Coca-Cola Canada Bottling powering ahead into the new year

The Plasma-X machine is a technology that lines the inside of plastic bottles with a special plasma that prevents carbonation from seeping out as fast, a problem in smaller bottles with a more porous constitution.

In Oct. of 2022, Canadian Manufacturing had the opportunity to tour the Coca-Cola Canada Bottling facility in Brampton, Ont. to see what the manufacturer was doing in a post-pandemic climate to remain competitive in a changing economy.

The tour and walkthrough included Todd Parsons, CEO, Kathy Murphy, VP of Public Affairs & Communications, Wayne Sorenson, Manager, Manufacturing and Jill Firman, Manager Warehouse, who were all eager to showcase Coca-Cola Canada Bottling’s developments.

The Coca-Cola Canada Bottling leadership team was asked about recent environmental efforts at the factory to reduce emissions and improve sustainability, and what the company was doing in light of the federal government’s single-use plastics ban in 2022.

Kathy Murphy, VP of Public Affairs & Communications clarified that the company’s PET packaging is already recyclable, and that the recycled material can be used again as rPET (recycled plastic). Together with The Coca-Cola Company, it launched its first 100% rPET bottle earlier this year. In terms of the ban, the Company is on schedule to transition out of the use of ring carriers.

“We are working to grow our business in a way that manages our environmental impacts,” said Murphy. We’ve recently transitioned our plastic Sprite and Fresca bottles from green to clear PET. Though green PET is recyclable by removing colour, we can help ensure more clear PET is recycled and thus available in the market to be remade into new packaging. This helps us reach our goal of using 50% recycled materials in our bottles and cans by 2030.”

Coca-Cola Canada Bottling also showed off some technology that is separating the manufacturer from its competitors. Its Plasma-X machine is a technology that lines the inside of plastic bottles with a special plasma that prevents carbonation from seeping out as fast, a problem in smaller bottles with a more porous constitution.

During the meeting, Coca-Cola Canada Bottling also showed off its Line 1 in action, a conveyor belt manufacturing cans of Coca-Cola products at breakneck speed.

The leadership team at Coca-Cola Canada Bottling was asked about the talent shortage and employee retention throughout the pandemic, a serious issue plaguing a number of industries across Canada.

Todd Parsons, CEO of Coca-Cola Canada Bottling spoke to the company’s retention strategy and how their Canadian workforce at the Brampton plant had changed.

“Coca-Cola Canada Bottling is a family-owned, Canadian business and our people are everything,” said Todd Parsons. “We are committed to investing in our business – and people – for the long term. And Brampton is no exception. We have a program in place for every employee at Coca-Cola Canada Bottling to measure their performance, ensure they’re being rewarded and have an opportunity to excel and grow their career here. It’s not unheard of to see our employees grow, change departments and gain experience in multiple roles throughout the company.”

Cola-Cola Canada Bottling recently made a number of announcements in 2022 from a sustainability perspective, including the launch of an EV pilot program for its equipment service team in the Montreal area. Beyond collection programs throughout the country and increasing recycled content in their packaging, CEO Todd Parsons said that Coca-Cola Canada Bottling wants to stay ahead of consumer trends.

“We’re always trying to forecast where the consumer is headed,” he said. “Sustainability matters, to us and the consumer, and we’re trying to predict where the market is headed, and address the needs of the consumer as quickly as possible.”

Adding onto this, Kathy Murphy mentioned other efforts Coca-Cola Canada Bottling has made from an emissions reduction perspective.

“We just launched our first ever 100% rPET bottle in our Dasani product, meaning that every bottle of Dasani water is made from recycled plastic. This bottle reduces reliance on virgin plastic and has a lower carbon footprint, compared to other packaging. The 100% rPET bottle helps create a second life for our packaging,” she said.

The Plasma-X machine is a technology that lines the inside of plastic bottles with a special plasma that prevents carbonation from seeping out as fast, a problem in smaller bottles with a more porous constitution.

Kathy Murphy also mentions that educating the consumer about Coca-Cola Canada Bottling’s sustainability efforts is still a continual work-in-progress. The company recently announced their ‘Same Bottle. Less Plastic.’ marketing campaign to educate consumers about how they are reducing the amount of plastics in their packaging.

Coca-Cola Canada Bottling reports that their packaging is 95% recyclable, and is committed to making it 100% recyclable by 2025, and according to the Canadian Beverage Association, PET beverage bottles are recovered at an overall national rate of about 75% (Source: CBA).

The Coca-Cola Canada Bottling team wanted to emphasize that their employees were at the heart of everything they did, and as they power through a busy 2022 holiday season, it’s clear they want to be seen as leaders in the manufacturing space from a talent retention and sustainability perspective.