SIXPACK

Reusable, shelf-ready beer packaging for retailers

Belgian beer culture is more popular than ever. Although for beer brewers today, the question is not if, but how Belgians will soon drink their beer. For example, packaging for alcoholic beverages must be 75% reusable by 2040. With the SIXPACK project, DW Reusables is therefore introducing reusable shelf-ready packaging for beer on shop shelves.

Lower CO2 emissions than plastic and cardboard packaging
Although DW Reusables is in an experimental phase of its project, the first research results are successful. For instance, the returnable packaging combined with reusable glass would produce 46% less CO2 emissions than a can with plastic film. And even 64% less than a glass bottle in cardboard packaging. Avid beer drinkers also keep a lot less plastic and cardboard waste at home.

Although the benefits for breweries and retailers are also great. For instance, the reusable bottles last up to 50 return trips, as they are in sturdy shelf-ready packaging. The returnable packaging keeps customers coming back. And that is commercially attractive.

Experiment with Cornet and Carrefour as basis for scale-up
For DW Reusables, the ‘return six-pack’ is just the very beginning of a packaging-free approach for the beverage industry. Thus, with the insights from this experiment, it also wants to scale up to other retailers and beer brands in Belgium and abroad.  The experiment is being conducted in cooperation with Antwerp University, Palm Breweries, MIVAS, Carrefour Belgium and Fevia.

The project is subsidised by VLAIO, the Flemish government's point of contact for entrepreneurs.