Less is more: Coca-Cola launches minimalist paperboard innovation for multipack cans

21 Nov 2019 --- The Coca‑Cola System, which comprises The Coca-Cola Company and its approximately 225 bottling partners worldwide, has introduced the KeelClip minimalist paperboard packaging solution on multipack cans in Europe in what the company is calling a first for the NARTD (Non Alcoholic Ready to Drink) industry. This new type of packaging not only replaces the plastic wrap but also minimizes the amount of paper/card that is required. KeelClip will initially roll out in Ireland, the Netherlands and Poland early next year in a move that supports Coca‑Cola’s global goals to work towards a World Without Waste, where all packaging is collected, recycled and reused.

Coca‑Cola and its strategic bottling partners Coca‑Cola HBC and Coca‑Cola European Partners (CCEP) worked closely with Graphic Packaging International - developer of the KeelClip technology - to bring this sustainable packaging solution to market.

As part of this initiative, Coca‑Cola HBC will remove shrink wrap from all of its can multipacks in all EU markets by the end of 2021. In total, Coca‑Cola HBC will invest €15 million in KeelClip and it will begin the roll out in Ireland and Poland early next year, followed by Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Romania in 2020. All of Coca‑Cola HBC’s EU markets will have KeelClip by the end of 2021. This will save an estimated 2,000 metric tons of plastic and 3,000 metric tons of CO2 annually. The KeelClip will be used on all can multipacks of up to eight cans, while larger can multipacks will be bound by a carton pack.

CCEP committed in October to removing all unnecessary or hard to recycle plastic from its portfolio, avoiding the use of more than 11,000 metric tons of virgin plastic a year across the countries where it operates. It will roll-out KeelClip in the Netherlands early next year with more markets to follow, investing €14 million in its factory in Dongen, the Netherlands, to install a new can line and a KeelClip packaging machine.

“KeelClip is our latest investment in innovative, sustainable packaging solutions. Alongside the four water brands we introduced this year in 100 percent recycled PET bottles, the increased use of recycled PET and continued lightweighting across the portfolio, KeelClip is another demonstration of our commitment to delivering our World Without Waste goals,” comments Marcel Martin, Group Supply Chain Director for Coca‑Cola HBC.

“Innovation is a key principle of our sustainable packaging work and the application of this fully recyclable paperboard KeelClip, which comprises a top board that the cans clip into and a central cardboard ‘keel’ - similar to a ship’s keel - that stabilizes the pack, is another example of how we are delivering on our commitment to remove all unnecessary and hard to recycle single-use plastic from our products,” explains Joe Franses, Vice President, Sustainability for CCEP.

“The KeelClip technology is effective for can multipacks of various diameters and heights. This means that we can provide a safe, effective package with no need for secondary plastic. When businesses such as Coca‑Cola HBC and CCEP invest in these technologies, we can really make a difference to the way we package goods and drive the industry to continue to change too,” adds Steve Gould, New Product Development and Marketing Director, Beverage Division, Europe, for Graphic Packaging International.

Sustainability drive spurs Coca-Cola into action
Consumer preference and increased regulatory demand for more sustainable packaging have seen Coca-Cola explore more circular solutions and systems. For example, the beverage giant recently swapped its iconic green Sprite bottles for more easily recyclable clear PET bottles in the ASEAN market.

In a move similar to the introduction of KeelClip, CCEP announced in September that it is set to remove plastic shrink-wrap across all multipack cans sold in the UK and transition to cardboard over the next 18 months.

The company also unveiled the “first-ever” plastic bottle made using marine litter that is of food and beverage grade quality, launched a new advertising campaign coined “Round in Circles” to remind people that its bottles are 100 percent recyclable and teamed up with Keurig, Dr Pepper and PepsiCo to launch the Every Bottle Back initiative, which is investing in the improvement of plastic retrieval.

Despite increase sustainability efforts, Coca-Cola was still named as one of the world’s “top polluting companies” alongside Nestlé and PepsiCo in a recent Break Free From Plastic report, based on 484 cleanups in over 50 countries across six continents.

A farewell to single-use plastics?
In a bid to relinquish dependency on single-use plastics, several global beverage manufacturers have been exploring novel packaging designs. Notably, Mexican beer brand Corona created a prototype screwable, stackable can solution. Known as Fit Packs, the cans have screw threads at the top and bottom, allowing up to ten cans to be stacked on top of each other with a simple twist and no additional materials.

Corona also piloted another sustainable alternative to plastic six-pack beer rings – plant-based rings made from biodegradable fibers and a mix of by-product waste and compostable materials. If left in the environment, the rings will break down into a non-harmful organic material.

In Europe, Carlsberg achieved a 76 percent total reduction in plastic use through its Snap Pack innovation for cans. The Snap Pack removes the need for plastic multi-pack rings by using recyclable glue that bonds the beer cans together.

By Joshua Poole