You may have heard about it in the latest SIBA Journal or on the brewing industry grapevine – but now it’s here and ready for action. Our new eco-friendly compactor has been delivered and trialled (pics below), and is now hard at work crushing your used KeyKegs as part of the recycling process. We’re already collecting from breweries up and down the country.

The picture above shows NicheSolutions MD Paul marking the official launch of the OneCircle initiative along with Natalie from Lightweight Containers, who manufacture KeyKegs. It’s an eco-friendly landmark for both companies and for the industry as a whole.

As one of the main suppliers of KeyKegs in the UK, no longer will the 125,000+ plastic kegs we deliver every year go to landfill. Previously, breweries and bars have struggled to recycle KeyKegs because they are made from mixed elements. Even when collected for recycling, for this reason many KeyKegs have ended up being sent to landfill.

With a special new cutter, we’re separating the PET plastic outer shell of the KeyKegs from the HDPE base and rim, then the compactor reduces the shells to a flat form ready for recycling by Lightweight Containers.

The OneCircle initiative aims to create “a circular economy for complex compound thermoplastics including plastic kegs.” Working on a non-profit basis, NicheSolutions will be able to return materials from breweries to the manufacturer, and together we’ll be able to achieve 100 per cent “cradle to cradle” recycling.

Click here for information on our charges and criteria re: KeyKeg collection for recycling. 

It is essential that all kegs booked in for collection and are completely empty. KeyKegs still containing any beer will not be collected. Kegs should be depressurised but not crushed.