Local MPs visit Sidcup Coca-Cola manufacturing site following latest round of investment
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners welcomes Louie French MP and Gareth Bacon MP to the Sidcup site to learn about its latest sustainability developments.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), the world’s largest independent bottler of Coca-Cola, welcomed Old Bexley and Sidcup MP Louie French and Orpington MP Gareth Bacon to learn about the latest investments at its Sidcup manufacturing site.
The visit, which coincided with Earth Day 2022, was also an opportunity to see the plant’s ongoing sustainability initiatives first-hand.
Over the past decade, the site has introduced a variety of energy saving measures in support of CCEP’s sustainability action plan, This is Forward.
The factory has seen a 26% reduction in its carbon footprint since 2010 thanks to advancements such as the site’s Automated Storage Retrieval System (ASRS), which has increased efficiencies across the supply chain, saving 3,687 tonnes of CO2 per year and 10,817 road miles by HGV trucks. It has also seen a series of sustainable packaging innovations such as the production of shrink to board packs, meaning plastic shrink wrap has now been replaced with sustainable cardboard across all multipacks, and the roll-out of 500ml bottles made with 100% recycled plastic[1].The site has also been using 100% renewable electricity and sending zero waste to landfills for over 10 years.
CCEP has invested £118million since 2017 in the Sidcup site, most recently with the development of a £28million state-of-the-art high-speed canning line, capable of producing 2,000 cans per minute, further elevating the site’s production capabilities while accelerating carbon savings.
Rory Kerr, Operations Director at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Sidcup, said: “We’re pleased to be able to welcome Mr French and Mr Bacon to the Sidcup site to showcase the manufacturing innovations that have helped to make our operations as sustainable as possible.
“Our local site is doing big things and we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to achieve over the past few years in particular as we continue to boost sustainable production capabilities for some of the world’s most popular brands, right on our doorstep”.
Stephen Moorhouse, Vice-President and General Manager, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (GB), said: The Sidcup site has seen £118million in investment in the last five years alone. Each investment has underscored our ongoing commitment to the site and to the local area.
“It’s even more fitting that the MPs were able to join us on Earth Day, to witness the impact of the investments first-hand as we drive forward our sustainability action plan, This is Forward, and accelerate our journey to net zero.”
Louie French MP: “As MP for Sidcup I was pleased to visit the CCEP Sidcup site today to better understand their considerable investment into our community and meet some of the local people producing some of the best-known beverages on the market. I look forward to following their progress in building a more sustainable and green business, creating local jobs for the future while protecting our environment.”
Gareth Bacon MP: “Businesses like CCEP have an important role to play in leading the charge on sustainability. It’s great to see how their latest investments and the efforts of the local workforce are bringing these sustainability stories to life. It’s clear the site at Sidcup has significantly evolved over the past few years, growing its workforce and creating a supportive working environment for their employees.”
[1] Excluding cap and label
