Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company invests €11.5M in water-saving KHS packaging machinery

11 Jan 2024 --- Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) is investing over €11.5 million (US$11.6 million) to modernize its KHS filling and packaging equipment at CMBC’s brewery in Northampton, UK, to boost environmental standards in its production operations.

With the energy-efficient Innofill Can DVD filler and resource-conserving Innopack Kisters Nature MultiPack (NMP) packer, two new KHS machines will improve production while reducing expected water consumption and use of plastic in packaging by increasing capacity for the clever Snap Pack Nature MultiPack, an innovative, sustainable secondary packaging system co-developed by KHS and Carlsberg Group.

Edgar-George Petsche, executive vice-president of Market Zone Europe at KHS, says that with this latest investment in the company’s pioneering packaging system and “the trust shown in our flexible can filler, we’re proud to be helping to responsibly protect our climate together with CMBC as their reliable partner.”

NMP, marketed by CMBC as Snap Pack in the UK, turns beverage cans into a stable pack using “just a few dots” of adhesive. Since Snap Pack was launched in the UK five years ago, by the end of 2022, 65% of small multipacks from the brewery in Northampton were being packaged in Snap Pack format.

Increased capacity
KHS says that Snap Pack is now the most used packaging style by the brewery for multipacks of four and six cans, including for beers such as Carlsberg Danish Pilsner, San Miguel, Birrificio Angelo Poretti and Brooklyn Pilsner.

CMBC’s recent investment in a further Innopack Kisters NMP packer, now in its second generation, enables the number of packs produced to be doubled due to its increased capacity of up to 108,000 cans per hour.

KHS’ Innofill Can DVD. Once in use across all multipacks from the brewery, CMBC’s Snap Pack is said to reduce the business’s plastic usage by up to 76% compared to its previous multipacks by eliminating plastic rings.

KHS’ new universal adhesive will also be used on the high-performance NMP packer. The one-fits-all solution enables beverage companies to produce the “perfect” NMP for all standard formats and sizes. KHS says its new adhesive works on all outer coatings on aluminum and tin cans.

Lower water consumption
In the filling section the equally proven technology of the Innofill Can DVD boosts efficiency and operational reliability. The Innofill Can DVD will work with the FS14 can seamer from the Swiss Ferrum company, which features a double lid infeed.

Besides its output of up to 90,000 cans per hour holding 0.33, 0.44 or 0.5 liters, KHS says its filler is convincing with its “extremely” small hygiene zone that ensures the optimal and targeted flow of sterile air through the sensitive area.

CMBC is investing in three machines to upgrade the brewery, including two KHS machines. It is estimated that the investment can decrease water consumption by up to 10% annually. The reduction reportedly amounts to approximately 18 million liters per year.

Paul Davies, CMBC’s CEO, says: “We take our responsibility as a brewer very seriously and ensuring we reduce our impact on the planet is a hugely important part. This major investment of more than £10 million [equivalent to €11.5 million and US$11.6 million] in Northampton demonstrates our clear commitment to eliminating packaging waste, reducing water waste and improving efficiency at our breweries.”

“By taking ambitious action now, we can deliver on our sustainability goals and enable even more of our innovative Snap Pack multipacks to make their way to consumers.”

By Natalie Schwertheim

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