Labatt Breweries of Canada invests in a sustainable future, reducing its environmental footprint

London, Ont. -

Labatt Breweries of Canada has announced it is investing $461.5 million through its capital program focused on sustainability, innovation and production enhancements that will have significant impact on its breweries and operations across the country.

A major part of the investment is the introduction of the KeelClip™ packaging system at Labatt’s London, Ont. and Montreal, Qc. breweries – a minimal material fastener solution made of recyclable fibre paperboard.

"This is a first of a kind packer in North America, so it's a great innovation. We are the first ones to use it,” said the Senior GM of the Labatt London Brewery, Alex Martel.

Labatt says the new high-tech system will reduce the company’s overall single-use plastic usage in early 2022 by nearly 152,000 kilograms.

"That's the equivalent of 117 mid-sized cars that are not going to go to the landfill,” adds Martel.

KeelClip™ packer is already up and running in the Montreal brewery and Martel says it will begin operating in London in December.

"We are constantly trying to reduce our footprint in the environment, so this is a big step forward,” he added.

Labatt will also use a portion of the money towards a new can line that will increase capacity by 25 per cent, growing the amount of beer they are brewing here in London.

“It’s a great sign for London and our community that we are investing in this brewer. This is where everything started and we are proud to build a great future for this brewery as well,” said Martel.

Today's funding announcement is part of a capital program being invested throughout Labatt’s operations across Canada, broken down by province, with $145 million going to Labatt’s Ontario operations, and $52.6 million to its London plant.