A returnable shelf-ready mini crate for beer is being launched by Carrefour Belgium, Cornet and DW Reusables, supported by VLAIO and Living Lab.
Over the past several decades, reusable primary container and crate systems have increasingly been under attack as the market shifted to lightweight single-use packaging. There were several justifications for this trend, some of them albeit misguided, as we outline below.
As spelled out in the new European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations (PPWR), however, reusable packaging is now being tapped as a key driver for the beverage industry to accelerate its transition to a circular economy. And with good reason. Reusable beer crates are one of the oldest examples of a genuinely closed-loop system. Together with reusable bottles, the crates have circulated for decades between breweries, retailers, and end users.
A small deposit maximizes the return rate to almost 100%, reducing tons of single-use packaging waste. After their useful long life, the crates are collected to be reground and turned into new crates. This successful application of reusable packaging in the beverage sector has inspired many other reusable packaging use cases.
Returnable six-pack mini crate for frequent use
The returnable and fully brandable six-pack is the next logical step towards multi-use beverage crates. The mini crates are easy to carry and store, with the added advantage that the mini crate is easy to return via the well-known Tomra machines.
The six-bottle returnable packs are stored on retailer shelves and offer the same shopping conveniences as single-use packs, including optimized shelf space, easy replenishment and reduced product handling. In addition, the durable packaging is stackable and reduces the risk of pre-opened, unsellable units or damaged goods. At socio-economic company MIVAS, they are cleaned after each use for guaranteed hygiene.
From Producer to Brewer to Retailer
The Cornet brand from Brouwerij De Hoorn, part of Royal Swinkels, is debuting the shelf-ready reusable six-packs.
“Circularity is the cornerstone of our sustainability strategy,” said Pamela De Groote, Senior Brand Marketer at Royal Swinkels. “This means that we do not waste energy and materials and ensure that they retain their value. With this initiative we are putting words into action.”
For Carrefour, this is part of its mission to take the lead in the food transition. The retailer was immediately convinced to offer this packaging in its hypermarkets. “Carrefour wants to promote more sustainable packaging together with suppliers and retailers and increase consumer awareness of this,” explained Lotte Krekels, Packaging Manager, Carrefour.
“Urbanization is influencing the trend towards smaller reusable packaging,” continued Marine Bresson, Sustainability Manager, Carrefour.
Additionally, DW Reusables, the packaging manufacturer, will produce the packaging from 100% waste. By using post-consumer plastic material, the materials are brought back in a circular economy.
The project will be presented at the World Circular Economy Forum on April 17 in Brussels. That is the world’s leading event for thinkers about the circular economy, showcasing the most impactful circular solutions.
The first returnable packaging with a deposit will be available in Carrefour stores this autumn. The various partners will review during the first half of next year.
Broad cooperation
The Living Lab is carried out by a broad partnership of DW Reusables, Carrefour Belgium, Royal Swinkels, Fevia, the federation of the Belgian food industry, the REuse Lab of the University of Antwerp and the socio-economic enterprise MIVAS.
This initiative was made possible with the support of VLAIO, in the form of a Living Lab. VLAIO is the point of contact of the Flemish government for all entrepreneurs in Flanders.
The partnership was realized thanks to the Flemish Green Deal Anders Verpakt.
Sidebar: Why did reusable packaging in beverage lose its fizz?
In North America, the reusable bottle model was generally under siege in the second half of the 20th Century. When I was growing up in the 1960s, reusable soft drink and beer bottles were the norm. Things quickly transitioned in ensuing decades, aided by lobbying efforts to squash state bottle bills. Single-use packaging was perceived to have many benefits, including:
- Cost-Effectiveness: It was believed that single-use packaging incurred lower overall costs compared to reusable bottles. The cost of collecting, transporting, cleaning, and sterilizing reusable bottles was thought to be significantly higher than the cost of producing new single-use containers.
- Convenience: Single-use packaging eliminates the need for consumers to return bottles for deposit refunds, which can be a hassle and deter purchases. Additionally, single-use packages are often lighter, making them easier to transport and store for end users.
- Distribution Efficiency and market expansion: Single-use containers can be produced in larger quantities and distributed widely without the need for a return mechanism. This simplifies logistics, especially over large geographic areas where return logistics can be complex and costly. Single-use containers facilitated greater transportation range and plant product specialization as bottlers looked to optimize multi-plant networks.
- Product Safety and Hygiene: Single-use packaging is often seen as more hygienic because each container is used only once, eliminating the risk of contamination from prior use. This speaks to the necessity of reusable packaging providers to build trust regarding wash hygiene.
- Consumer Preference: Over the years, consumer preferences shifted towards disposable packaging due to its convenience and the perception of it being a cleaner and safer option, buoyed by the belief that they were doing their part through recycling. Marketers leveraged these perceptions to promote single-use packaging. However, as a broader realization of unsustainably low recycling rates has become widely understood, the opportunity for reusable packaging in the beverage sector is receiving a fresh look, such as through the new program discussed above.
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
