Leader in the brewing, distribution and sale of beer in Mexico Grupo Modelo is investing about $4 million in a sustainable packaging solution from WestRock and Grupo Gondi. The fiber-based CanCollar® Eco product helps eliminate plastic rings in Mexico, starting in Quintana Roo, amounting to 12 million plastic rings per year.

Grupo Modelo is the first company in the Americas to adopt CanCollar® Eco, which replaces hard-to-recycle plastic and yields 100 tonnes less plastic. This innovation uses a paperboard clip to hold the upper part of the cans together. These will be adopted in the 6-pack Corona Extra, Montejo, Modelo Especial, Barrilito, Negra Modelo and Victoria, and the 4-pack version of Victoria, Modelo Especial and Corona.

WestRock’s CanCollar Fortuna® machine, the high-speed equipment utilised for this application will be installed in early 2022.

“At Grupo Modelo, we are continuing to evaluate various alternatives for plastic rings in the packaging of beer cans,” says Soqui Calderon, regional director of Sustainability for Grupo Modelo. “This is how we discovered CanCollar Eco, a new solution developed by WestRock and produced in Mexico by Grupo Gondi. Made from recyclable paperboard, this innovative packaging uses the least amount of material required to hold and to keep our beer cans secure through the supply chain.”

“At WestRock, we are driving greater sustainability by working with our customers to develop and implement new, eco-friendly packaging solutions,” said Patrick Kivits, president of Consumer Packaging at WestRock. “The introduction of CanCollar Eco to the Mexican market, in partnership with Grupo Gondi, is an exciting example of this work. We look forward to helping Grupo Modelo meet its sustainability goals through the implementation of this innovative, fiber-based packaging.”