Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) GB has successfully implemented the rollout of its innovative attached cap plastic bottles, with production now in full swing at its manufacturing facility in Morpeth, Northumberland. This marks the final site to transition to the new packaging design.
The attachment mechanism of the cap mirrors that of a traditional cap, but the innovation lies in the addition of a tether around the bottle’s neck. This feature ensures that the cap remains securely attached to the bottle, simplifying the process of collection and recycling. A message on the bottle cap reinforces this concept with the caption: ‘I am attached to recycle together.’
At maximum production capacity, the Morpeth facility will be capable of producing 17.5 million unit cases of attached cap plastic bottles of Glaceau Smartwater annually, catering to customers across GB.
The phased implementation commenced two years ago across CCEP’s five manufacturing sites in GB, with the Smartwater production line at Morpeth and the Oasis packaging line at CCEP’s Edmonton site being the final sites to adopt the new design this spring. This initiative represents a £7.5 million investment to reconfigure existing lines for manufacturing plastic bottles with attached caps.
The transition to attached caps on plastic bottles across CCEP’s product portfolio in GB aligns with the company’s commitment to enhancing recycling and reusability opportunities for consumers. This includes the swift transition to using 100% rPET in 500ml plastic bottles, as well as the introduction of sustainable cardboard outliers to replace plastic shrink wrap on all multi-pack cans, a change that has been completed this year.
Allan French, operations director at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners’ Morpeth manufacturing site, expressed pride in the facility’s role in advancing sustainability efforts. He highlighted Morpeth’s history of pioneering sustainability measures, such as becoming the first site in GB to produce bottles using 100% rPET and maintaining a zero waste to landfill record for over a decade. French commended the team at Morpeth for their dedication to driving these positive changes.
Stephen Moorhouse, vice president and general manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) GB, emphasized the company’s leadership in introducing the attached caps design on plastic bottles in 2022. He lauded the completion of the transition across the local manufacturing sites, solidifying CCEP’s commitment to sustainable practices in food packaging.
