Plastic kegs are becoming increasingly common in the beverage industry due to their light weight, toughness, and fair price. This type of keg is fabricated by first using high-density polyethylene, HDPE, or other plastic polymers for its strength, resilience to chemicals, and to preserve whatever it will hold inside. The global plastic kegs market was valued at around US$300 million in 2022, continuing to grow at an annual growth rate of 4.2% owing to the increasing demand for effective and eco-friendly packaging. First of all, a plastic beer keg is manufactured by molding the base material into the desired shape. This is usually done by a procedure called blow molding, where hot plastic is blown inside a mold to outline the shape. While the plastic goes through this process of blowing, it is stretched due to air pressure that will form the keg shell of uniform thickness of wall. The normal size for beer plastic keg is 30 liters, but every brand can also be manufactured at different sizes on their request. These walls have to be able to resist internal high pressure so that the contents are kept fresh and secure during transportation and storage.
After molding of a keg shell, the next engagement is adding components that it requires. This includes the provision of putting a dispensing system on the keg, which comprises a valve and usually a coupling system to have an easy connection through taps. Internal linings or coatings inside a plastic keg also help to stop any interactions of beverage with the material of the keg for flavor consistency of the beer. According to the National Beer Wholesalers Association, a 2021 study showed that more than 15% of U.S. craft beers are now distributed in plastic kegs, which has become a game-changer regarding logistics for smaller breweries with their reduced weight.
Manufacturers such as Zhenx Industry have been developing resources in manufacturing plastic beer kegs and can provide a number of keg sizes and different configurations to meet the requirements of various beverage industries. Plastic kegs are especially popular among smaller craft breweries or events where the use of traditional metal kegs would be too cumbersome or costly. Most companies now consider plastic kegs a workable alternative to traditional metal kegs, as demand for more environmentally friendly and efficient packaging solutions rises.
Plastic kegs can withstand high levels of carbonation, so beer can remain in kegs at pressures as high as 2 bar (29 psi) to maintain the proper carbonation levels for the complete lifetime of the product. Besides being resistant, plastic kegs are cheaper to make, with production costs around 30% less than those of a stainless steel keg. At this lower price, one can invest in either marketing or even product development.
Plastic beer kegs are regarded as efficient, easy to use, and cost-effective in the rapidly developing industry of packaging. Their ability to customize in size and design is added with the light weight structure, making them one of the main options for many breweries across the world. More about plastic kegs can be read on plastic beer keg.