1 minute read
Low Carbon Cans
by 55 North
SUSTAINABILITY: BUDWEISER BREWING GROUP
Bud pilots beer can with lowest carbon footprint in Europe
The cans will be sold across UK retailers as soon as autumn 2021.
Budweiser Brewing Group has partnered with aluminium producer Rusal, can manufacturer Canpack, and aluminium rolling expert Elval to produce a can with the lowest carbon footprint for an AB InBev beer can produced in Europe.
The pilot will see the production of five million ultra-low carbon Budweiser 440ml cans using new inert anode aluminium technology, produced using renewable electricity. The cans will carry the lowest-ever carbon footprint for an AB InBev Europe can and will be sold in the UK as soon as autumn 2021.
The cans are the result of a partnership among sustainability-minded businesses who have worked together to pilot the initiative in Europe. The cans will be produced by Canpack UK using 100% renewable electricity and made from aluminium coils manufactured by Elval. The metal was produced by replacing the usual primary aluminium with an ultra-low carbon primary aluminium produced by Rusal with the breakthrough emission-free inert anode technology. The cans will be filled at Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I breweries in Magor, South Wales, and Samlesbury, Lancashire, which are powered by 100% renewable electricity.
Mauricio Coindreau, Sustainability Director at Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, said: “Like our consumers, we care about climate change, and want to make it as easy as possible for people to choose environmentally-friendly options in their day-to-day lives, whether it’s enjoying a beer brewed with 100% renewable electricity and locally sourced ingredients, or now in a low-carbon can.
“We’re excited about this pilot, made possible thanks to the collaboration with our partners and this amazing technological breakthrough.”
The low-carbon cans will continue to support decarbonisation through their endless recyclability. Three-quarters of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today and decarbonisation is accelerating in the industry, showing consumers can trust aluminium as a circular and low-carbon packaging material.
