Toyo Seikan and Coca-Cola win top accolade for innovative lightweight can

Global beverage giant The Coca-Cola Company and leading packaging manufacturer Toyo Seikan have jointly received the Research and Development Category prize at the 49th Kinoshita Award, hosted by the Japan Packaging Technology Association. The recognition comes for their groundbreaking achievement in developing the world’s lightest, most innovatively designed can for the 185g Georgia-brand coffee, launched in April 2024.

The award celebrates the duo’s success in reducing material usage by 13 per cent compared to conventional cans of the same size, reducing the can body weight from 7.0 grams to an incredible 6.1 grams. This remarkable feat was made possible by Toyo Seikan’s proprietary Compression Bottom Reform (CBR) technology, which enhances can strength while minimising aluminium use.

 If CBR technology is applied to all suitable aluminium beverage cans, annual GHG emissions can be reduced by an estimated 40,000 tonnes. Toyo Seikan is now expanding he use of CBR technology across all its manufacturing sites in Japan. In addition to the 190 ml cans, the company has begun implementing CBR technology in 350 ml and 500 ml cans and aims to further promote the world's lightest aluminium cans.

For both Coca-Cola and Toyo Seikan, this is the second consecutive year to have been recognised by this award. At the 48th Kinoshita Award, the duo had received the Improvement & Rationalization Category prize for the 500ml Coca-Cola lightweight bottle made from 100 per cent recycled PET.