General News
10 September, 2021
No plastic wrap, that’s GOLD
IT’S HORRIFIC the impact that plastics can have on our marine and bird life.
It is estimated that more than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans each year. The impact upon our marine life is catastrophic.
With a growing focus upon the removal of single-use plastics from our environment the focus has moved to a reduction of plastics in packaging.
Australian Brewing giant Lion, brewers of Queensland’s favorite beer XXXX has taken steps to reduce the impact of their packaging upon our marine environment.
XXXX will be packed in cardboard cartons by the end of 2023 as Lion commits to eliminating all plastic shrink wrap from its packaging by 2023.
By eliminating shrink-wrap from its product lines, XXXX will remove more than 104 tonnes of plastic from circulation, keeping it out of landfill and away from our precious waterways and ecosystems.
XXXX Sales Director Patrick Donohue said that the biggest beneficiary of this move would be Queensland’s environment, from the countryside to its 7,000 kilometres of coastline, which includes some of the richest sites for marine life on the planet.
“The XXXX brand is synonymous with Queensland, and our environment – our beaches, our oceans, our rivers, our outback, rolling mountains and rainforests – are such an important part of what makes us special.
“They deserve our protection, which is why we were the first major Australian brewer to make the decision to stop using the notoriously damaging plastic six pack rings for our beers more than a decade ago, and why we’re now getting rid of plastic shrink wrap on our consumer packaging entirely.”
XXXX cans will be available in cardboard cartons by the end of 2021, while stubbies and long necks will transition from plastic shrink wrap to cardboard at the end of 2023.
Moving forward, the iconic XXXX Brewery has also committed to replacing plastic labels on its bottles with sustainable alternatives by 2030.
“As Australia’s first large-scale carbon neutral brewer, Lion has positioned itself as a leader in sustainability in the brewing industry,” Donohue said.
“We’ve been conscious of the environmental impact of our packaging for many years now, and have been taking deliberate steps to ensure XXXX, and all our brands, have the longer-term environmental picture in mind.
“Our XXXX Brewery has been carbon neutral since 2020 – achieved by installing solar to soak up some rays, using biogas gifted from the brewing process and then to top it off, investing in high-quality carbon offset projects to reduce the brewery’s remaining carbon footprint to zero.
“We’re committed to using 100% renewable electricity to brew XXXX by 2025.
“This is a significant acceleration in a journey we have been on for a long time, and we will always look to go one better for the environment.”
Lion is also a proud partner of REDcycle, which promotes soft plastic recycling. While the transition out of plastic shrink wrap is underway, XXXX fans can continue to recycle their shrink wrap through REDcycle using the bins at major supermarkets
nationwide.
