Smurfit Kappa has provided a paper-based replacement for shrink-wrap plastic that bundles beverage multipacks for a Belgian craft brewer.
The end-to-end packaging system, known as TopClip, is being used by pioneering Belgian craft brewer BeerSelect to aid in its sustainability goals.
The packaging company also provided the brewer with an automated machine system to efficiently package the beer in house.
After examining the brewer’s operations, Smurfit Kappa installed its mid-speed TopClip machine. The device can handle 30,000 cans per hour and has proven effective with a number of small and medium-sized drinks companies.
The machine is flexible in its packaging abilities and can switch between configurations to bundle four, six or eight cans with ease.
TopClip has a 30% lower carbon footprint than shrink-wrap plastic. The product is also 100% recyclable and displays the beverages better than wrap-around plastic alternatives.
Speaking about the collaboration, the co-founder of BeerSelect, Kasper Peeters, said that the solution worked perfectly with the company’s sustainability ethos.
Peeters said, “The most tangible benefit is using a packaging solution that will not harm the environment, and the implementation of a tailor-made machine system has made a big difference to both the ease and speed of production.”
The European project and machine systems manager at Smurfit Kappa, Koen De Winter, also welcomed the collaboration.
De Winter said, “The TopClip automated system that we specially designed for small and medium-sized breweries has really taken off.
“We knew that TopClip was the ideal Better Planet Packaging [BPP, a Smurfit Kappa initiative] solution to meet BeerSelect’s needs, and through building the machine for them, it became an even more effective and holistic solution.”
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