Graphic Packaging International (GPI) has developed KeelClip™, a paperboard packaging solution for cans that offers sustainability advantages and merchandising benefits. It performs well in high-speed environments thanks to the corresponding KeelClip 1600 machinery system.
KeelClip works on a wide range of can styles and sizes, and in multiple product configurations. During application with the KeelClip 1600 machinery system, cans may be precisely oriented for maximum shelf appeal, and the center keel secures the product for dependable delivery and a consistent display. Plus, the package may be printed with high-quality graphics to showcase the product’s branding in a way that plastic rings cannot.
“In additional to sustainability, consumer experience was at the forefront of our minds when designing KeelClip,” said Steve Gould, GPI’s new product development and marketing director, beverage division, Europe. “Reliable, comfortable finger holes on top of the pack allow for easy carrying, and the can tops are completely covered keeping them cleaner than before. We also made sure that while the cans are secure in the package for transport, they can be easily removed for the consumer to enjoy without frustration. Finally, when the last can is removed, KeelClip can be tossed right in the recycling bin.”
AB InBev will be one of the first to commercialize KeelClip. Beginning in March 2020, Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, part of AB InBev, will have brands in the UK market, such as Bud Light, packaged leveraging the new KeelClip. “As one of the largest can users in the world, with best-selling brands like Stella Artois and Budweiser, the circular packaging solutions we take on must be scalable and efficient to keep up with demand. The KeelClip technology will allow us to produce up to 2,000 cans per minute in sustainable, recyclable paperboard. We will be reconfiguring our entire canning production lines in the UK to introduce this machinery and expand overall paperboard packaging capacity so that we can ensure all plastic rings are eliminated,” commented Elise Dickinson, Head of Innovation for Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, part of AB InBev.
