Coca-Cola invests more than 40 million euros in filling of returnable glass bottles

Tapping growth potential for glass bottles
The background to the investments are market forecasts that assume further growth in the glass segment: "For the future, we see potential for growth with returnable glass bottles for the entire category of non-alcoholic soft drinks. In the out-of-home market we assume that the glass trend of the past years will continue. In retail, we want to tap new potential with more glass containers," says Florian von Salzen, Managing Director Commercial, CCEP DE.

New filling plant and expansion of the supply network for new glass bottles
The Coca-Cola plant in Lüneburg is getting a new returnable production line to fill small glass bottles with Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and other beverages. Investments of around 40 million euros are planned for the construction. Thirty new jobs are to be created for the line, which is scheduled to go into operation by summer 2024. The goal is to increase production capacities for Coca-Cola & Co. in small refillable glass bottles nationwide and to supply the northeast even more regionally in the future. In addition, CCEP DE is expanding the pool of returnable bottles and the delivery network for new glass bottles. Since autumn 2022, three additional locations of existing and new glass suppliers have already started producing new glass bottles for CCEP DE. Two new suppliers are currently being qualified.

New packaging plant for six-packs of 0.33-litre glass bottles
CCEP DE has invested almost two million euros in a packaging plant: With this, Coca-Cola is bringing back its own invention - the six-pack (German: Sechserpack) - 100 years after its market launch in 1923. The beverage producer is thus pursuing the goal of tapping new potential in food retailing with small glass containers. The six-packs of Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Fanta, Sprite and mezzo mix are already coming off the production line at the Coca-Cola plant in Mönchengladbach. They are expected to be available in stores from March.

New glass containers for retail and the out-of-home market
In recent years, CCEP DE has successfully introduced new returnable containers, for example the 1-litre glass bottle for Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar in 2019. The beverage producer is now building on this: The capacities for the successful container were expanded in 2022. Since then, it can be filled more regionally - in addition to Deizisau near Stuttgart in the south of Germany, also in Lüneburg in the north of Germany. In the course of the year, more beverages in the 1-litre glass bottle will be available in stores: the flavours Fanta, Sprite and mezzo mix as well as selected varieties of Fuze Tea and ViO BiO Limo. For the out-of-home market, CCEP DE plans to expand the portfolio of Fuze Tea in the 0.3-litre glass bottle by two flavours in the spring. In addition, Fanta Exotic and Fanta Lemon will be introduced in 0.33-litre glass containers for retail and the out-of-home market.

Reusable remains important: 130 million euros invested in the last three years
Reusables remain important in CCEP DE's packaging mix. In the last three years alone (2020 to 2022), the beverage producer has invested around 130 million euros in reusable filling: in new filling lines and components, new reusable containers as well as in the expansion of the reusable bottle pool and in new reusable crates. The production sites in Mannheim and Lüneburg commissioned two new returnable systems for glass bottles in 2019. In three plants, CCEP DE has converted existing filling lines in recent years to introduce new reusable containers: the 1-litre glass bottle for Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, the 0.4-litre glass bottle with screw cap for Coca-Cola and other core brands, and the 0.3-litre glass bottle for ViO Spritzers, ViO BiO Lemonades and Fuze Tea Black Tea Peach and Lemon.