The changes in design to the “Contour” bottle by manufacturer Ardagh Glass will save 3,500 tonnes of glass raw material in the UK alone – as well as an estimated 2,200 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
The new bottle weighs in at 210g compared to the old 263g bottle, which was developed in 1916. The bottle keeps its trademark shape by being very slightly wider and 13mm shorter than the original.
This year has already seen Fanta and Sprite glass bottles re-designed from 225g to 210g in weight, the company said.
Gareth Snowdon, Coca-Cola supply chain project manager for Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), said: “We are looking at ways to reduce the impact of our business on the environment at every level. Our commitment to this is such that we are prepared to adapt even our most precious assets, including the glass ‘Coca-Cola' Contour Bottle.”
The Ultra bottle was developed using new design software that can determine the best weight for a glass bottle and point out possible weaknesses with any design. Mr Snowdon explained: “There is no compromise on quality so the new bottle, whilst being lighter, will be just as strong – if not stronger – than the original.”
Commitment
Coca-Cola saw its Milton Keynes site winning an Award for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management during 2006 for its efforts to reduce and recycle its own waste, and the company is now recycling around 90% of its own waste.
In June 2007, the firm signed on to the voluntary producer responsibility agreement, the Courtauld Commitment.
The Commitment means it pledged to reduce packaging waste used to sell Coca-Cola products – designing out packaging growth by 2008 and delivering absolute reductions by 2010.
Working with WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme, the company has already achieved 38% reductions in the use of plastic in its PET bottles. It is also seeking to use more recycled material in its packaging.
According to its latest Corporate Responsibility Report, which sets out in impressive detail the company's environmental impacts and ambitions, Coca-Cola said it is working with suppliers Rexam and Crown to reduce the weight of its aluminium cans, and is hoping to create a new standard for recyclability for its bottles.
WRAP hailed the achievements made by Coca-Cola, pointing out that the Ultra technology showed that the brand power of packaging need not be threatened by waste reduction efforts.
Richard Swannell, director of retail and organics programmes at WRAP, said: “This is a great achievement by the team at CCE and demonstrates that iconic packaging, such as the “Coke” bottle, can be optimised while building brand values. It provides a strong lead to the current momentum within the food and drink sector to deliver major environmental and supply chain benefits that customers are increasingly demanding.”
