The CDL+ can end scores against the standard can end in respect of low material consumption and low weight. The original Coca-Cola brands in the new packaging will at first be sold through retailers in the Benelux countries. In addition, Ball Packaging Europe is continuing to work to reduce the can wall thickness in order to improve the environmental friendliness of the beverage can even further.
Two prominent business sustainability and accounting organisations – Ceres and The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants – announced on 6 April that Ball Corporation is a co-winner for the ‘Best First Time Reporter’ category for sustainability reporting.
The conversion of the seamers for the CDL+ end went according to schedule at the Ghent site in Belgium. Coca-Cola is now for the first time able to sell its soft drinks in cans with the lighter CDL+ end – at first in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Later in spring, a second Coca-Cola filling line in Marseilles is to be converted for the new environmentally friendly can end, to supply the market in southern France.
“One of the biggest issues which industry will have to resolve in future is resource and energy efficiency,” said Rob Miles, vice president sales & marketing at Ball Packaging Europe. “The lightweight CDL+ can end therefore contributes significantly to a sustainable beverage can market.”
Thanks to its low thickness, the CDL+ can end is able to boast material savings of up to 10% compared with conventional can ends. This is achieved by using a smaller aluminium disk, the so-called ‘blank’. The environmentally friendly production of the CDL+ can end enhances the already excellent environmental properties of beverage cans.
“Nowadays, we require increasingly less steel and aluminium to package the same amount of beverages, while retaining our high quality standards,” added Miles. “For example, our 500ml aluminium can now weighs 33% less than in 1995. Assuming that we’re able to reduce the weight of our 500ml aluminium can by a further 5%, and in addition to that use the new CDL+ can end, we would be able to reduce the CO2 emissions by about 285 tonnes based on an output of some 50 billion cans.”
Since September, the environmentally sound Ball CDL+ can end has been produced on a commercial scale at the Ball plant in Deeside, UK. The current capacity based on one can end press is 750 million can ends per year. The second can end press is scheduled to be commissioned in May 2009, raising this year’s capacity to about 1.1 billion. As from 2010, the can maker anticipates an annual production capacity of 1.5 billion can ends.
Cans are completely recyclable and may reappear on supermarket shelves again as a new product within 60 days. Beverage can recycling saves up to 95% of the energy that’s is required to produce virgin material. Consequently, the CO2 emissions are also reduced by up to 95%.
Source: Ball Packaging Europe
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