ATLANTA (News release) -- In a partnership with WestRock and Grupo Gondi, Grupo Modelo is investing roughly 4 million dollars in the sustainable, fiber-based CanCollar® Eco solution in Quintana Roo, a Mexican state on the Yucatan Peninsula. The partnership aims to help advance the beer company's sustainability goals by eliminating its use of plastic rings in Mexico.

Grupo Modelo partners with WestRock and Grupo Gondi in transition to CanCollar® Eco Packaging, eliminating over 100 tons of plastic waste annually. (Photo: Business Wire)

Grupo Modelo is the first company in the Americas to adopt the recyclable CanCollar® Eco technology, which will replace hard-to-recycle plastic packaging and is expected to result in over 100 fewer tons¹ of plastic waste each year.

"At Grupo Modelo, we are continuing to evaluate various alternatives for plastic rings in the packaging of beer cans," says Soqui Calderon, regional director of Sustainability for Grupo Modelo. "This is how we discovered CanCollar Eco, a new solution developed by WestRock and produced in Mexico by Grupo Gondi. Made from recyclable paperboard, this innovative packaging uses the least amount of material required to hold and to keep our beer cans secure through the supply chain."

This solution will result in sustainability gains; specifically, it will enable the elimination of plastic rings on all cans sold in Quintana Roo in two phases. First, the 6-pack 355ml Corona Extra, Montejo and Modelo Especial can rings are being replaced. Then, in early 2022, the first high speed CanCollar Fortuna® machine for the application of this packaging will be installed to eliminate the use of plastic rings across Mexico on 6-packs including 355 million cans of Corona Extra, Montejo, Modelo Especial, Barrilito, Negra Modelo and Victoria, as well as the 4-pack 473 ml cans of Victoria, Modelo Especial and Corona.

"At WestRock, we are driving greater sustainability by working with our customers to develop and implement new, eco-friendly packaging solutions," said Patrick Kivits, president of Consumer Packaging at WestRock. "The introduction of CanCollar Eco to the Mexican market, in partnership with Grupo Gondi, is an exciting example of this work. We look forward to helping Grupo Modelo meet its sustainability goals through the implementation of this innovative, fiber-based packaging."

Unlike a cardboard box that completely covers the product, CanCollar® Eco uses only a paperboard clip to hold the upper part of the cans, making possible the goal of removing approximately 12 million plastic rings per year from the market.

WestRock and Grupo Gondi support Grupo Modelo's industry leadership to reduce environmental impact in every community in which they operate by innovating, conserving natural resources and taking care of the environment.