Volvo Trucks North America announced Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited is acquiring six Volvo VNR Electric trucks, as part of a pilot program to service their iconic ‘Red Fleet’ customer delivery routes throughout the Greater Montreal Area. The six trucks are the first Class 8 battery-electric trucks in the beverage distributor’s fleet of 650 heavy-duty vehicles to service customers throughout the region. Coke Canada Bottling is the first Canadian food and beverage manufacturer to use zero-tailpipe emission trucks and all six Volvo VNR Electric trucks will be delivered throughout 2023.
As part of Coke Canada Bottling’s Toward a Better Future Together environmental sustainability action plan, the 6×4 Volvo VNR Electric trucks will contribute to the company’s goal of reducing carbon emissions from direct sources and supplied energy by 46.2 % by 2030. Coke Canada Bottling is taking action on fuel efficiencies in their fleet through electrification and the usage of alternative fuel sources. It currently has several light-duty electric service vehicles in the Greater Montreal Area and uses B20 biofuels on all trucks newer than 2012. To date, these initiatives have led to a savings of more than 1500 tonnes of C02.
Volvo Trucks hosted a Demo Day on April 13 at Coke Canada Bottling’s Montreal distribution center for delivery drivers to test drive the new battery-electric trucks. Participants learned ways to optimise the Volvo VNR Electric’s range, such as leveraging regenerative braking benefits to add power back to the battery.
The battery-electric fleet features a six-battery configuration that can cover up to 440 km (275 miles) on a single charge, as the trucks make several daily round trips of 150 km (93 miles) from the company’s distribution center in Montreal to customer locations.
To support charging its battery-electric fleet, Coke Canada Bottling is also installing three 150 kW DC chargers with nine dispensers at its Montreal distribution center. The charging infrastructure is anticipated to be complete in June 2023.
Coke Canada Bottling utilised federal and provincial incentives (Écocamionnage and the iMHZEV programs) for Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicles funding to offset the cost of the six Volvo VNR Electric trucks.
Well Juicery Canada is putting youth mental health first by offering Canadians the opportunity to join the movement for wellness at grocery stores. Available exclusively at Loblaw’s across Canada, Well is donating 100 % of the proceeds from any purchase of their 333 ml juices to Canadian youth mental health organisation jack.org from Oct 9th – to 14th in support of Mental Health Day on October 10th.
Well partnered with jack.org in 2021 recognising the strong link to wellness between their brands. With a mandate for making health accessible and delicious, Well’s research shows that adding antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients to daily food choices can make a positive difference in mental health by providing energy, hydration and eliminating toxins. Suicide is still the leading health-related cause of death for young people in Canada and Well sees an opportunity to support and influence change for current and future generations through their partnership with jack.org.
About Well Juicery Canada Ltd.
Well Juicery Canada Ltd. is one of Canada’s only nationally distributed and fully integrated cold-pressed juice, kombucha, and superfood lemonade companies. A 100 percent Canadian-owned company with a mandate of making fresh healthy beverages available to the masses. Well is the only Canadian beverage manufacturer that owns and operates HPP (high pressure) technology at its facility. This food tech locks in freshness and nutritional content and provides for the healthiest, freshest beverages with the longest shelf life in the industry. Well is proud to partner with GoodLeaf whose leading-edge hydroponic techniques produce sustainable, safe, pesticide-free, nutrient-dense leafy greens.
About jack.org
Jack.org is Canada’s only charity training and empowering young leaders to revolutionise mental health in every province and territory. Through Jack Talks, Jack Chapters, and Jack Summits, young leaders identify and dismantle barriers to positive mental health in their communities. And through ambitious innovations in youth mental health like Be There, they give people the mental health resources they need to educate themselves. Jack.org is working towards a Canada where all young people understand how to take care of their own mental health and look out for each other. A Canada without shame, where all those who need support get the help they deserve. This movement is powered by tens of thousands of advocates and allies across every province and territory of Canada.
