Twellium Industrial Company, West Africa’s fastest-growing manufacturing company, has partnered with Sidel to develop a new ultra-modern facility in Kumasi, Ghana – a greenfield project housing two complete PET packaging lines for still and carbonated beverages.
Twellium Industrial Company (Twellium) specialises in the production of non-alcoholic beverages, including its flagship product, Verna Mineral Water. The company also manufactures signature brands such as Rush Energy Drink, Original American Cola, Planet Range, and Bubble Up Lemon Lime under licence from Monarch Beverage Company.
Twellium already operates two well-established production facilities in Accra, Ghana and Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, and has now commissioned its third ultra-modern site in Kumasi, Ghana.
The Kumasi site began as a greenfield project, with Twellium constructing it entirely from the ground up. This included all civil works, infrastructure, and utilities, with Sidel assisting in the installation of two cutting-edge processing and packaging lines.
Cutting-edge PET packaging lines
At the Kumasi site, diversity in manufacturing—utilising different sizes of PET bottles, as well as producing a variety of beverages including water, carbonated soft drinks (CSD), non-carbonated drinks, and energy drinks—was crucial to its development. This enabled flexibility in production and catered to broad market demand.
Twellium’s Kumasi site now features Africa’s fastest complete PET water line, with a production output of 80,000 bottles per hour, utilising Sidel’s signature Combi solution which combines blow moulding, filling, and capping into a single, compact, and integrated solution.
The set-up also includes a state-of-the-art water treatment room and automated cleaning-in-place (CIP) system, ensuring the highest levels of hygiene and food safety.
Sidel has also installed a complete line for carbonated soft drinks (CSD) at the Kumasi plant. Capable of bottling at speeds of 65,000 bottles per hour, this high-speed line with a Sidel Combi was the perfect solution for Twellium to meet the region’s booming CSD market.
As part of the project, Sidel also installed a customised EvoDECO Roll-Fed labeller featuring an integrated system which enables the application of QR codes on the bottle cap, allowing maximum traceability and meeting Ghanaian regulations.
Leader in Ghana’s thriving beverage industry
“Sidel’s complete PET packaging lines for Twellium ensure that beverage production volume meets affordability, allowing us to keep up with the constant increase in demand. This partnership not only drives efficiency but also creates more regional job opportunities, reinforcing Twellium as a proud leader in Ghana’s thriving beverage industry,” comments Ali Ajami, Twellium Marketing Director.
Taking a major step to support a circular economy, Coca-Cola® launched in rPET in pack sizes of 250 ml and 750 ml across several markets in India.
After being the first company in India to launch a one-litre bottle made from 100 % recycled PET (rPET) for its packaged drinking water brand Kinley, Coca-Cola India is taking another meaningful step towards creating a circular economy and has announced the launch of Coca-Cola® in rPET in pack sizes of 250 ml and 750 ml. These rPET bottles are being manufactured by Coca-Cola bottling partners – Moon Beverages Ltd., and SLMG Beverages Ltd.
The rPET bottles expansion showcases Coca-Cola India’s transformative journey towards building a sustainable and greener future for all. The bottles made from 100 % food-grade rPET (excluding caps and labels) have an on-pack call to action “Recycle Me Again” message and will also drive consumer awareness with “100 % recycled PET bottle” displayed on the pack.
These rPET bottles are crafted from food-grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The plastic is recycled as per the technologies approved by the US FDA and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for food-grade recycled material and repurposed into new PET bottles, reducing the need for virgin plastic for producing PET Bottles.
The Coca–Cola Company now offers 100 % rPET bottles in over 40 markets, bringing it closer to its World Without Waste goal of making bottles with 50 % recycled content by 2030. Announced in 2018, the sustainable packaging platform also includes a goal to collect and recycle the equivalent of a bottle or can for every one the company sells globally by 2030, and to make 100 % of its packaging recyclable by 2025.
The Food Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) has approved the use of recycled PET in food packaging. Similarly, the Government of India’s, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Bureau of Indian Standards has enabled befitting regulations and standards to facilitate the use of recycled plastics in food and beverage packaging.
