Using Petainer Kegs reduces costs, improves cash flow and opens up new channels and markets – as well as providing a step change in environmental performance.
Petainer Kegs offer substantial economic and marketing benefits to breweries and other keg users – particularly when compared with metal kegs. These benefits include:
There are also substantial benefits to end users in clubs, pubs, bars and restaurants as well as environmental benefits right along the supply chain.
We are working in partnership with KHS – an international manufacturer of filling and packaging systems – to further develop and market Petainer Kegs.
Capital cost reduction
There are potentially large savings in capital employed by eliminating the need to maintain a ‘fleet’ of kegs. Eliminating the fleet can release the substantial sums tied up in this ‘asset’ and end the constant expenditure on replacing damaged, lost or stolen kegs. In addition there is no need to maintain expensive tracking systems.
As Petainer Kegs are produced on demand, working capital requirements can be reduced significantly.
Further capital savings can be made by the elimination of costly and complex keg cleaning systems.
Efficiencies in the use of space can be made by eliminating the need to store large numbers of kegs in order to have them available for periods of peak demand. Only a limited stock of Petainer Kegs needs to be held for immediate use and these take up far less space than metal kegs. Preforms take up even less space – giving the lowest warehousing costs and best space utilisation available.
Operating cost reduction
Petainer Kegs are not only the most cost-effective package on the market, they also have a number of other cost advantages:
Eliminating the return of used metal kegs eliminates the costs of cleaning them and putting them back into use. With Petainer Kegs, not only the container but also the spear and fittings are ‘one-way’ – there are absolutely zero return and cleaning costs.
Substantial savings can also be made in logistics, not only by eliminating the costly return system necessary with metal kegs but also by cutting the cost of outbound delivery of filled kegs.
PET Petainer Kegs are lighter than metal kegs which carry the same volume of liquid. More kegs can therefore be fitted on each outbound vehicle. Outbound logistics costs are typically 20-30 per cent per hectolitre lower using Petainer Kegs than using metal kegs.
Inbound logistics costs using Petainer Keg preforms are a fraction of the costs associated with metal kegs.
One million Petainer Keg preform sets can be transported on less than 50 vehicles and because the kegs are one-way there are no return logistics costs. One million steel kegs require around 1,850 vehicles for inbound and outbound logistics.
New market opportunities
Petainer Kegs open up a whole range of new and exciting market opportunities, helping to drive sales volumes at a much lower cost and with a lower environmental footprint than metal kegs.
Such opportunities include:
- Export markets.
- Sales to retail establishments where space is limited.
- New market introductions.
- Providing an opportunity for low cost entry into the beverage keg market.
- New segments such as low carbonated soft drinks, waters and wine.
The larger the distance that metal kegs travel, the greater the benefits to be obtained by switching to PET Petainer Kegs.
Direct costs of transport and losses of metal kegs generally increase the further that the kegs travel. Export markets are frequently difficult to deal with using traditional returnable metal kegs. Losses in some countries are reported to be as high as 50 per cent.
Eliminating the need to secure the return of kegs can substantially reduce costs. This opens up opportunities for brewers to test and then break into new markets that may previously have been uneconomic.
Easier response to demand
A traditional metal keg fleet needs to be large enough to meet peak demand – typically during the summer months – but this means that for much of the year there are many more expensive kegs than are needed.
Petainer Kegs are produced on demand, allowing peaks and troughs in production to be met cost-effectively without tying up capital in a fleet of unwanted containers.
New branding opportunities
The cardboard or polypropylene outer cartons of Petainer Kegs can be printed to users’ specifications, giving new opportunities for branding and publicity.
Product protection and quality
From the brewery to the beer glass in the hands of the consumer, Petainer Kegs deliver 100% taste and quality.
Petainer Kegs use sophisticated ‘barrier technologies’ to keep their contents in the best possible condition.
The Polyester Plus scavenger and own blending incorporated in Petainer Kegs restrict oxygen ingress and reduce CO2 losses by actively removing oxygen from the interior of the keg. The brown pigmentation in the plastic – plus a cardboard outer box if required – provides UV light protection.
The Petainer Keg material and all the fittings materials are approved for food use by the European Union and by the FDA in the USA. All are produced under regulated hygienic conditions in ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 certified plants.
As a complete one-way system Petainer Kegs can offer improved hygiene performance. Problems from inorganic staining (beer stone) and flavour taints associated with poor washing techniques, aluminium kegs or simply an ageing metal keg population are eliminated.
Extensive tests and experience in use demonstrate that Petainer Kegs can store draught beer for at least nine months with no negative impact on the composition or taste of the product.
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