Nitro Labs: Extending Shelf Life and Reducing CapEx with Petainer Kegs for Cold Brew Coffee

Based in Thailand, Nitro Labs stands as one of the country’s largest producers of nitro cold brew coffee and tea. Renowned for its commitment to high-quality, slow-brewed beverages, Nitro Labs sources most ingredients locally to promote Thailand’s vibrant coffee culture.

With a focus on premium, innovative products and sustainability, the company sought a packaging solution that could extend the shelf life of its beverages, reduce capital expenditure, and simplify distribution across diverse venues—from coffee shops to mobile tuk-tuks.

The Challenge: Asset Management, Shelf Life & Expansion

As Nitro Labs aimed to scale their cold brew operations, they encountered several challenges that hindered growth. They needed a solution that would reduce the complexity and cost of traditional packaging while preserving the quality of their nitro-infused beverages. In particular, their challenges included:

• Asset Management & Maintenance: Traditional metal kegs require significant upfront investment, ongoing tracking, and specialized sanitization procedures that divert resources from core production.
• Shelf Life Limitations: For premium nitro coffee, maintaining a consistently smooth, creamy texture is critical. Any decrease in shelf life results in product waste and frequent restocking, limiting market reach.
• Distribution Expansion: Nitro Labs aimed to extend its market presence—from stationary coffee shops to mobile outlets like tuk-tuks—but needed a packaging option that is easily transportable and adaptable to various environments.
• Environmental Considerations: In line with its mission to promote sustainable practices, Nitro Labs required a solution that would minimize water usage, reduce chemical cleaning, and lower overall greenhouse gas emissions.

The Solution: Petainer’s One-Way PET Kegs

To address these challenges, Nitro Labs transitioned to Petainer’s one-way PET kegs in late 2019. This innovative packaging solution not only met their quality requirements but also streamlined their operations and reduced capital costs. The key features of Petainer’s kegs include:

• Extended Shelf Life: By minimizing oxygen ingress and maintaining optimal pressure, the kegs increased product shelf life by over 20%, crucial for slow-brewed, nitro-infused beverages.
• Reduced Cleaning & Maintenance: Each keg comes pre-sanitized and ready to fill, eliminating the need for water-intensive and chemical-heavy cleaning processes, thereby cutting both time and costs.
• Lower Capital Expenditure: The one-way design removes the need for managing a fleet of reusable steel kegs, freeing up capital and reducing the administrative burden associated with tracking and retrieving empties.
• Simplified Logistics: The lightweight construction of PET kegs makes transport easier and less expensive, whether shipping to coffee shops or mobile outlets across busy Thai streets.
• Sustainability Benefits: With a fully recyclable design and reduced cleaning requirements, these kegs help Nitro Labs lower its environmental impact while aligning with its eco-friendly values.

Results: Reduced CapEx and Market Expansion

Adopting Petainer’s one-way PET kegs has yielded significant benefits for Nitro Labs. The new system has enabled the company to optimise operations, expand its market reach, and maintain the superior quality of its products. Key outcomes include:

• Minimized Asset Loss: The one-way design eliminates the risk of losing reusable steel kegs, reducing replacement costs and simplifying inventory management.
• Improved Shelf Stability: An extra 20% in shelf life means that Nitro Labs’ nitro cold brew remains consistently creamy and flavorful, ensuring customer satisfaction and reducing waste.
• Sustainable Growth: By cutting down on cleaning chemicals and water usage, the company reinforces its commitment to sustainability and strengthens its brand image in a competitive market.
• Streamlined Expansion: Lighter, disposable PET kegs simplify logistics and facilitate rapid expansion into new venues, events, and regions without incurring significant capital costs.

Petainer helped Nitro Labs reduce asset tracking/loss, reduce maintenance/sanitation costs, and gas leaking. We've also seen a shelf-life increase of more than 20%.

Nitro Labs

Conclusion: A Future of Sustainable, Scalable Coffee Distribution

For Nitro Labs, embracing Petainer’s one-way PET kegs has been a transformative step. The innovative packaging solution extends shelf life, reduces capital expenditure, and simplifies the logistics of distribution—all while preserving the premium quality of their nitro cold brew coffee. This case study illustrates how modern, sustainable packaging can drive growth and efficiency in a dynamic, expanding market.