Ball Corporation has announced that it has commenced construction on a new can-making facility in Kettering, in the UK, as demand for recyclable aluminium drinks cans is on the rise.
The new facility, which is located in SEGRO Park, Kettering Gateway, will be the largest-ever beverage-packaging plant in the UK, the company noted, covering some 56,000 square metres, as well as boasting additional space for future expansion.
The project is set to be completed by January 2023, and in its first year, the facility will produce more than one billion fully recyclable cans.
Demand For Sustainable Packaging
“As environmental awareness increases, consumers are insisting on more sustainable drinks packaging,” commented Carey Causey, president, Ball Beverage Packaging, EMEA. “This new facility – in one of the UK’s best-known manufacturing locations – will help us to support our customers’ growth, creating fully recyclable cans, which can play a role in a truly circular economy and support the local community.”
Ball is constructing the Kettering plant according to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ Sustainability and Environmental Standards, with additional features such as a rainwater harvesting system and the use of technology to mitigate machinery exhaust emissions.
This means that the plant will use 20% less energy and 70% less water than traditional can-making processes.
According to a recent poll, some 80% of consumers are taking steps to reduce single-use plastic, and two thirds want to do more. Aluminium cans are currently the world’s most widely recycled beverage packaging, with a UK recycling rate of 82% and a European average of 76%.
The Kettering facility will be Ball’s third can-making site in the UK, joining plants in Milton Keynes and Wakefield and taking the new total in the EMEA region to 26.
Pictured are plant manager of the new facility, Jason Bridger, with Ball Beverage Packaging EMEA president Carey Causey.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest Packaging news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
