Black Sheep has bottle to help environment

December 6, 2007: Black Sheep has launched a new bottle to the off-trade market with both shelf-ready and environmental credentials.

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The 50cl bottles now use 25% less glass — down from 389 grams to 293 grams and thought to be the lightest in the sector.

The range, which includes the brewery’s major brand Black Sheep Ale, together with Riggwelter, Emmerdale, Yorkshire Square Ale, Golden Sheep, Tesco Golden Ale and Holy Grail, has also been designed to the highest shelf-ready packaging requirements, with eight- and 12-bottle packs formed to fit shelving straight from the shrink-wrapped trays.

Black Sheep managing director Paul Theakston said: “This initiative has been designed to help our extensive off-trade client base, including the major supermarkets, meet their stringent targets on carbon reduction, whilst meeting the shelf-ready packaging brief. It proves you can do good business and at the same time benefit the environment.”

With some 4.6 million bottles of Black Sheep beers expected to be produced next year, the brewery anticipates glass savings of over 440 tonnes, equating to carbon reductions of some 320 tonnes — equivalent to taking 100 cars off the road for a year.

In addition, the new lighter, slimmer bottle enables more cases of beer to be delivered on a standard pallet, further reducing the company’s carbon footprint.

Part of the Glassrite Beer, Cider and Spirits project, the new bottles have been produced in collaboration with Glass Technology Services, the Government’s Waste Resources Action Programme initiative, Ardagh Glass and Frederic Robinsons.

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