NA Kegs vs Cans in the Office: Cost, Experience & Waste Compared
Kegs win when you have consistent daily volume and care about brand, experience, and waste. Here's the full side-by-side breakdown.
Kegs win when you have consistent daily volume and care about brand + waste. Here's exactly how NA kegs and canned NA drinks stack up in an office setting.
The short version: cans are easier to start, kegs are better at scale. If you have 15+ people drinking regularly, kegs beat cans on cost, experience, and sustainability.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | NA Kegs on Tap | Canned NA Drinks |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per serving | $1.20-2.00 | $2.50-4.00 |
| Annual cost (50 people) | ~$3,000-5,000 | ~$6,500-10,000 |
| Storage space | 1 kegerator | Fridge shelf space for cases |
| Restocking effort | Swap keg every 1-2 weeks | Restock fridge 2-3x/week |
| Waste generated | ~12 kegs/year (returned/recycled) | ~1,000+ cans/year + packaging |
| Variety | 1-2 flavors on tap, rotate monthly | Many flavors at once |
| Employee "wow" factor | High - it's a tap system | Low - it's a fridge |
| Setup required | Kegerator + CO₂ | Fridge (existing) |
Cost Breakdown
Canned NA Drinks
- Average cost per can: $2.50-4.00
- 50 employees × 3 drinks/week × 50 weeks = 7,500 drinks/year
- Annual cost: $18,750-$30,000 at retail
- Even with bulk pricing (~$2.00/can): $15,000/year
NA Kegs on Tap
- Average cost per keg: $80-140
- ~45 servings per keg
- 7,500 drinks ÷ 45 = ~167 kegs/year
- Annual cost: $13,360-$23,380
- Savings: 20-40% depending on keg product and can pricing
The savings compound. Year over year, kegs save thousands - and that's before you factor in reduced waste disposal costs.
Waste & Sustainability
Cans Generate
- 7,500 aluminum cans per year
- Cardboard cases, plastic rings, shipping materials
- Recycling processing energy
- Weekly trash/recycling management time
Kegs Generate
- ~167 one-way recyclable shells (or ~12 returnable steel kegs via swap program)
- Zero single-use packaging
- Dramatically lower carbon footprint per serving
If your company has sustainability goals or ESG reporting, kegs make the story much simpler.
Employee Experience
This is where kegs pull ahead decisively. Cans sit in a fridge. Nobody talks about the fridge.
A tap system creates:
- A gathering point - employees congregate, socialize, build culture
- A talking point - "we have NA drinks on tap" impresses candidates and visitors
- A perk with perceived value - employees consistently rate tap beverages as a top-3 office perk
When Cans Still Make Sense
- Under 10 people - keg volume doesn't justify the setup
- Remote-first teams - send care packages instead
- Testing phase - try 3-4 canned flavors before committing to a keg rotation
- Maximum variety - if you want 6+ flavor options available at once
The Verdict
For offices with 15+ regular drinkers, kegs beat cans on every metric that matters: cost, waste, and employee experience.
If you want help picking kegs and quantities for your office, Get Keg Pricing & Availability and we'll run the numbers with you.