Coca-Cola is making it convenient for consumers to return their empty PET bottles by recycling them at conveniently placed drop-off points or Reverse Vending Machines (RVM’s). Earlier this year, Coca-Cola India launched a ‘Return and Recycle’ initiative with Zepto that focuses on gathering PET bottles directly from consumers. This also helps in establishing an organised process of collecting PET bottles with 100 % traceability. Specifically for India, Coca-Cola introduced ASSP (Affordable Small Sparkling Pack) for the 250 ml PET bottle. ASSP, a proprietary Coca-Cola innovative technology is used to reduce plastic usage in the production of PET bottles for sparkling products by up to 40 percent.
To deliver new beverage options to consumers seeking healthier alternatives, Danone Waters Brazil has partnered with Crown Holdings, Inc. to launch its newest brand, 4U by Danone. Debuting in the Brazil market in November, the 4U line features two carbonated juices and two flavored teas, all made with 100 % natural ingredients. Two different sizes of sleek style cans from Crown, along with special ink finishes and colorful imagery, offer vibrant, eye-catching package designs that reflect the healthy, fresh blends of the 4U beverages.
With an uptick in global awareness for health, wellness and sustainability, the beverage market has seen a growing consumer preference for alternative, more natural options. The 4U brand helps Danone address this burgeoning market within Brazil and diversify its portfolio, which includes dairy products and water, and reach new consumers.
The launch of the 4U line brings four new flavorful beverage options to the market. Danone’s carbonated juice, developed under the sub-brand True 4U, is available in White Grape and Citrus and packed in 269 ml (9.1 ounce) sleek style beverage cans. The sub-brand Tea 4U features two flavors, Black Tea – Hibiscus and Berry and Lemon Grass and Citrus, and is available in 310 ml (10.5 ounce) sleek style cans. All four beverages are completely natural, containing no preservatives or artificial coloring.
Danone chose the beverage can for its durability, recyclability and decorative options. The format’s premium appeal, portability and increasing popularity in the Brazilian market were also important factors. Danone collaborated with Crown due to the Company’s reputation for sustainable products and practices and its close relationships with partners.
“Placing Danone on the forefront of Brazil’s growing natural beverage market required a strategic packaging partner that could accurately capture the new 4U brand and help us make our mark in this product sector,” said Rafael Ribeiro, Head of Marketing and Sales at Danone. “Collaborating with Crown allowed us to venture into uncharted territory and bring an exciting, fresh product line to our customers with the confidence that our brand would be represented in a high-quality, sustainable format.”
For added shelf appeal, Crown used two distinct sizes of its sleek style cans. Part of the Company’s diverse product portfolio, the sleek style cans bring a level of exclusivity to the brand and provide greater differentiation between the carbonated juice and tea varieties. The cans’ graphics feature bright colors to convey the bold flavors and fresh ingredients of the natural beverages. An all-over matte finish has been applied to the Tea 4U cans, creating a tactile experience for consumers.
“It is always an honor to help our customers bring a new concept to market, and we were thrilled to support Danone with the launch of the 4U line,” said Altair Frulane, Commercial Director at Crown Embalagens Metálicas da Amazônia S/A, a subsidiary of Crown. “Our collaboration with Danone involved careful ideation and planning that resulted in a striking product that is true to the brand’s messaging and goals. It is this type of project that allows our expertise and creativity, both regionally and globally, to shine.”
Cott Corporation announced the sale of its soft drink concentrate production business and its RCI International division (“Cott Beverages LLC”) to Refresco for USD 50 million, who in turn sold the RCI worldwide branded activities to RC Global Beverages Inc.
“This transaction is the final step in the transformation of our business where selling the remaining business unit of the traditional carbonated soft drinks business is consistent with our strategy of accelerating the growth across our platform in water, coffee, tea, extracts and filtration solutions,” commented Tom Harrington, Cott’s Chief Executive Officer. “We want to thank all the associates of Cott Beverages LLC for their contributions and wish them well as they rejoin their former traditional bottling business colleagues and become a part of Refresco,” continued Mr. Harrington.
Hans Roelofs, CEO Refresco: “We are pleased to add Cott’s Columbus concentrate manufacturing facility to Refresco North America. It adds extensive innovation capabilities and skills and creates a global center of excellence for beverage concentrate manufacturing. It is a perfect fit with our business. We have decided to divest the RCI International branded activities and find an owner who can bring similar focus and continuity to this iconic brand. With RC Global Beverages Inc., we believe we have found an excellent match. The sale of Columbus from Cott to Refresco and the sale of the RCI International activities from Refresco to RC Global Beverages Inc. took place simultaneously.”
