Coca-Cola lightweights 330ml glass bottle

Incremental improvements in design, in combination with targeted changes in the glass forming process, have resulted in being able to reduce the weight of the beverage leader’s previous 240g bottle.

During each stage of improvement, Coca-Cola has retained the contour bottle’s trademark dimensions, and maintained quality and strength while improving environmental performance.

The lightweighting project also involves 330ml Sprite and Fanta bottles, in addition to the smaller sized 200ml Coca Cola bottle, which is sometimes referred to as the “mixer” bottle.

The 200ml container has been lightweighted in three stages during the same timeframe, from 170g in 2002 to its current weight of 140g.

Ardagh Group Glass Europe design manager Carsten Berkau said:”Lightweighting is an ongoing process through well-established design and manufacturing techniques.

“Our task is keep the brand shape, whilst determining the stress points and the optimum weight of a glass bottle. State of the art technology ensures that when we are challenged, we can respond with even greater precision.”

Ardagh is also working with Coca-Cola on a number of other sustainability projects with a view of reducing energy and CO2 emissions.

The installation of heat exchangers in a pilot project at Ardagh’s Dongen glass plant in the Netherlands transfers recovered energy in the form of hot water from the glass plant to Coca-Cola’s nearby bottling plant.

Liz Gyekye