Beer cans offer lowest environmental impact

Sidel.com: Beer sold in metal cans and PET bottles has less impact on the environment than in glass bottles, according to research by Sidel, which manufacturers filling lines.

In a life-cycle-assessment (LCA) of data from the Martens Breweries in Belgium, it found that the production of steel cans uses the least primary energy and water while glass is the highest consumer. This was “against all expectations”, said Sidel.

The results of the case study show steel cans and PET bottles contribute least to global warming and air acidification. The production of steel cans uses least primary energy and water, while glass is the highest consumer. The study draws several conclusions from these results. In terms of environmental impact, primary packaging is the greatest along with beer production, while transport and secondary packaging are relatively small. Recycling rates are an important factor, especiallly for aluminum cans. Where aluminum can recycling rates are high, aluminium may be a good choice for packaging beer. The electric mix used for the production of packaging is an important parameter for the indicators “acidification”, “energy consumption” and “climate change”. The study also finds that if the weight of a 0.5l PET bottle can be at or below 20 grams, PET is the preferred overall choice in terms of climate change.

 

“The study identified the key factors which most influence environmental assessment. They were found to include recycling rates and the weight of the packaging. These insights enable us to determine which actions to implement to minimize the environmental impact of beer packaging. We can do this, for example, by improving recycling rates and by package lightweighting. The results of the study of course reflect the situation in the countries studied (Belgium for production, UK for consumption and end-of-life), at a given moment – recycling rates, transport distance and electricity mix vary across countries and over time.”

As a result of the study, a new “LCA User” tool has been developed to enable beer producers from everywhere in the world to make an informed decision regarding the most environment-friendly packaging solution for their products based on different scenarios.

 

The LCA assessment, which took its data from Martens Breweries industrial activities, was performed by RDC-Environment. Its conclusions and this press release were independently reviewed by Rene van Gijlswijk, an LCA expert from TNO in the Netherlands and Yvan Liziard, an LCA expert specializing in packaging. The LCA tool is available through Sidel.