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Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company has announced plans to invest more than £10 million in its Carlsberg brewery in Northampton, UK. The funding will be used to upgrade equipment at the facility, further increasing capacity for producing its ‘Snap Pack’ packaging and reducing its water usage. The investments will see three upgrades, all set to go live in Q1 2024. A second-generation machine for packaging cans in Snap Pack is being installed, alongside a new laser can encoder and an improved can filler and seamer. First launched in 2018, Snap Pack is a beer multipack that holds Carlsberg cans together with glue instead of being wrapped in shrink wrapping or plastic rings. Developed by Carlsberg Group and global packaging solution provider KHS, Snap Pack uses glue dot technology and has been implemented into various beverages from the CMBC portfolio, including Carlsberg Danish Pilsner, San Miguel, Birrificio Angelo Poretti and Brooklyn Pilsner. By the end of 2022, Snap Pack was used for 65% of the four- and six-can multipacks produced at the brewery. The new second-generation machine will double the number of Snap Pack multipacks produced, with CMBC aiming to fully transition by the end of 2024. By eliminating plastic rings from packaging, it is estimated that Snap Pack will reduce CMBC’s plastic usage by up to 76%. The other upgrades – the replacement KHS can filler attached to a new seamer from Ferrum, and a Domino Laser Can Coder – will bring a number of improvements in efficiency and safety. Combined, these new machines are set to reduce around 10% of water usage, which is the equivalent of 18 million litres annually. Paul Davies, CEO of CMBC, said: “We take our responsibility as a brewer very seriously and ensuring we reduce our impact on the planet is a hugely important part of this. This major investment of more than £10 million in Northampton demonstrates our clear commitments to eliminating packaging waste, reducing water waste and improving efficiency at our breweries.” Edgar-George Petsche, EVP of market zone Europe/CIS at KHS, added: “Energy-efficient machinery and equipment as well as safe and environmentally friendly packaging solutions are central components of our KHS sustainability strategy. As a reliable partner of CMBC, we are proud to join forces on the path towards responsible climate protection.”