Corona Beer Is Rolling Out Sustainable Packaging Made From Brew Scraps
Image via Business Wire
Corona has announced a packaging innovation that is getting a trial launch in South America. Its six-pack bottle holders will be created from a byproduct of the beer’s main ingredients: barley.
The new six-pack holders are made with a mix of recycled wood fibers and leftover barley straw. According to Corona, working with barley straw requires “a unique pulping process built to handle its relative fragility.” However, when it is combined with more traditional wood fibers, they become “as strong and durable as a regular six-pack, but better for the planet.”
The process uses 90 percent less water than the traditional virgin wood process, “along with less energy and fewer harsh chemicals,” per the brand’s statement. Using leftover barley straw is much more productive than the “equivalent area of woodland,” and Corona views this as a step forward to remove the need for virgin trees and raw material from its supply chain in the future.
The new packaging will get a 10,000 six-pack trial launch in Colombia this month. The brand will carry out another trial run in Argentina later this year. From there, Corona says it will look to potentially “scale the new solution globally.”
“We’re excited to finally launch this new packaging innovation we’ve been developing over the past three years,” explained Keenan Thompson, director of packaging innovation at AB InBev, which owns the Corona brand outside of the United States. “At AB InBev we are continually pushing boundaries by developing scalable solutions. Today is a proud moment for us; not only are we providing an opportunity for farmers but we’re also delivering a more mindful solution to the consumer.”
Nature is our inspiration & nature doesn't waste anything.
— Corona (@corona) March 18, 2021
So on #GlobalRecyclingDay we’re proud to share our new circular packaging. We've reimagined barley, using the seeds to brew our beer & the straws to create a more sustainable, less wasteful pack.#ProtectParadise pic.twitter.com/83nYpqZ2Mz
[via Business Wire, cover image via Business Wire]
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