Business

Coca-Cola has estimated it will save 2,400 tonnes of CO2 per year by bottling Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero in a new lightweight glass container.

Coke has reduced the weight of its 330ml Contour bottle, first developed in 1916, by 20% from 263g to 210g to create the new Ultra bottle.

The company has also expanded the bottle's width by 0.1mm and reduced its height by 13mm.

Ardagh Glass will provide the drinks giant with 67 million Ultra bottles per year.

Coke will face a £50,000 cost to update its Edmonton filling line, but in most cases, the introduction of the new bottle will coincide with the replacement of moulds.

A Coca-Cola Enterprises spokesperson said the introduction of the bottle had happened "as fast as technology had allowed".

It was made thanks to the Ultra software developed by the Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta, which determines the stress points and optimum weight of a glass bottle.

The move follows Coke's pledge to design out packaging weight growth by 2008 and achieve an absolute reduction in packaging by 2010, as part of the Courtauld Commitment, which it signed up to in June.

"This lightweighting of the 330ml glass Coca-Cola Contour bottle is just one step in the process," said the spokesperson.

Richard Swannel, director of retail and organics programmes at the Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap), said the move "demonstrates that iconic packaging, such as the Coke bottle, can be optimised while building brand values".

The Ultra software was first used in 2003 to lightweight bottles for Schweppes, which is owned by Coca-Cola.

Coke has also reduced the weight of Fanta and Sprite bottles from 225g to 210g using the system.

The Coke Ultra bottles are on-shelf now.