Liz Gyekye / PackagingNews.UK

Cardboard can targets soft drinks

Packaging company Keienburg has designed a cardboard can for carbonated beverages.

The Germany-based firm said that the can body is made of a patented multilayer beverage board which is developed to be used for beverages, including beer, sparkling soft drinks, juices and coffee drinks.

The body of the can is made from cardboard and the top of the can is made from standard aluminium.

‘Deposit scheme’

Keienburg spokesman Thomas Dregger told PN: “The reason for developing the cardboard can was Germany’s deposit regulation from 2003 which forced beverage resellers to take a deposit fee of €0.25 per each can at the Point of Sale.

“The result was a huge decrease of can sales in Germany. So, the beginning of our efforts was the aim to invent a can which will be labelled as “Environmental Advantageous” [German law phrase] to be accepted from Germany’s deposit regulations.”

Dregger added: “Meanwhile the prices at the raw material markets for metal raised and so the cardboard can was getting cheaper and cheaper in comparison with the metal beverage can.

“The can is now produced on an industrial standard machine and its properties and suitability for all kind of beverages is tested by the Fraunhofer Institute.”

In a statement, Keienburg said that beverages stay colder for longer in a cardboard container than packaging made of thin metal.

World market

Dregger also said that one of “world’s top three brewing companies and a German brewer group are now negotiating with us to test the can on their plants”.

Keienburg is a packaging developing company which specialises in nutrition packaging.

Dregger said that the firm expects the can will be on the market in the next twelve months.

He added: “Where it will start is difficult to say at the moment. Anyway it is made for the world market.”