HEINEKEN is to trial a new, low-carbon glass bottle in the UK as part of an initiative to cut carbon emissions in the brewing industry.
The bottles, created by manufacturer Encirc and funded by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, contain up to 100% recycled glass materials and are produced using low-carbon biofuel. The process is said to reduce the carbon footprint of each individual bottle by 90%.
Over one million of the bottles are to be trialled in the UK in order to test their resilience throughout the supply chain.
Heineken UK brewing and operations director, Matt Callan, said the trial “is a huge step forward in finding a scalable solution to reducing carbon from glass manufacturing”.
“This is a great example of working together with different suppliers to advance sustainable practices. Testing 1.4m bottles in the market will provide much needed insight into the practicalities of introducing an ultra-low carbon option with glass, and the results will inform further development with the eventual goal of introducing low-carbon bottles at scale.”
UK energy minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the project is “ a huge leap forward in creating greener packaging and helping the UK end its contribution to carbon emissions by 2050 – something which we can all raise a glass to”.
