PakTech is a well-known name in the industry and continues to strengthen business with large- and small-scale craft brewers globally. Sustainability ranks high among the reasons breweries choose PakTech. All PakTech products are made from 100 percent recycled plastic (rHDPE) and are reusable and recyclable.
Brand exposure is another huge advantage for aligning packaging with PakTech’s minimalist design. The colorful tops accent the product and let the artwork and brand speak for themselves, without covering the product with unnecessary packaging. And, we hear it time and time again: Breweries choose PakTech for durability. PakTech handles can withstand wet conditions in a cooler, rain, snow, or any conditions due to its durable material. No wet or soggy packaging will be tearing apart when you choose PakTech.
With the Craft Brewers Conference in Minneapolis right around the corner, what better time to highlight a couple of breweries from the area, to hear why they choose PakTech? Plus, we have a few words from canning-supply distributor Lagersmith.
Insight Brewing
Insight Brewing was founded in 2014 in Minneapolis. Our focus is on brewing creative, yet true-to-style beers that are exceptionally well-made. We have a 30-barrel brewhouse with a 60-barrel cellar, as well as a five-barrel, small-batch system to test beers for distribution and create fun one-offs for our taproom.
Favorite features of PakTechs?
Our brands feature local artwork, which is really colorful, so having a variety of PakTech colors really helps bring our brand presentation home and stand out on shelves.
Benefits over other carrier options?
The ease and reliability of application means one less thing to troubleshoot during canning runs, but durability is the main advantage.
How do PakTechs mesh with your corporate sustainability plan and goals?
We strive to be as sustainable as possible, and two big parts of that are the solar panels on the roof of our brewery, which provide the majority of our power, and our recycling program. We recycle as much as we possibly can. We switched to low-profile PakTechs to reduce the amount of material we were using, and also switched to colored PakTechs that are more easily recycled by the company we use for our recycling.
Do you do anything to encourage customers to bring in PakTechs for recycling?
Not currently, but now that business is picking up after all the shutdowns and restrictions from COVID, we are looking at ways to implement a program in our taproom.
How has Lagersmith’s PakTech recycling program helped reach these goals—or helped in other indirect ways?
We recently discovered Lagersmith’s PakTech recycling program. We are excited to participate, as it will significantly increase the amount of PakTechs we know are 100 percent recycled.
Which applicator do you use to apply PakTechs?
CCA-120/180.
Bad Weather Brewing
Our 20-barrel brewhouse and taproom offers our favorite patrons good vibes, great service, and most importantly, consistent quality from our diverse selection of beers. From traditional lagers to sour ales, we continually rotate our selection to keep friends coming back despite bad weather. Whether you’re grabbing a six-pack off the shelf or trying a seasonal beer contender in our taproom, each product offers a distinct personality and is artfully created to pay tribute to our brand’s ability to endure anything Mother Nature throws our way. Approachable, genuine, and high-quality, we’re proud to say our beers offer a great taste for every season.
Favorite features of PakTechs?
PakTechs are extremely easy to apply, are lightweight, and still showcase the can art of our brands, which we really like the customer to see at the store
Benefits over other carrier options?
The option of recycling them, versus plastic rings or shrink wrap, which are single-use plastic products.
How do PakTechs mesh with your corporate sustainability plan and goals?
Being made from 100 percent recycled plastic, we know that PakTech is doing their part to help reduce plastic waste, which is one reason why we like using their products. Any way we can reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills is a step in the right direction.
Do you do anything to encourage customers to bring in PakTechs for recycling?
We promote that we return PakTechs back to our supplier, Lagersmith, who then ships them to a local facility to have them recycled. A lot of the city sorting facilities here don’t recycle PakTechs. So, we know that the ones we send back are getting recycled.
How Has Lagersmith’s PakTech recycling program helped reach these goals? Or helped in other indirect ways?
Lagersmith facilitates the pickup and delivery of used PakTechs to a sorting facility that can process PakTechs, which in turn helps us reduce our plastic waste going into landfills. I think having the recycling tote at our taproom is a reason patrons consider our establishment as a place to hang out and have a beer or two. They will bring in a bag of PakTechs to recycle then hang out for a bit.
Lagersmith Can Supply Co.
Located in St. Paul, Minnesota, Lagersmith distributes canning supplies to craft breweries. Besides PakTechs, Lagersmith supplies cans, ends, case trays, and shrink-sleeves cans. PakTechs are the company’s go-to can carrier. Lagersmith stocks 30-plus colors of PakTechs in standard sizes available for same-day shipment. Lagersmith has a PakTech recycling program to make recycling easy for local breweries.
Favorite Feature of PakTechs?
We love that PakTechs completely cover the top of the can. This keeps the top clean, so we can enjoy sipping our beer without dust, sand, and grit swilling into our mouths.
Benefits over other carrier options?
PakTechs are the easiest carrier to apply. Most of our customers apply PakTechs by hand, without an automated applicator. This works great for any brewery that load cans into case trays by hand. Unlike other carrier options, PakTechs easily snap onto cans without the need for a special applicator tool. This makes packaging a snap!
How do PakTechs mesh with Lagersmith’s sustainability goals?
Lagersmith keeps it green by following the golden rule of sustainability—reduce, reuse, recycle—which is right in alignment with PakTech’s brand ethos, using material made from 100 percent recycled plastic, and furthermore reusable and recyclable. In addition, our brewery partners offer incentives to their patrons to bring in PakTechs for recycling. Lagersmith collects these used PakTechs at the breweries when delivering canning supplies. Each month, we bring multiple totes of PakTechs to a local plastic recycler to be recycled and repurposed.
Come see us!
Be sure to check out PakTech in Minneapolis at CBC booth 3135 and see for yourself what makes PakTech stand out amongst the others. They’re taking meeting requests now. If you’re not going to be at CBC or just want some general information, check out their website.