Guinness-maker Diageo has announced its plans to remove plastic ring carriers and shrink wrap to be removed from multipacks its beer products: Guinness, Harp, Rockshore and Smithwick’s.
The sustainable move will cost the drinks giant a reported €18.5 million.
The new packs are expected to be on the shelves in the island of Ireland from August 2019 and from Summer 2020 in Great Britain and the remaining export markets.
"Managing our environmental impact is important for the planet and the financial sustainability of our business," Oliver Loomes, country director of Diageo Ireland.
'Currently under 5% of Diageo’s total packaging is plastic and this change will reduce Diageo’s plastic usage by over 400 tonnes annually,' the group said in a statement.
This is the equivalent of removing 40 million 50cl plastic bottles from the world, which, if laid out in a row, would reach from London to Beijing (8,136km).
'Beautiful' & 'Functional'
Diageo said that the multi-can packs will be replaced by cardboard packs, which are sustainably sourced, recyclable and fully biodegradable.
Individual cans are fully recyclable, including the widget which is contained inside cans of Draught Guinness, the group highlighted,
“Consumers expect our packs to look beautiful, be functional, and sustainable, David Cutter, Diageo’s Chief Sustainability Officer and President, Global Supply & Procurement, added.
"I am proud to announce this investment, through which we have been able to combine all three."
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