Doctor’s Biome, a probiotic health and wellness shot composed of 15 strains of extensively researched, science-backed probiotics is now available in Canada
Doctor’s Biome, a leader in clinically validated juice-based probiotics, founded by a group of doctors and scientists now offers shipping to Canada. “We are extremely excited to be able to expand into Canada and offer this unique, one of a kind probiotic,” says Dr. Howard Robins, the Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer. “Hundreds of my patients in my ozone-therapy practice have seen a significant change in their gut health. Helping people achieve their health and wellness goals has always been a driving force behind Doctor’s Biome.”
Unlike other probiotic brands in capsule or tablet form on the market, Doctor’s Biome guarantees active, living probiotics in an organic vegetable-fruit juice. Since Doctor’s Biome is in a fully hydrated liquid form, it allows for faster absorption and maximum benefit.
In order for probiotics to be most effective, they should be living at the time of manufacture and also upon entering your digestive system. Doctor’s Biome provides active, living strains of probiotics with each daily dose that remain alive upon entering your digestive tract and then continue to flourish in your gut microbiome.
Doctor’s Biome only uses strains that have been extensively researched. The 15 strains of probiotics or “healthy bacteria” compete against a spectrum of harmful bacteria and yeasts for nutrients and space, which helps to rebalance the gut and support healthy digestion.
About Doctor’s Biome
Doctor’s Biome is a synbiotic, which is a combination of prebiotics (the food that feeds the good bacteria in your gut) and probiotics (good bacteria in your gut that normalizes and rebalances your gut microbiome) that work together in the gut.
- Prebiotics: fiber in the organic vegetable-fruit juice feeds the probiotics, which in turn help them propagate so that they can outnumber the bad bacteria in your gut and create a healthy GI tract.
- Probiotics: 15 scientifically-backed strains of probiotics targeted to help normalize digestion and rebalance the amount of good bacteria in your gut microbiome.
Completition of wind power transition advances Company’s global operations to 27.5 % renewable electricity, aligns with Twentyby30 and RE100 commitments
Crown Holdings, Inc. is now operating all 14 of its beverage can plants in the U.S. and Canada on renewable energy. It is the first metal packaging manufacturer to achieve this milestone, which is the result of a 15-year wind power Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) with Longroad Energy. With the VPPA in effect and all of Crown’s manufacturing facilities in the U.K. already completing a similar transition, 27.5 % of the Company’s global operations are now using renewable electricity.
This accelerated usage of alternative power sources serves as a major step in Crown’s plan to employ 60 % renewable electricity by 2030, 90 % by 2040 and 100 % by 2050—targets established in Crown’s Twentyby30 initiative, a comprehensive sustainability program that addresses climate issues among other areas of urgent global concern. The action also supports Crown’s Twentyby30 goal to decrease Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within its global operations, targeting a 50 % combined reduction in absolute Scope 1 (fuel) and Scope 2 (electricity) emissions. The transition reflects Crown’s commitment to the RE100, which is led by The Climate Group and CDP and focuses on accelerating the transition to zero carbon grids at global scale.
Relying on a Texas-based wind farm, the VPPA generates more than 440,000 MWhs of electricity, helping prevent over 310,000 metric tons of carbon emissions each year—the equivalent to taking at least 67,000 passenger vehicles off the road for one year. The renewable power offsets 100 % of the energy usage within Crown’s U.S. and Canadian beverage plants, which account for over 20 % of the Company’s global Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions.
Lassonde announced that bendable paper straws will replace plastic straws in all 200 ml single-serve boxes of Kiju and Simple Drop Natural Spring Water products. This initiative marks a first-to-market in Canada and provides consumers with 100 % recyclable packaging. Kiju and Simple Drop products are managed by its Nothing but Nature division. These products are now available at major Canadian grocery retailers, just in time for back-to-school.
“Adding paper straws to two of our brands is an important step for Lassonde to make our packaging even more eco-friendly,” says Jean Gattuso, President and COO of Lassonde Industries Inc. “The market testing we did in fall 2019 on adding paper straws to our 200 ml containers showed consumer interest for innovative packaging. We’re pleased to offer consumers 100 % recyclable packaging made largely from renewable material.”
