Today (21), Budweiser Brewing Group, the UK arm of AB InBev, together with RUSAL, the Metals segment of En+ Group, CANPACK and ELVAL, have announced the launch of a pilot to produce a can with the lowest ever carbon footprint for an AB InBev beer can produced in Europe.
The pilot will see the production of five million ultra-low carbon Budweiser 440ml cans using new inert anode aluminium technology, produced using renewable electricity. The cans will carry the lowest ever carbon footprint for an AB InBev Europe can and will be sold across UK retailers as soon as Autumn 2021.
The low carbon can is the result of a partnership amongst sustainability-minded businesses who have worked together to pilot the initiative in Europe. The cans will be produced by CANPACK UK using 100 per cent renewable electricity and made out of aluminium coils manufactured by ELVAL. The metal was produced by replacing the usual primary aluminum with the ALLOW INERTA – ultra-low carbon primary aluminium produced by RUSAL with the breakthrough emission-free inert anode technology. The cans will be filled at Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I breweries in Magor, South Wales and Samlesbury, Lancashire powered by 100% renewable electricity.
The low-carbon cans will continue to support decarbonisation through their endless recyclability. Three quarters of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today and decarbonisation is accelerating in the industry, showing consumers can trust aluminium as a circular and low-carbon packaging material.
“Like our consumers, we care about climate change, and want to make it as easy as possible for people to choose environmentally-friendly options in their day-to-day lives, whether it’s enjoying a beer brewed with 100 per cent renewable electricity and locally sourced ingredients, or now in a low-carbon can,” said Mauricio Coindreau, Sustainability Director at Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I.
