Coca-Cola Enterprises (Wakefield / UK; www.cokecce.co.uk) has invested nearly GBP 6m (EUR 6.4m) in a PET preform manufacturing facility. The facility is being established at its Wakefield plant, where 11 PET bottle blowing machines are already operating on seven separate lines. Until now preforms have been supplied by two companies, Constar International (UK) (Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire / UK; www.constarinternational.co.uk) and Artenius PET Packaging Europe (Wrexham, Wales / UK). Both companies will continue to supply their products as Coca-Cola will not produce all the preforms it needs at Wakefield. On-site production, however, says Coca-Cola, will eliminate 135,000 delivery miles (216,000 km) and nearly 400 t of carbon dioxide annually.

Wakefield’s preform production is based on two automated injection moulding machines. The line for 43g preforms of two-litre bottles is already commissioned and in production. The mould for the line to produce 23g preforms for 500ml bottles is yet to be delivered. The two machines will produce an estimated 445m preforms containing up to 30% of recycled material annually.

Wakefield is the largest of Coca-Cola’s six manufacturing sites in the UK. It opened in 1969 as part of an original GBP 90m investment. In the last 20 years an additional GBP 150m have been invested in the site. It produces over 100m cases of soft drinks a day. An investment of GBP 13m in a new can line capable of producing 2,000 cans/minute has also just been announced for the site.