The paper straws are made from FSC-certified paper, and both the straws and multi-layer boxes meet the highest standards of quality.
“We decided to add paper straws to two brands that are popular with consumers who are particularly concerned about the environmental impact of their purchases. Kiju is the most popular brand of organic juice in Canada, while Simple Drop natural spring water offers an alternative to plastic water bottles., During this pandemic, it’s important to provide alternative option since it has become more difficult to access water fountains in schools, offices and public spaces,” adds Claire Bara, Executive Vice-president and General Manager, Marketing, Trade and Product Development for A. Lassonde Inc.
Multilayer cartons now recycled in Quebec
In May 2020, Sustana Fiber’s mill in Lévis, Québec, announced a Canadian first with the development of new processes to recycle multilayer juice and milk cartons. It can now annually process 3,000 to 4,000 tons of these cartons collected from across the country. The replacement of plastic straws will increase the percentage of recyclable fibre and supply the new facility in Lévis.
“Each recycled multilayer carton provides the raw material needed to continue producing essential items like toilet paper and paper napkins.” says Isabelle Faucher, Managing Director of the Carton Council of Canada. “Stable and thriving end-markets for post-consumer cartons are important to the success of national recycling and recovery efforts. Increased carton recycling helps preserve natural resources, meet important diversion and recycling goals, create jobs and, in the case of COVID-19, helps to avoid shortages of the pulp needed to manufacture essential items.
Sustainable development at Lassonde
This initiative is in line with the company’s sustainable development objectives. By 2025, Lassonde wants to:
- Find alternatives to plastic straws
- Incorporate 20 % post-consumer recycled content in its packaging
- Introduce 100 % recyclable packaging for all its products, while working with governments, the industry and associations to promote the efficient sorting and collection of recyclable materials.
Other Lassonde environmental initiatives include ongoing efforts to reduce its packaging weight and the quantity of water used in its chilling and purification processes.
About Lassonde
Lassonde Industries Inc. is a North American leader in the development, manufacturing and sale of a wide range of fruit and vegetable juices and drinks marketed under recognized brands such as Apple & Eve, Everfresh, Fairlee, Fruité, Graves, Oasis, Old Orchard and Rougemont. Lassonde is the second-largest producer of store brand ready-to-drink fruit juices and drinks in the United States and a major producer of cranberry juices, drinks and sauces.
Lassonde also develops, manufactures and markets specialty food products under recognized trademarks such as Antico and Canton. The Company imports and markets selected wines from various countries of origin and manufactures apple ciders and cider-based beverages.
The Company produces superior quality products through the efforts of some 2,200 employees working in 15 production facilities across Canada and the United States.
Brenntag North America, Inc., part of Brenntag Group, one of the global market leaders in chemical distribution, announces a new collaboration with Silvateam for the exclusive distribution of Pectin in United States & Canada.
Silvateam has dedicated over 160 years to plant-based extracts. Located in Northern Italy, Silvateam produces products used in a large range of applications such as food, beverages, and animal health and nutrition.
Brenntag North America has been appointed the exclusive distributor in North America for the distribution of the Silvateam Pectin Line:
“We are excited about our new relationship with Silvateam and the continued expansion of our value- added, functional ingredient options. The combination of our Food & Nutrition team, new food application lab, and Silvateam’s technical expertise position us well to provide quick solutions to our customer’s formulation questions when using pectins,” stated Larry Davis, Marketing Director, Brenntag North America.
Brenntag will focus on Silvateam’s versatile, clean label, pectin products. Pectin is a natural product widely used for its gel formation, thickening, and stabilizing properties in a variety of applications. Applications include fruit juices, jams, marmalades, dairy, confectionary, and bakery.
“Silvateam is a fast-growing company with an excellent reputation in the industry. We are excited to work alongside Brenntag North America to promote our range of specialty pectin,” said Alessandro Di Mase, CEO of Silvateam. “Brenntag’s strong technical expertise, service orientation, and sales team offer the market our tailor-made solutions for texture, mouthfeel, viscosity, flavor release, and suspension.”
