Coca-Cola HBC Austria partners with Krones, Mondi and DS Smith for fiber-based beverage packs
08 Sep 2023 --- In a move toward environmental sustainability, Coca-Cola HBC Austria is reducing plastic in its secondary packaging for 1.5-liters PET lemonade multipacks from the Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Mezzo Mix brands. The company is replacing traditional plastic films with outer packaging made entirely of recyclable cardboard and kraft paper.
By adopting this innovative packaging solution at their local production center in Burgenland Coca-Cola HBC Austria aims to make an impact on plastic reduction, saving an estimated 200 tons of plastic annually. This achievement results from an international collaboration involving industry leaders Krones, DS Smith and Mondi.
“The careful use of resources and recyclable materials is one of the most important pillars in our sustainability strategy and plays a central role in the design of the sustainable packaging mix for the Austrian market,” says Felix Sprenger, supply chain director at Coca-Cola HBC Austria.
The cardboard carrier and paper band can be disposed of in waste paper collections. Prior to the market launch, extensive quality and stability tests were conducted to ensure an optimal shopping and transport experience, shares Katharina Rößl, marketing manager at Coca-Cola Austria.
The insights gathered from focus group interviews with consumers played a pivotal role in refining the packaging. Rößl emphasizes the company’s commitment to making sustainability easy for consumers with the mantra “easy to carry, easy to recycle,” prominently displayed on the packaging as a quick guide.
Secondary packaging made entirely of recyclable cardboard and kraft paper will be employed to 1.5-liters PET lemonade multipacks from the Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Mezzo Mix brands.Industrial collaboration for circularity
Coca-Cola HBC Austria details that the technical adaptation for the shift to cardboard and kraft paper solutions was realized with Krones, which, as a long-standing partner and expert in the field of system manufacturing, contributed know-how to the project with its LitePac Top.
LitePac Top secondary packaging is said to be a sustainable alternative to conventional shrink film as it replaces the plastic with a top clip and a band made from renewable raw materials, corrugated cardboard or kraft cardboard. Krones’ Variopac machine series was used in production, incorporating banding and clip application functions.
Mondi provided the stretchable kraft paper band that replaces the plastic film. The new packaging, Hug-IT, is made from Mondi’s Advantage SpringPack Plus, recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s strongest paper.
Hug-IT is designed to securely hold six bottles together during transportation, ensuring they remain upright and intact from the factory to the retailer and the consumer’s home.
This innovative paper band offers unparalleled stretch and tensile strength, safeguarding bottle bundles during processing. The kraft paper is responsibly sourced and boasts “unique” properties, making it an “exceptional” choice for this technically demanding application.
Krones played a crucial role in automating the production process by engineering the strength and stretchability requirements of the paper sleeves on its machinery.
Furthermore, DS Smith contributed the cardboard top clip, featuring punchings with cardboard teeth that securely enclose the bottlenecks, maintaining their intended shape. This design minimizes waste and eliminates single-use plastic.
“With our design, which uses as little material as possible and impresses consumers with a fantastic appearance, together we are ensuring change on a large scale,” says Stefano Rossi, CEO of the Packaging Division at DS Smith, about the successful partnership with Coca-Cola HBC Austria.
By Radhika Sikaria
