Ab InBev announced today that the Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I’s entire beer portfolio is now free of plastic rings. Brands in the portfolio include Budweiser, Bud Light, Stella Artois and Beck’s.

Paula Lindenberg, President of Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, said:

“We couldn’t have predicted the events of this year, but we were determined to not let this hinder our sustainability progress. It’s why I’m so proud that we’ve met our target of removing plastic-rings and shrink wrap from all our canned beers. Thanks to the hard work of our teams, there will be no plastic-rings on any canned beer that leaves our breweries in the UK from today.”

According to Ab InBev, plastic ring packaging has been replaced with alternatives including KeelClip, a new technology which uses recyclable paperboard to create a lighter weight pack, provided by paperboard packaging company Graphic Packaging International (NYSE:GPK).

The company stated that along with decreasing the use of plastic shrink wrap, the initiative will eliminate  850 tonnes of plastic waste, the equivalent weight of 67 double decker buses, every year, and brings Ab InBev closer to achieving its 2025 Sustainability Goal of having 100% of products in packaging that is returnable or made from majority recycled content. 

Michaela Miedl, Innovation and Technology Director for AB InBev – Europe, said:

“We are delighted that this forward-thinking innovation, launched in collaboration with Graphic Packaging, has been recognized at this level by Pro Carton, ECMA and the public. KeelClip is a perfect example of premium innovation that supports sustainability and improves the consumer experience.”