Plastic “bag” replaces traditional metal keg
Vern Raincock and Keith Ogilvie, owners of Carbotek North America have created a new way for breweries to package draft beer, a way that they claim weighs considerably less, and therefore costs less to ship and is more environmentally friendly than current keg systems.
The company’s flagship product is the Eco Draft delivery system, a mechanism that allows the distribution of draft beer without electricity. The beer is packaged and transported in heavy-duty food-grade plastic bags and can be recycled anywhere in the world where plastic is recycled; they don’t need to be shipped back to breweries so there’s no need for the traditional deposit on kegs.
“We can ship more beer, lighter,” says Raincock. “It’s easier for people to lift.”
The new system uses existing draft beer lines at restaurants and bars. And beer in the Carbotek system will last longer than conventional draft beer in kegs, they say.
“We’re extending the shelf life for at least four months,” says Raincock, 45. “More importantly, because the beer is shipped in a degassed state, it will always taste fresher because we’re providing carbonation on site.”
