Carlsberg obtains circular economy certification for Kronenbourg glass bottles

Carlsberg announced on Wednesday (9 November), that its Kronenbourg 1664 bottle, produced in France, had been certified for its sustainable packaging – which can be recycled infinitely as part of a technical circular economy cycle.

“In Carlsberg, we treat sustainability as an integrated part of business,” the company’s sustainability director Simon Boas Hoffmeyer said. “It is not a separate issue. Partnerships are absolutely necessary to achieve success, as sustainability impacts cannot and should not be placed with one specific stakeholder in the value chain, but be looked at as the joint responsibility of all players.”

C2C is only awarded when products fit into biological and technical cycles that produce no waste streams. C2C forms the basis of the company’s Carlsberg Circular Community (CCC) initiative, that partners with suppliers to develop products that are optimised for recycling and reuse but still retain their value.

For the Kronenbourg bottles, Carslberg partnered with glass container manufacturers O-I and marks the second time that the CCC has been accredited with C2C bronze certification. In 2014, Carlsberg and Summersby cans produced by Ball – formerly known as Rexam before a merger – became the first aluminium beverage cans to meet C2C standards.

O-I’s director of EHS Tim Neal said: “We are delighted that Kronenbourg’s 1664 25 cl existing glass bottle has been certified at bronze level, but this is only the start of the journey. We will continue to work to reduce the environmental impact of our glass bottles through innovation in manufacturing and container design optimisation, while continuing to engage with consumers to recycle their glass containers and with municipalities to develop the correct glass collection infrastructure.”

Happy to be talking #circularliving and #carlsbergcircularcommunity at @resource_event today http://t.co/aQwLUOVFou pic.twitter.com/X5UwBMzKkB

— Carlsberg Group (@CarlsbergGroup) March 4, 2015

Community comforts

The CCC aims to work with 17 partners to eventually launch three C2C certified products by 2017. Carlsberg has partnered with EPEA Internationale Umweltforschung GmbH – the institute founded by Professor Michael Braungart who created the C2C Design Protocol together with William McDonough – in order to achieve the necessary assurances and expertise needed for C2C compliance.

Speaking exclusively to edie last year, Carlsberg’s vice-president of corporate affairs for Western Europe Charlotta Lyon claimed that transformational change was needed in the business sphere to create a sustainable future, and firms need to be willing to step out of their ‘comfort zone’ to drive positive change.

It would appear that Carlsberg is more than willing to step out of its comfort zone. Last year, the company launched a new cross-sector collaborative project to develop the world’s first fully biodegradable wood-fibre beer bottle.

edie recently spoke Carlsberg’s sustainability director Simon Boas Hoffmeyer about the company’s circular economy credentials and efforts. Keep a look out on the website for the exclusive interview.

Matt Mace