Bottling technology uses less plastic at Coca-Cola Amatil

Coca-Cola Amatil has opened a US$24m high-tech bottling line in Indonesia that produces lightweight plastic bottles coated with a thin layer of glass for durability. With a capacity for 42,000 bottles/h, the line produces bottles that are claimed to be just as durable as regular containers but require 1000 tonnes less plastic each year to produce.

Group Managing Director Alison Watkins (pictured) said the company’s new Affordable Single Serve Pack (ASSP) line was only the second of its kind for the company.

“The new line produces high-quality lightweight containers with improved durability compared with regular bottles but with a lower plastic content,” Watkins said.

“The extremely thin glass coating helps deliver the quality that our customers expect, and cuts our plastics use by 1000 tonnes a year.”

Watkins and Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia President Director Kadir Gunduz joined the Governor of East Java, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Director General for Agro-Industry, Abdul Rochimand and Regent of Pasuruan, Irsyad Yusuf to officially open the new line on Thursday (3/10/19).

The line will enable Coca-Cola Amatil Indonesia to supply 260 million of the lighter plastic bottles to East Java and East Indonesia including Bali and Eastern Islands, Sulawesi, East Kalimantan and South Kalimantan.

Total production at Amatil’s Pasuruan plant will increase to 130,000 preforms/h, with storage capacity for more than 40 million beverages and 7100 pallets of preform containers.