Molson Coors invests £7.5m into plastic-free pledge

By Emily Hawkins

- Last updated on GMT

Sustainability focus: Molson Coors has outlined its packaging goals for the next five years
Sustainability focus: Molson Coors has outlined its packaging goals for the next five years

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Beer giant Molson Coors has made a commitment to remove plastic packaging from its Carling and Coors Light brands, in a multimillion-pound investment.

It has pledged to eradicate the plastic film wrap from large multipacks by the end of March 2020. 

This will be replaced with a totally recyclable fully enclosed carton board, as part of a £7.5m investment over the course of the next two years.

Plastic rings will also be removed from Carling and Coors Light cans and replaced with totally recyclable cardboard sleeves by the end of March 2021.

The company, which is the UK’s second largest brewing business, announced the plans as part of its new global packaging goals.

Ambitious goals

It wants all of its packaging to be reusable, recyclable, compostable or biodegradable by 2025.

Molson Coors UK & Ireland legal and corporate affairs director Kristin Wolfe said: “We recognise the challenge of single-use plastics and we’re committed to reducing its use throughout our supply chain. 

“The pledge we’ve made today, both globally and with the local actions we’re taking in the UK and Ireland, will significantly reduce single-use plastics in our packaging, reinforcing our long-term commitment to brewing greener and working towards our 2025 sustainability goals.”

It has new targets to lower absolute carbon emissions by 50% within its own operations and by 20% across its value chain, which would meet measures outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement.

Molson Coors CEO Mark Hunter added. “As a global brewer with a strong family heritage, we have always taken seriously our responsibility to brew a more sustainable future.

“Plastic waste poses a clear environmental challenge and, as a consumer-packaged goods company, we play an important role in helping to solve the global waste crisis.”

The company bought south-east based Hop Stuff Brewery and its taprooms​ as part of a pre-packaged administration process for an undisclosed fee earlier this summer.

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