Coca-Cola and management systems by Garry Lambert

Introduction

Coca-Cola’s new bottling plant in Russia will be run in conformity with an integrated ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22000 and OHSAS 18001 based management system being rolled out across all 75 plants in 28 countries, operated by major bottler Coca-Cola Hellenic.

Coca-Cola Hellenic, a major bottler of Coca-Cola Company products, has opened its largest beverage plant in Russia to target a market of some 140 million consumers. The new plant in the city of Rostov-on-Don is the result of a USD 120 million investment programme, creating over 400 jobs, and is part of a plan to invest more than USD 3 billion in the Russian economy over the next five years for long-term sustainable growth.

In constructing the new plant, Coca-Cola Hellenic’s main goal was to minimize its impact on the environment by implementing an environmental management system in conformity with ISO 14001 to improve water efficiency, save energy, recycle more production waste and send less to landfill. Among many such measures designed into the new plant is a 1 600 m2 water cleaning facility, reportedly the most powerful in Russia, to gather water for repeated use after backwashing through sand filters, and reduce total consumption.

Standards integration

Coca-Cola Hellenic operates 75 plants in 28 European countries, serving approximately 560 million people, and achieves annual sales of more than two billion unit cases of famous brands including Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Nestea and Schweppes. The company is rolling out a multi-faceted management system across the organization that integrates the ISO 9001 quality, ISO 14001environmental, ISO 22000 food safety and OHSAS 18001 (non-ISO) operational health and safety standards, and is currently looking at aligning with ISO 26000guidance on social responsibility.

Company-wide environmental improvements achieved since implementing ISO 14001 have been impressive. To ensure water sustainability, each bottling plant conducts risk assessments of water resources, and as a result absolute water use has dropped despite increased production volume. By the end of 2010, 99 % of all plant wastewater was being treated.

The organization’s energy-savings initiatives, including its commitment to construct 20 on-site combined heat and power units, have improved plant energy efficiency by 23 % since 2004. 

Also, CO2 emissions are expected to fall by 25 % by 2015, compared to 2004.

Total waste to landfill has dropped by 58 % since 2004 and 85 % of production waste is recycled, with much of the PET plastics reused in making new bottles. In addition, PET bottles are 16 % lighter than in 2004 and consume less raw material.