The price of a plastic keg is based on various aspects such as materials used, scale and purpose. A kegerator beer keg (30-liter disposable plastic) will range between $8 and $15 apiece on average. Of course, reusable plastic kegs will be more expensive at around $25 – $50 depending on the brand, features and how rugged it is.
The one-way disposable plastic kegs can be seen by brands like KeyKeg and Petainer. You don’t have to return it, clean that up; it all cuts down on the cost of operations. Plastic beer kegs reduce initial investment by 60-80% compared to traditional stainless steel kegs, which are priced between $100 and $150 per keg, making them a cheaper option for small breweries and exporters.
Plastic kegs can be offered instead, often as reusable HDPE (high-density polyethylene) or reinforced PET which may appeal to breweries looking for a more durable solution but lower total cost of ownership over time. If a keg is reused between 10 and 20 times — bringing the average cost per use down to $2-$5 — this depends on its size, of course. Steel kegs, on the other hand, usually require hefty cleaning equipment and chemical investments to be used effectively — a huge part of their operational cost.
The cost-effectiveness of plastic beer kegs is a logistics trump card. Shipping costs are lighter with lightweight plastic kegs reduce the freight cost by as much as 30%, compared to steel kegs. With plastic kegs, transporting 1,000 liters of beer can cut brewery fuel costs by $200 to $400 on average and would really pay off in long-haul exports.
Affordability is a big deal in areas like craft beer. Based on this combined cost of purchase, cleaning and transport a brewery producing 10,000 litres per month could save approximately $20,000 each year simply software disposable plastic kegs instead of using the more sustainable but expensive steel variety. The cost-cutting process involves weight reduction and stackability of kegs where the use of plastic relates to both factors and reduces its overall shipment cost.
The increasing popularity of plastic kegs is seen in the way that Heineken have adopted such for some of its export markets. These kegs comply with international safety standards retrieving product integrity during divert or transmittal. The trend indicates a move towards sustainability while also conserving costs in the drinks sector.
Plastic beer kegs have proved their worth to breweries as multi-purpose, low-cost vessels. plastic beer keg provides more information on pricing and benefits.