It is reported that SAB Miller hopes a new design for its bottle caps will lead to a 10% cut in the metal it uses.

The Peroni brewer said that the low gauge caps, trialed successfully by its Peruvian arm Backus, could cut materials costs by USD 12.6 million per annum. The company uses 42 billion steel caps a year on its bottled lagers and soft drinks.

Mr Maurice Egan manufacturing chief at SAB Miller said that "The low gauge crowns program is just one example of a cumulative effort across the group to innovate in every aspect of production."

He added that "Across the globe, we continue to encourage blue-sky thinking that will increase efficiency, improve costs and reduce the impact our business has on the environment."

SAB Miller last week launched a multibillion dollar bid for Foster’s Group. The approach was rejected but SAB Miller retains hopes of sealing a deal for the Australian brewer.

(Sourced from www.thegrocer.co.uk)