Emirates Refreshment Company is behind the Jeema brand of mineral water.
Emirates Refreshments Company (ERC) has carried out a short-neck conversion on its PET bottling line in a bid to boost efficiency and maintain a competitive edge in the UAE beverage market.
The owner of Jeema mineral water and carbonated soft drink O Cola worked with Sidel, the manufacturer of production equipment and for liquids PET packaging, to upgrade its production line with Sidel’s innovative PET solutions – including a blower, a filler and a combi, along with packaging and line improvement services.
The objective in making the investment was to increase efficiency, reduce energy consumption, save raw materials, and cut production costs by lightweighting the company’s packaging through moving to a Sidel StarLite base and short neck, French-headquartered Sidel said.
“We had worked with Sidel for the past 17 years and we have always been satisfied with their solutions,” said ERC plant manager Munther Khlifat. “By upgrading our PET production line with Sidel’s innovative solutions, we were able to make substantial cost savings that translated into 25% annually.”
Muhammed Elgharib, also a plant manager for ERC, added: “By changing the design of the PET bottle and shortening the bottle neck to adopt a short neck 29/25 closure, we were able to produce attractive new designs that weigh considerably less – 27.5g compared to 32g for 1.5 litre bottles; and 11.6g compared to 17g for 500ml bottles.”
Short necks offer manufacturers economic gains and reduce post-consumer waste by cutting down the material used, Sidel said. Its StarLite base gives added durability, stability and overall resistance to the bottles, providing higher bottle integrity throughout the supply chain without compromising on the safety standards of the beverages inside.
In addition, ERC introduced Sidel Eco lamps to the PET line to provide more precise and more efficient heating, reducing the line’s electricity consumption and contributing to the overall cost savings as well as the line’s performance in terms of sustainability.
Sidel customer service director Samuel Gobbe said: “We understand very clearly the potential impact of lightweighting on brand value and the consumer experience. We are glad that ERC can now save substantial costs, remain competitive, and achieve their sustainability goals after upgrading their PET line with Sidel technology.”
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