is a significant milestone, and something we have worked hard to achieve with Novelis and other partners along the value chain.”
Foil
The foil protects freshness and aromas of high-quality coffee and provides a strong barrier against oxygen, light and humidity, Novelis says, while it is also infinitely recyclable and requires less energy to produce than virgin aluminium.
Stephen Boney, vice president of specialties at Novelis Europe, said: “This achievement is an important step in helping Nespresso reach its sustainability goals. We have a longstanding partnership with Nespresso that is focused on implementing more sustainable manufacturing processes throughout the supply chain.
“As such, we have increased the amount of recycled aluminium content in coffee capsules and developing additional end-of-life recycling solutions for greater circularity.”
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