Group says kegs are better for the environment than bottles, cans

A new association has formed to promote the benefits of the stainless-steel keg, which the group touts as an environmentally friendly option for storing beer and other bulk liquids.

The Steel Keg Association is a new nonprofit organization "on a mission to help increase the volume of beer and other beverages served from stainless steel kegs," the group said in a statement. The association is rolling out in the U.S. initially, with plans to expand into the U.K. and Western Europe later this year.

"Most people have never thought of kegs as the ultimate reusable containers… when you choose draft from steel kegs, you're making the most sustainable choice by removing single-use packages from recycling and landfill streams," said Dan Vorlage, executive director of the newly formed association and vice president of global marketing at MicroStar Logistics, a Denver-based company that leases and sells kegs.

One goal for the new association: highlight the environmental benefits of reusable kegs compared to single-use containers like bottles and cans. Kegs remove half of all single-use beer containers from the bar and restaurant waste stream each year, or approximately 6 billion containers, Vorlage said.

At the same time, steel kegs save over 400,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases annually and keep roughly 500,000 tons of packaging out of landfills during that same time span, according to an analysis conducted for the association by the consulting firm Deloitte.

The Steel Keg Association's website lists no staff, with executive director being an elected position. Founding members of the association include key industry companies BLEFA GmbH, Hillebrand Gori, Micro Matic, MicroStar Logistics, Schaefer Container Systems and THIELMANN.