€13m investment by Coca-Cola HBC reduces plastic use by 5,000 tonnes a year
Print6 July 2021
Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (HBC) Ireland and Northern Ireland, in partnership with Coca-Cola Ireland, has reached a key milestone in its journey to a ‘World Without Waste’ through reducing plastic use by almost 5,000 tonnes a year since 2019.
This move has been facilitated through the completion of a €13m investment in the Coca-Cola HBC plant at Knockmore Hill, Lisburn, Co. Antrim. According to the company, this investment combined with other measures across its packs is a further sign of the Coca-Cola system’s commitment to creating a true circular economy.
Coca-Cola also revealed that it has moved all multi-pack cans within the range to more sustainable cardboard packaging. The move will apply to all products within the multi-pack can range, including Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite.
Larger multi-packs (10, 12, 20 and 24 cans) have been available in cardboard packaging since April 2021. This follows the introduction of new ‘KeelClip’ late last year, that saw smaller multi-packs (4, 6 and 8 cans) transition to an innovative cardboard solution.
In total, the move to more sustainable cardboard packaging will eliminate 500 tonnes of hard-to-recycle shrink wrap plastic annually.
This is the latest move in the Coca-Cola’s global sustainable packaging strategy, World Without Waste, which aims to design more sustainable packaging and to collect and recycle the equivalent of every can or bottle it sells globally by 2030.
“We’re immensely proud to be the first soft drink producer in Ireland to move all our multi-pack cans to more sustainable cardboard solutions,” said Miles Karemacher, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland general manager.
“Combined with our investment in more recycled plastic and our reduction of plastic use overall, we have reduced our plastic use by almost 5000 tonnes annually, since 2019,” he added.
The Coca-Cola HBC Group was recently ranked global number one sustainable beverage company by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, recognising the company’s commitment to creating and sharing value for all stakeholders.
Key to this commitment is a focus on designing more sustainable packaging to create a true circular economy for waste. In Ireland and Northern Ireland, all of the bottles and cans sold by Coca-Cola are 100% recyclable and the company has invested extensively in recycled plastic. Today 45% of its total plastic portfolio is made of recycled materials, which has removed 3,450 tonnes of new plastic each year. Plastic used in its bottles have also been reduced by 10% since 2018.
To read more about the Coca-Cola’s World Without Waste Strategy, visit: https://www.coca-colacompany.com/sustainable-business/packaging-sustainability.
Related Articles
A twin triumph for the IGBF fun run →
Musgrave MarketPlace invests €2.5m in Ballymun Food Emporium upgrade →
Aldi introduces Mamia First Infant Milk →
Fans 0
Followers