Today we just tapped our first “Beer in a Box.” It’s the new “Key Keg” system that allows us to get import beer without having to pay a keg deposit. Instead of shipping the empty keg overseas we just crush the box and put it out on the curb for recycling. This is what the manufacturer had to say:
“KeyKeg® The “sell and forget” keg
The revolutionary one-way KeyKeg®, suitable for any liquid and especially carbonated drinks, is developed according to the bag-in-ball concept. This lightweight disposable keg has been developed specially for beers and offers you extra protection, longer preservation, more sales and a clear reduction of costs.
The KeyKeg® is available in a 20 and 30 litre version and weighs only 1.0 and 1.4 kg respectively. The extreme low weight results in up to 25% more beer, wine or cider per transport and voluminous transport of empty kegs back is no longer necessary.
In export markets, KeyKeg® solves all the logistic problems connected to steel kegs, which disappear because of theft and losses. At low-volume outlets KeyKeg® provides easy use and long preserved quality after broaching.”
Ankerbrau in Bavaria also makes a beer-in-a-bag system which sounds pretty cool. (it's actually beer-in-a-bag-in-a-box, so similar to beer in a box).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLNPHwFXu_o
Hopefully more breweries will start adopting that.