At the heart of the investment were two new machines from KHS – the Innofill Can DVD filler and the Innopack Kisters Nature Multipack packer. According to KHS, the pair will reduce water consumption and use of plastic packaging.
Edgar-George Petsche, executive vice-president of market zone Europe at KHS, said: “Energy-efficient lines and machines and safe, environmentally friendly packaging systems are key components of our sustainability strategy.
Sustainability partnership
“With this latest investment in our pioneering packaging system and the trust shown in our flexible can filler, we’re proud to be helping to responsibly protect our climate together with CMBC as their reliable partner.”
CMBC’s investment in a further Innopack Kisters NMP packer enables the number of packs produced to be doubled thanks to its increased capacity of up to 108,000 cans per hour.
Once fully in use across all multipacks from the brewery, CMBC’s Snap Pack (see box) will reduce the business’s plastic usage by up to 76% compared to its previous multipacks by eliminating the need for plastic rings.
What is a Snap Pack?
In an effort to minimise the amount of packaging used in its multipacks, CMBC developed the Snap Pack in partnership with KHS. Instead of a cardboard outer or plastic rings, cans are held together with just a few dots of adhesive, significantly reducing packaging waste.
Since Snap Pack was launched in the UK five years ago, by the end of 2022 65% of small multipacks from the brewery in Northampton were being packaged in Snap Pack format.
Reduce water consumption
The installation of the two machines, as well as a FS14 can seamer from the Swiss Ferrum company, will see the brewer reduce water consumption by up to 10% annually.
Paul Davies, chief executive of CMBC, added: “We take our responsibility as a brewer very seriously and ensuring we reduce our impact on the planet is a hugely important part of this. This major investment of more than £10m in Northampton demonstrates our clear commitment to eliminating packaging waste, reducing water waste and improving efficiency at our breweries.
“By taking ambitious action now, we can deliver on our sustainability goals and enable even more of our innovative Snap Pack multipacks to make their way to consumers.”
Meanwhile, non-alcoholic brewery Mash Gang has secured a ‘significant investment’ from tech investor Ryan McCarry to support its continued growth both domestically and internationally, tech integration and upscale production.