Munich brewing icon Paulaner recently announced that it is transitioning its packaging to eco-friendly, sustainable materials. The company plans to phase out all of its plastic packaging within the year.

It’s an important and worthwhile step to take even for a brewery like Paulaner that has been focused on protecting the environment through its practices for over 20 years. It’s not the flashiest topic, but sustainability and environmental/ecological responsibility continues to increase in importance and will become a defining quality for any brewing operating in the near future.

Press release with details:

As a strict follower of the Reinheitsgebot, the German Beer Purity Law, sustainability has been a hallmark of the Paulaner Munich brewers for centuries. Today, Paulaner Brauerei and its U.S. based importer Paulaner USA are reinforcing this commitment by announcing their shift to the use of sustainable packaging materials. Effective immediately, all Paulaner 4-pack cans will convert to eco-friendly cardboard, as opposed to plastic wraps. This is part of the company’s greater commitment towards sustainability, which plans to phase out all plastic packaging within the year.

“Traditional beer packaging has contributed to needless excess waste, damaging our environment, and devastating our oceans,” says Steve Hauser, CEO and president of Paulaner USA. “As a company dedicated to using only quality ingredients in our brewing process, it was important for us to extend this impeccable standard in every facet of the company, and that includes everything, including our packaging.”

The transition to cleaner, sustainable packaging goes hand in hand with Paulaner USA’s commitment to the reduction in single-use plastic. Hauser adds, “By reducing plastic wraps and replacing it with eco-friendly cardboard, we are contributing to the betterment of the environment and will continue to learn and explore new ways in which we can help, not hinder, our eco-system.”

In addition to being more sustainable, the new can packaging will also feature bold new images and graphics on moisture resistant cardboard stock. Consumers will begin to see the new packaging designs beginning this Spring for Paulaner Hefe-Weizen, Paulaner Münchner Lager, Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier, Paulaner Pils, Paulaner Grapefruit Radler, Hacker-Pschorr Weissbier, and Hacker-Pschorr Munich Gold.

(No, the image at the top has nothing to do with eco-friendly packaging, but I like it anyway.)