Page 54 - Ameft Journal 2021/1

BEVERAGES
Coca-Cola relies on resource-saving sustainable technology from KHS
Climate change is changing the pha- se of large parts of Africa. Steadily decreasing rainfall and rising tempe- ratures have been causing devastating droughts and extreme famines since 2015 are seen especially in the sou- thern part of the subcontinent. Mala- wi, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana are among the countries af- fected.
As large water consumers, beverage bottlers such as CCPB are particularly under the scrutiny of the public in si- tuations as dramatic as this. “We’re of course expected to set a good ex- ample. We have to be accountable to our customers and the public – not only in times of crisis, but every single day”, says Greg Morse, manufacturing and supply chain director at CCPB, the region’s leading soft drinks bottler.
The beverage manufacturer sees the awareness of corporate social respon- sibility as a key success factor for a very good reason. “The full focus is on su-
stainability. We’re working relentlessly to minimize our carbon footprint at all levels. We started doing so in the early 2000’s by combining the four manuf- acturing plants within our territory to form a mega manufacturing facility in Parow Industria, a suburb to the east of Cape Town,” emphasizes Morse.
Today, this includes activities such as Coca-Cola’s “World Without Wa- ste” program, with which, by 2030, the company plans to collect and recycle as many bottles and cans from refuse as can be sold worldwide. CCPB’s sustaina- bility strategy also includes using more returnable bottles made of both glass and plastic than some of its competi- tors: the share of the product range is currently around 20% and should reach 40% by 2025. This not only significantly helps to prevent waste and thus achie- ve ecological sustainability but is also viable from an economic standpoint. If a refillable PET bottle is returned, the product is sold for about 30% less – be-
Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages (CCPB) consistently focuses on reducing its footprint in a region where climate protection is already a matter of survival. This South African bottler gets support through resource-saving technologies from KHS – made in Germany.
nefiting not only price-sensitive consu- mers but also the company itself, as in doing so it’s able to reach wider groups of buyers.
(Source: PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay)
54 AMEFT 1 2021 www.ameft.com