Petainer, the leading supplier of PET preforms to Carlsberg’s DraughtMaster™ system, has been invited by the Carlsberg Group, one of the biggest brewers in the world, to participate in the Carlsberg Circular Community based on the Cradle-to-Cradle® design framework; a unique and ambitious upcycling programme designed to eliminate packaging waste.
Carlsberg has invited suppliers to take part in the new initiative, which is based on the idea of creating packaging that is optimised for recycling and re-use – an approach, often referred to as ‘upcycling’. The co-operation has been formalised through the Carlsberg Circular Community, for which Petainer has been invited to participate as a founding member and the only current PET packaging supplier.
Under this initiative, Carlsberg aims to have new products undergo an assessment for ‘upcycling’ potential using a Cradle- to-Cradle® analysis, which will reveal if the products contain any chemicals or additives that would reduce the value and quality of the materials.
Petainer supplies Carlsberg with DraughtMaster™ preforms, high-quality lightweight PET material that cost less than 10% of the price of steel kegs, while also offering a range of environmental and performance benefits.
Unlike steel kegs or other plastic variants, DraughtMaster™ kegs do not have to be cleaned, so there is no need for the water, chemicals or energy usually associated with the cleaning process.
Every DraughtMaster™ keg saves approximately 12 litres of water, mitigating ‘water stress’. All DraughtMaster™ kegs use sophisticated barrier technologies to restrict oxygen ingress and reduce CO2 losses. There is no taste taint, since no aluminium or other metals are present to affect the flavour of the product stored.
Annemieke Hartman-Jemmett, Group Commercial Strategy Director at Petainer, said: “To be asked to take part in this programme by Carlsberg is recognition of our ability to respond to a challenging innovation like the DraughtMaster™. PET kegs are the future, they are shaking up the market and allowing brewers and other drinks suppliers to deliver beverages anywhere in the world offering great commercial advantage and with greatly reduced environmental impact. It’s wonderful for these efforts to be recognised with the invitation to join the Carlsberg Circular Community.”
The inspiration behind the Carlsberg Circular Community is the Cradle-to-Cradle® design framework. A platform for business where products and materials are defined according to how they are used, i.e. the right materials in the right place at the right time. The result; resources are suitable for re-use instead of being waste.
The first stage in this process will be for Carlsberg to conduct assessments of products in order to identify potential for optimising the products according to Cradle- to-Cradle® principles. Carlsberg’s target is to cooperate with a select number of partners and to launch three Cradle-to-Cradle® certified products by 2016.
Annemieke Hartman-Jemmett added: “We’ve worked really closely with Carlsberg to optimise the design of the DraughtMaster™ keg, so it’s exciting to see them including this product as part of the Carlsberg Circular Community”.
The Carlsberg Circular Community is also expected to create other benefits beyond sustainability, through new partnerships and closer co-operation throughout the value chain.
Jørgen Buhl Rasmussen, President and CEO of Carlsberg Group, said: “We want to build our resilience and prepare for future growth in an environment of increased resource scarcity and we want to develop solutions that benefit not only our business, but also the environment and the societies in which we operate. The packaging initiative and the co-operation with suppliers are a big leap forward. By cooperating with our suppliers, we can achieve far more than each of us can do alone.”
