Beer-lovers, rejoice! In a brand new scheme announced by Endeavour Group, beer-drinkers will now be able to recycle their beer clips via select Dan Murphy’s and BWS stores around Australia.
Recycle Your Beer Clips At Dan Murphy’s & BWS!
Did you know that beer clips can be reused more than 50 times before being recycled? With this fact in mind, Endeavour Group have teamed up with Visy Recycling, PakTech, Independent Brewers Association (IBA) and East Coast Canning to offer a brand new beer clip recycling scheme.
In this new scheme, customers can drop off their used beer clips at select Dan Murphy’s and BSW stores around Australia. The clips will be reused until the end of their lifespan, then recycled to create new beer clips.
"Many beer lovers are familiar with the can clips that hold four and six-packs of brews together, but many don't realise that the clips can be reused and made into new clips," said Endeavour Group’s Diarmaid o'Mordha to Packaging News.
The Beer Clips Will Be Reused By Local Breweries
It all begins with the collection points in Dan Murphy’s and BWS! As the recycling scheme rolls out across Australia, we can expect to see many more beer clip collection bins.
Considering that beer clips can be reused 50 times without losing their quality, it makes total sense for local independent breweries to collect them to reuse! All Inn Brewing in Brisbane, Willie the Boatman in Sydney, Temple Brewing in Melbourne — plus mobile canning company, East Coast Canning — will collect and reuse the beer clips until the end of their lifetime.
“With a robust recycling program in place, can clips are incredibly sustainable and a great option for a circular economy. As a bonus, it reduces costs, all whilst helping the environment,” said Kylie Lethbridge, IBA CEO.
Diverting Beer Can Clips From Landfill
Once the beer can clips have reached the end of their lifetime, they will be sent to Visy to be converted into HDPE resin, and then to PakTech, where the material is used to make new beer clips! Pretty amazing, right?
“This new model reflects similar systems already in place in the US and Canada,” said Kylie Lethbridge. Plus, “it presents a great opportunity to manage and mitigate our impact on the environment, as these clips will no longer end up in landfill”.
It seems like a no-brainer to reuse and recycle this sturdy plastic! In landfill, a beer clip could take hundreds of years to degrade into smaller plastics — and if it ends up in the ocean, it could choke and kill marine wildlife.
The Future Of Sustainable Packaging
This new recycling scheme reminds us of when several major Australian brewers — like Carlton & United Breweries and Lion — decided to ditch the plastic rings on their six-pack beer cans. Just by switching to recyclable cardboard packaging, Carlton & United reportedly saved 25 million plastic rings from entering landfill each year!
We’re so happy to see the launch of this beer clip recycling scheme. Finally, consumers will be able to play a vital role in diverting the recyclable clips from landfill.
"Can clips are a great option for a circular economy, but there have been no multi-state recycling options available for customers, which is why we have initiated this industry-wide reuse and recycling scheme,” said Diarmaid O’Mordha.
We love seeing industry-wide changes that are sensible and sustainable! For Luke Phillips at All Inn Brewing, getting involved with Endeavour Group’s initiative was a no-brainer. “It’s such a great and simple way to give something back — to not only the environment — but also our local community,” Phillips said.
Keep an eye out at your local Dan Murphy’s or BWS for a beer can clip collection point!
For regular updates about what’s happening in the eco world, check out the Eco News category and the blogs below.
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