Coke’s bottling facility in Australia has become the most water-efficient bottler in Coke’s global system, according to Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA).
One of several water conservation measures Australia’s largest beverage manufacturer began several years ago — after the country experienced its worst drought in 100 years — was the $1 million construction of two underground rainwater harvesting tanks at its largest production facility located in western Sydney.
CCA says each tank is the size of an Olympic swimming pool capable of holding 1.75 million gallons of rainwater, and it will use the water in the production of beverages, for landscaping and toilet facilities, and for irrigating a neighborhood park and sports complex.
The company also replaced all water on production lines with Teflon or “dry-lube” coating to stop the bottles and cans from sticking to surfaces, which the company says saves more than 1.6 million gallons of water a year.
By 2006, the company was producing three-and-a-half ounces of beverage (including soft drinks, fruit juice, water and sports drinks) for each five-and-a-half ounces of water used.
The bottling industry is bubbling over with sustainability measures from wineries calculating their carbon footprint to lightening up their bottles.
Coke was at the top of the Covalence Food & Beverage Industry Report 2007 (extract) published in February.