Petainer, a supplier of PET plastic kegs is starting production of its PetainerKeg in Tijucas, Santa Catarina in the south of Brazil early June 2018. The company has partnered with Blue Pet, a producer of bulk volume PET plastic containers, which will manufacture the core PetainerKeg range, including the newly launched Hybrid keg. Tijucas will become the South American hub for manufacturing and will also serve neighboring markets including Argentina and Uruguay.
Distribution will be done by Petainer’s strategic partners KHS Brazil, N/Pack and potentially others in the near future. “I am delighted to announce our partnership with BLUE PET,” said Ricardo Leonel Vieira, Brazil Country Manager, Petainer. “Bringing manufacturing to Brazil demonstrates Petainer’s commitment to the domestic market and the wider region and reflects the growing demand for one-way PET kegs.”
One way kegs become increasingly popular in Brazil and other emerging markets because complex return logistics and washing processes are being cut out. However , increased awareness of global plastic littering and discussion about a possible ban of plastic in packaging in several countries unsettle breweries and bottlers.
Tearfund, a UK based international NGO, which fights poverty and provides disaster relief for disadvantaged communities has made the fight against global plastic littering one of the top priorities on its agenda. It is lobbying for global development funding for waste projects to be increased from 0.3% to 3%; a move which would help to cut marine litter and improve the environment and the lives of millions of people around the world. More than 8m tons of plastic enters the oceans each year and plastic fibers have been found in drinking water around the world.
Joanne Green from Tearfund said many developing countries were trying to tackle plastic waste. However, most of them are lacking systems to deal with the scale of the problem. The charity helps support community groups in Brazil and Nigeria who are trying to tackle a growing plastic waste mountain that affects their health and life expectancy.
“In Africa 12 countries have attempted to implement plastic bag bans, for example, and so far only Rwanda has really managed it successfully,” says Joanne Green. “It shows there is a desire there and a realisation of the problem, because waste in developing countries is going through the roof. It is expected to double in the next 15-20 years primarily because of increased consumption, and as developing countries adopt western-style disposable economies.” she said.
