June 2023 Update: Read PakTech's newly released, peer-reviewed Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) which considers the full life cycle of the beverage packaging product, from cradle-to-grave. This includes recycled HDPE pellet procurement, plastic handle production, forestry management and logging, paperboard production and conversion into finished beverage packaging, distribution packaging, filling, end of life, and transport at all stages in the life cycle.
A trio of western Michigan breweries are serving as new PakTech® drop-off locations for the widely popular and colorful can carriers in an effort to reduce their environmental footprint and promote sustainability in their communities.
The program, which launches this spring, was spearheaded by Millcraft Beverage Solutions in collaboration with Eugene, Oregon-based PakTech®, Kalamazoo, Michigan-based Schupan (the largest independent processor of used beverage containers in the nation), and three western Michigan breweries: Guardian Brewing Company of Saugatuck; One Well Brewing of Kalamazoo; and Transient Artisan Ales of Bridgman.
Consumers can simply bring in their used PakTech handles and deposit them into the easily recognizable, designated bins at the respective breweries. The breweries may offer incentives to customers who help “fill the bins.”
PakTech can carriers are made of 100 percent HDPE recycled material and are 100 percent recyclable. To help encourage the public to recycle and keep the valuable material being reused, PakTech along with many breweries started their own recycling program.
Millcraft coordinated with PakTech and Schupan to efficiently close this recycling gap in Michigan's western side. Once the breweries collect enough handles to properly recycle, the carriers will be transported to Schupan’s Wixom, Michigan facility for processing.
Interested in becoming a PakTech Recycling Partner?
PakTech launched its recycling program in 2018 and today has agreements with over 750 businesses (and counting) as recycling partners for drop-off collection sites.
Join the hundreds of grocery stores, breweries, markets, and recycling facilities in collecting and processing PakTech handles, to ensure they are properly recycled and repurposed into new products such as flower pots, park benches, new PakTech handles, and more.
Millcraft Beverage Solutions has helped coordinate PakTech recycling efforts with brewery partners in Cincinnati and now western Michigan. Questions on how to get started? Just ask.
Links:
PakTech recycling map: https://paktech-opi.com/recycling-drop-off/
PakTech recycling program: https://paktech-opi.com/recycle-program/
Schupan Recycling: https://www.schupan.com
Guardian Brewing Company https://guardianbrewingco.com
One Well Brewing: https://www.onewellbrewing.com
Transient Artisan Ales: https://transientartisanales.com