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Tuesday 30th August 2022

In the UK, we love beer. In 2020 Brits consumed a whopping 1,079,935 gallons of the stuff. Despite the size of our country, we ranked 8th highest worldwide. What’s more, the way we transport beer is changing.

So, how's it shifting?

Previously, the hospitality industry favoured metal kegs, however, there has been a move towards plastic kegs. These containers help to transport and store beer and other drinks and have now become commonplace within the industry, as they are more convenient and easier to handle than their metal equivalent.

In the past, these products have not been accepted by traditional plastic recyclers because they are too bulky for their equipment and processes. Most kegs are a mix of black polypropylene (PP) ends and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) centre. As a result, huge quantities of plastic are not being recycled, which is a big problem for companies and the planet.

To tackle this, we’ve joined forces with our partner OneCircle who manufactures plastic kegs from recycled plastic kegs, to offer a closed-loop recycling solution for these products.

Kegs stacked in warehouse

Image credit: Gabor Koszegi

How does it work?
Let’s start from the basics.

  • All kegs must be emptied and depressurised before they are collected. Your keg supplier can provide you with a depressurising tool.
  • The kegs can be collected loose, in a drop-front bin or in a roll cage as a separate stream.
  • They must have our prepaid collection sticker on them. You can order these from our customer service team.
  • The kegs are sent to the sorting facility where the team will segregate the different materials.
  • The components are transported onward to our partner’s recycling facility.
Close up of beer glass with bubbles

Image credit: Timothy Dykes

We offer the recycling of a variety of Plastic keg brands, including; KeyKeg, PolyKeg and other brands made from plastic such as Uni Keg and Eco Keg which are all accepted.

    Interested in upgrading your environmental credentials with our plastic keg recycling service? Make an online enquiry now or contact our friendly customer service team here: helpdesk@recorra.co.uk

    Aneira Pontin

    Certifications and Memberships