Heineken UK is launching an update of its Green Grip, a cardboard holder for multipacks of cans.
The move is part of the company’s sustainability programme ‘Brew a Better World’ and its commitment to finding innovative solutions to design out waste and introduce packaging that has less impact on the environment.
The new design follows the Green Grip’s initial launch in August 2020, which replaced plastic can holders with a 100% recyclable cardboard topper.
The Green Grip offers consumers the same ease-of use as traditional plastic can rings, but without the need for single-use plastic. Since the launch of the Green Grip into the market, Heineken UK has removed 336 metric tons of single-use plastic from its supply chain, including the supply chain of its customers.
On top of this, since the end of 2021, the company has removed all consumer-facing secondary plastic packaging from its UK production sites.
Following the Green Grip’s introduction to the market and the start of Heineken’s journey to eradicate plastic rings, a dedicated Heineken team began researching how the Green Grip could be improved.
After several trials, both in laboratories and in stores, the team found the double-layered Green Grip to be the best performing solution. By double layering the cardboard, Heineken UK has been able to create a more durable solution whilst keep material use to a minimum and ensuring the Green Grip remains recyclable.
£14m funding has been made available to invest in Heineken UK’s Manchester, Hereford and Tadcaster sites to equip production lines with Green Grip technology. The installation of the Green Grip is currently underway at the final site, Tadcaster, with commissioning due before the end of the year, bringing the roll-out of Green Grip packaging across all Heineken sites and brands to completion.
The all-new double layered Green Grip is being rolled out across all Heineken UK brands in multi-pack cans, including Heineken, Birra Moretti, Strongbow, and John Smith’s throughout the remainder of 2022.
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