The funding will be used to upgrade existing equipment, increase capacity for the production of Snap Pack packaging and reduce water usage. Work is set to be completed by the first quarter of 2024.
Three new pieces of machinery are being funded with the investment, including a second-generation Snap Pack machine which will allow for double the number of multipacks to be produced. Launched in 2018, Snap Pack packaging uses glue dot technology to hold cans together, removing the need for plastic rings.
CMBC now uses the technology across brands including Carlsberg Danish Pilsner, San Miguel, Angelo Poretti and Brooklyn Pilsner. The company aims to fully transition to Snap Pack packaging across its four and six-can multipacks by the end of 2024, reducing plastic usage by up to 76% compared to pre-Snap Pack levels.
Meanwhile, CMBC will add a new laser can encoder and an improved can filler and seamer to the Northampton-based site. The new machinery should improve efficiency and safety, while also cutting water usage by around 10%.
‘Clear commitment to eliminating waste’
Chief executive of CMBC, Paul Davies, said that the brewer has responsibility to reduce waste that it takes “very seriously” and this informed the latest investment.
He explained: “This major investment of more than £10m in Northampton demonstrates our clear commitments to eliminating packaging waste, reducing water waste, and improving efficiency at our breweries.”
The Carlsberg brand has been working with WWF since 2021 to support projects and engage consumers in the UK on environmental and sustainability issues, an initiative the charity’s director of partnerships Claudia Codsi said it was keen to take part in.
“The food and drinks industry fundamentally depends on a healthy planet with a stable climate, so businesses across the sector should all be playing their part in accelerating the transition to a net zero economy that works in harmony with nature,” Codsi added.
In other news, Drop Bear Beer Co has moved into the UK’s largest alcohol-free brewery.
