Quick Hits: Heineken Game-Changer / Donald Trump / Italy Breaks Brewing Records

American Craft Beer|August 19th, 2020|

(Courtesy Heineken)

Heineken Calls New Eco Four Pack Holder A Game-Changer

Heineken’s UK arm is introducing what it calls “game-changing” packaging across its Fosters, Heineken and Kronenbourg 1664 beer brands that abandons plastic altogether in favor of a new eco-friendly cardboard topper for its four-packs.

Dubbed the ‘green grip’, Heineken’s new recyclable and compostable topper, forms an important part of the company’s commitment to remove all plastic from UK retail by the end of next year.

Along with the elimination of shrink-wrapping on consumer packs, Heineken’s new packaging is projected to remove 516 tons of plastic from retail shelves going forward… the equivalent of 94 million plastic bags.

Heineken UK’s marketing director Michael Gillane described the new toppers as “the result of several years of development.”

“For so long, the plastic pack rings on cans of beer and cider have been rightly scrutinized. We have been working on a solution for several years – one that is durable, totally recyclable, and completely plastic free. Importantly, this is an innovation that can be used at scale on hundreds of millions of cans every year.”

Words To Drink By

“To be blunt, people would vote for me. Why? Maybe because I’m so good looking.” – Donald Trump to the New York Times, 19/9/99

(Courtesy Birrificio Italiano)

Italy Posts Record-Breaking Beer Production Numbers

For a country renowned for its wine traditions, Italy was late to the brewing game, but according to a recent report by AssoBirra a professional organization that represents the main beer and malt producing companies in Italy they are making huge gains.

Italian beer production increased for the third year running, up by 5% in 2019. According to the report, Italy is now the ninth biggest beer producer in Europe, accounting for 4.5% of total beer produced.

Italian exports were also up 13 percent in 2019 especially to countries with a strong brewing tradition, such as the UK (46% of the total), the USA (9.7%) and Australia (8%).