CEAMS CASE STUDY: Fresh Keg

The Challenge

The milk industry faces mounting pressure to address environmental sustainability while maintaining product quality and safety that consumers expect. As one of the most widely consumed beverages globally, billions of milk packaging containers are produced annually from plastic bottles and cartons to glass containers. Public perception increasingly favours packaging perceived as sustainable, driving demand for alternatives to single-use plastics and materials viewed as more environmentally responsible.

However, determining the true environmental impact of packaging systems requires moving beyond surface-level assumptions about recyclability or reusability.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) provides the comprehensive analytical framework necessary to navigate these complexities in milk packaging evaluation. By quantifying environmental impacts across all stages of a packaging system’s life cycle, from raw material extraction through production, distribution, use, and disposal, LCA enables evidence-based decision-making that considers the full environmental picture rather than isolated sustainability metrics.

The Solution

Fresh Keg Ltd. (Freshkeg) are a packaging company who develop, assemble, and supply an integrated packaging and delivery system for milk to combat the issues surrounding traditional packaging waste and milk shelf life within the dairy supply chain. The system utilises second life reusable kegs retrofitted to allow a liner to be placed inside for storing any type of beverage. Freshkeg have estimated the increased shelf life and controlled delivery system saves between 10 – 20% of milk from spillage or expiry.

Recognising the potential of LCA to holistically assess environmental impacts, Freshkeg sought to quantify the environmental sustainability of their integrated milk packaging and delivery system.

A 7-month desk-based LCA investigation was conducted by CEAMS Application Scientists from the Henry Royce Institute (Royce) and experts from the University of Manchester to quantify the environmental sustainability of the Freshkeg milk delivery system. The entire life cycle of Freshkeg’s system, from production to end-of-life, was assessed and compared with conventional packaging systems such as HDPE plastic and glass milk bottles.

The Impact

Through an extensive LCA, the environmental impacts of the Freshkeg milk delivery system were evaluated and compared with conventional plastic and glass milk bottles, confirming the company’s competitiveness in the milk packaging and delivery market. As part of this, CEAMS, in collaboration with experts from the University of Manchester, successfully identified hotspots in Freshkeg’s manufacturing and distribution activities, which will enable the company to make informed decisions about further improving its environmental sustainability credentials.

Life Cycle Assessment is indispensable for progress toward a sustainable industry as it provides a comprehensive evaluation of the environmental impacts of products, processes, or services across their entire life cycle. The LCA support offered through CEAMS is dedicated to helping businesses overcome barriers to improve carbon emissions, comply with industry regulations, and empowering informed decision-making.