Petainer, a UK-based container manufacturer and supplier of plastic packaging for beverages, will launch the petainerKeg Linestar, which will help reduce logistics costs by up to 30%.
The new product is based on the petainerKeg classic blown, one-way, recyclable PET keg.
The redesigned outer shell enables petainerKeg Linestar to fit specifically on existing steel-keg filling lines as well as retain the taste quality equal to that of steel.
Petainer Group Commercial Strategy director Annemieke Hartman-Jemmett said: "It used to be unthinkable to transport beer, wine and cider in steel kegs, instead of wood. PET is simply part of the ongoing evolution of the keg.
"With the petainerKeg Linestar we're now taking that evolution a step further - making it even easier for fillers and brewers to benefit from a lightweight, more flexible packaging system that reduces freight costs - without the need for them to invest in new filling lines or systems."
The new keg line is available in 20 and 30 liter formats and can be filled on an existing filling line, from the bottom up on a filling head.
Besides being fully recyclable, petainerKeg Linestar can be printed to users' specifications to create new branding opportunities.
The keg fitting of the petainerKeg Linestar has been optimized in order to minimize oxygen intake to keep the content fresher for a longer time.
"The inbound logistics costs associated with using Petainer preforms are a fraction of those for metal kegs because more than 30,000 keg preforms can be transported in a single container.
"This makes our local blowing solutions perfect for minimising CO2 footprint, whilst providing maximum flexibility on a seasonal product, facilitating natural demand fluctuation, and supporting premium products as well as introducing new entrants to market faster."