Coca-Cola South Africa has opened a new state-of-the-art plant to bottle Valpré Spring Water in Heidelberg, south-east of Johannesburg, introducing the environmentally friendly PlantBottle packaging to the African market for the first time. Selected for its close proximity to markets and distribution sites in the Guateng region, and a similar source water profile as Valpré's, the new plant will help Coca-Cola meet the needs of the increasing demand for bottled water.
The plant will make use of Coca-Cola's innovative PlantBottle packaging, which has revolutionized the beverage industry as the first-ever recyclable PET plastic beverage bottle, made from up to 30% plant material and is 100% recyclable. PlantBottle packaging has a lighter footprint on the environment due to its reduced dependence on non-renewables such as petroleum. South Africa is only the 10th market to launch the bottle in the world, and the first in Africa.
In addition to the environmental aspects of the plant and the new PlantBottle, the Heidelberg plant is run by a team of black women operators. In 2010, Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent announced the company's "5 BY 20" campaign to empower five-million women by 2020. This is one of several programs in South Africa to meet the challenge.
Point of view: MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT
Action Plan:
1. Time Frame: one (1 year
2. Statement of the Problem:
Coca-cola’s empowerment of women employees in its new Valpre plant in South Africa
3. Objectives:
3.1. Short Range
3.1.1. Set programs and implementation schedules for empowerment of women employees in the new plant in South Africa.
3.2. Long-range plan: sustainability of the product utilizing women as employee
4. Areas of considerations:
4.1. Acceptability of women employee
4.2. Social responsibility::
4.2.1. Women employees
4.2.2. Environment friendly packaging
4.3. Empowerment of women employees
5. PROS AND CONS
5.1. Pros: