Ball commences construction of UK can factory
US-based aluminium packaging company Ball has begun building a can manufacturing facility in Kettering, Northamptonshire.
The firm, which is currently one of the world’s leading manufacturers of infinitely recyclable aluminium beverage packaging, is set to significantly increase its manufacturing capacity.
Carey Causey, President, Ball Beverage Packaging Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMEA), said: “With the demand for our infinitely recyclable aluminium packaging growing fast in an expanding number of categories, we are acting now to support our customers in the UK.
“As environmental awareness increases, consumers are insisting on more sustainable drinks packaging. This new facility, in one of the UK’s best-known manufacturing locations, will help us to support our customers’ growth, creating fully recyclable cans which can play a role in a truly circular economy and support the local community."
Read more: Ball's consumer survey shows demand for sustainable packaging
Located at the SEGRO Park Kettering Gateway in Kettering, the new facility will be the largest ever beverage packaging plant in the UK. Set for completion in January 2023, the site will occupy 56,000 m2, with space to expand production later. In its first year, the plant will be producing over one billion fully recyclable cans and generate 200 local jobs.
It will manufacture more than one billion fully recyclable cans in its first year of operation and is expected to generate 200 jobs for local communities. The facility will be Ball’s third can manufacturing plant in the UK and its 26th in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.
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Ball, which has had its climate change plan approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative, is constructing the Kettering plant according to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ Sustainability and Environmental Standards. Other features include a rainwater harvesting system and innovative technology to mitigate machinery exhaust emissions.
These innovative technologies will make the Kettering plant the most advanced facility of its type, demanding 20 per cent less energy and 70 per cent less water than traditional can-making processes.
The Kettering facility will be Ball’s third can-making site in the UK, joining established plants in Milton Keynes and Wakefield.
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