Saving the Earth One Keg at a Time

We’ve all heard the saying “save the earth, it's the only one with beer” and every year this is getting more and more important. So what can we do to help? The easiest way is finding sustainable solutions to everyday products and trying to cut down on single use packaging.

Every year millions of aluminum cans and plastic bottles are thrown out, ending up in landfills or our oceans rather than being recycled. These materials take hundreds of years to break down, if they ever break down, which of course causes long term problems to the environment. On top of that, the production, transportation and disposal of all these single-use packaging also use valuable resources and contribute to carbon emissions. Recycling helps, but what if you could cut down on the amount of plastic bottles and aluminum cans you used in the first place?

One way we here at iKegger can help with reducing single-use packaging is our  keg systems !

How can Kegs Systems Help?

Kegs are a reusable container, usually made from stainless steel, which can hold a variety of different beverages, including beer, wine, cocktails and non-alcoholic options. We offer kegs in many different sizes, ranging from  2L all the way up to 19L , these keg systems can be customised to include  taps  and  regulators  which can be used with both  Co2  and  Nitrogen  to both dispense, and maintain the beverages freshness and carbonation.

So what are the Environmental Benefits?

There are many environmental benefits to using reusable kegs over plastic bottles and cans but the biggest three are; 

 

Waste Reduction: Because kegs are made for repeated use they significantly reduce the need for single-use packaging. This cuts down on the amount of bottles and cans that end up in landfill.

Energy and Resource Conservation: The production cycle of kegs uses fewer resources on a whole than single-use bottles and cans. This means more energy and materials are saved during production, which helps reduce their carbon footprint, which brings us to;

Lower Carbon Emissions: Although both bottles/cans and kegs need transporting, on a whole moving kegs from one place to another is more efficient. Kegs hold a large quantity of liquid meaning fewer trips are needed to transport the same amount, resulting in a lower amount of carbon emissions.

 

What about Cost-Effectiveness?

Although the upfront costs of a keg system are more expensive than single-use packaging, the long term savings are clear. Instead of having to throw out (or preferably recycle) your empty bottles and cans you can simply refill your stainless steel keg. Our kegs are also built to last, being made from sturdy materials means they can take a hit, be reused constantly and not only that, they can stay cold all day.

Imagine turning up to picnics or parties with a keg full of your favourite beverage, rather than having to carry multiple cans or bottles? Not only is it cheaper to fill a keg, but it’s also easier to carry, which seems like a small thing but it is a game changer. Plus it’s fun just to pull on the handle of a tap.

One thing to take into consideration in this conversation of cost-effectiveness and sustainability is the use of cartridges and bulbs. Although CO2 cartridges and nitrogen bulbs are single-use which leads to higher costs and more waste, however we have a solution to that. With the correct  adapters  you can connect  soda stream bottles  to our systems which can be exchanged for full bottles once empty (the same is true for both larger  Co2  and  nitrogen  bottles ) which effectively keeps both cost and wastage down.

What about Businesses?

Everyday consumers are becoming increasingly aware of environmental issues and are actively looking for solutions to these problems. By using keg systems businesses can promote their sustainability efforts while reducing packaging costs and their need for single-use bottles and cans, and tap into a growing market of environmentally conscious consumers. 

Support Local Breweries

On top of the environmental wins, keg systems also create a great opportunity to support local breweries and other drink companies. Many breweries are more than happy to fill kegs and most already offer this service as it’s a great way to get their beer into their customers hands without having to invest in bottling or canning lines.

So it’s pretty clear that sustainability is crucial and everyone has a role to play in it, be it consumers or the beverage industry at large. Keg systems have created a sustainable solution for removing the need for single-use packaging, they reduce waste, take less materials and resources to make and transport and have a lower carbon footprint than plastic bottles and aluminum cans, not to mention the long term savings for both consumers and businesses. By making the change to kegs we can help save the only planet with beer on it, cheers.