First 5-liter party keg made of CO2 reduced tinplate

In the joint project, thyssenkrupp Rasselstein will supply the CO₂ reduced packaging steel, Kleemann will produce and print the kegs, and the Hachenburger brewery will use 100% aromatic hops for the production and filling.

Use of new bluemint^® steel

“In the production of the new bluemint^® packaging steels, we are clearly focusing on CO₂ reduction: By using biomethane and specially processed steel scrap, we can save up to 69% of our CO₂ emissions, making packaging steel even more sustainable.” explains Dr. Peter Biele, CEO of thyssenkrupp Rasselstein GmbH. Packaging steel is also a European leader in terms of recycling rates: 85.5% of tinplate packaging is recycled. This makes tinplate packaging the most recycled packaging material in Europe.

By using bluemint^® steel in the production of the beer kegs, Kleemann has been able to significantly reduce its Scope 3 emissions. “We are very happy to be involved in the project of the world’s first CO₂ reduced party keg,” says Michael Fürst, Managing Director of metal packaging manufacturer Kleemann. As a family-run company, Kleemann is committed to the issues of sustainability and environmental awareness: Kleemann is aware of the responsibility it bears with regard to its future as well as future generations. Therefore, decisions are always made taking all economic aspects and ecological values into account.

“Kleemann is a partner with whom we have been working for years. Long-term partnerships at eye level are our aim. Thanks to sustainable raw material and a reliable partner for Westerwald Brauerei, I see our 5-liter party kegs well-positioned for the future,” says Jens Geimer, Managing Partner of Westerwald Brauerei. The 5-liter party keg is a successful concept of the family-owned brewery from the Westerwald. By switching its 5-liter party kegs to bluemint^© steel, Westerwald Brauerei can further reduce its carbon footprint.

Ambitious goals of the companies

Westerwald Brauerei is already climate neutral according to Scope 1, 2 and 3 thanks to compensation and would like to achieve this on its own by 2030 by generating more energy than it consumes.

thyssenkrupp also has very ambitious targets: The German steel manufacturer aims to be completely climate-neutral by 2045. “We have been selling the first volumes of our new, CO₂ reduced tinplate since 2022,” states Dr. Peter Biele, CEO of thyssenkrupp Rasselstein.

“We will invest a lot in the next few years to achieve our climate targets,” adds CEO Dr. Peter Biele about thyssenkrupp’s transformation. In March thyssenkrupp Steel awarded the construction of a new hydrogen-based direct reduction plant with two innovative smelters to the SMS Group.

About thyssenkrupp Rasselstein:

thyssenkrupp Rasselstein GmbH is one of the world’s leading suppliers of high-quality, precision-manufactured packaging steel. The site in Andernach, Germany—the world’s largest production facility of its kind—produces 1.5 million tonnes of packaging steel annually. About 2,400 employees serve around 400 customers in 80 countries in a variety of markets— from producers of food and pet food cans, to manufacturers of beverage and aerosol cans, packaging for paints and coatings or containers for hazardous goods, as well as crown corks and closures. Expert teams in service, sales and technical customer service complement the product portfolio.

About Kleemann

Kleemann is a family-owned company with a tradition of almost 150 years, founded in 1875 by Julius Kleemann in Frankfurt am Main. At the company headquarters in Dettingen am Main (Karlstein), a successful team of currently 130 employees is working on the realization of customer wishes. In addition to tinplate beverage cans, Kleemann also produces food cans and press-in lid pails.

About Westerwald Brauerei

The Westerwald Brauerei is a family-owned brewery and is managed by Jens Geimer in the 5th generation. The beers, which have won many awards, are sold primarily in the geographical Westerwald region and in neighboring regions in sophisticated restaurants and at well-stocked beverage and food retailers. The medium-sized company with about 80 employees and 10 trainees is famous for brewing with 100% aromatic hops and for the 6-week maturing period. For this reason, the Westerwald Brauerei was accepted into the Slow Brewer association, in which it is strictly certified every year. In addition, the family-owned brewery can count itself among the first German breweries to present a common good balance sheet within the common good economic framework, thus laying the foundation for the company’s strategic orientation with regard to sustainable and ethical business practices. Since October 2021, the medium-sized brewery has also been 100% climate neutral by compensating for emissions with a certified climate protection project according to Scope 1, 2 and 3. The entire “Brewery Experience” and its adjoining Beer Park can be visited at any time—even all the production rooms—because transparency is a matter which is close to their hearts.