Suffolk-based brewer Greene King has cut the amount of glass used in its beer bottles by 25% & in the process will reduce carbon emissions by 150/tpa. Greene King operations director Steve Magnall said the firm sold 13M bottles of its flagship Old Speckled Hen brand a year & had reduced the weight of the 500ml bottle from 400g to 302g, which would dramatically reduce the weight for delivery vehicles. Initially, the lightweight bottle will be used for Speckled Hen, Abbot Ale & Hop, but over the next few weeks around 10 other brands will make the switch. Greene King said it would save more than 1,500/t glass each year, the equivalent of 5M bottles, & cut its energy consumption by 20%. The new lightweight bottle, conceived by Design Bridge in London & manufactured by Allied Glass, is also a slimmer, more contemporary shape that the firm says will stand out on the shelf.
