Labatt Breweries of Canada is investing $10.5 million into its St. John's brewery to fund the addition of a new packaging system to implement sustainable, paperboard packaging to replace plastic packaging rings used to hold together six-packs and eight-packs of beer.  

"This investment in Newfoundland and Labrador is a testament of Labatt's commitment to a sustainable future, our brewery, our employees and our community," says Wade Keller, director of corporate affairs of Labatt's Atlantic Breweries. "As we continue our journey towards the elimination of single use plastic in our operations, this investment in paperboard packaging in our operations is proof of that."  

The switch to paperboard packaging is expected to remove 24,000kg of plastic from landfills every year. Charles Bown, CEO of the Multi-Material Stewardship Board says removing this much plastic has a significant impact on the local environment. 

"Labatt has taken a major step forward in its sustainability journey. The brewery's latest investment demonstrates a strong commitment to reducing its ecological footprint, increasing the recyclability of its products, and making a positive impact on the local community and environment." says Bown.  

This investment is projected to further cut Labatt's single-use and recyclable plastics by a total of 242,000kg by 2024. 

Bottles will be available in 6, 12 and 24 packs. Cans will come in 8 packs, 12 packs and 24 packs. Consumers may still see some plastic rings in market for the next few weeks as existing stock is depleted.