Coega Dairy Ppts For SIG Carton Packs

It is one of the most modern, eco-friendly and energy-efficient dairy businesses around. Coega Dairy in Port Elizabeth claims to have the smallest CO2 footprint of any dairy in the entire southern hemisphere.

The company has made a name for itself beyond South Africa’s borders for its clever amalgamation of economic and environmental considerations. When expanding its production facilities the company decided to use filling machine technology from SIG Combibloc to meet the growing demand for top-quality dairy products packaged for long life. Since the middle of the year, two CFA 312 filling machines have been in operation, packaging dairy products in combiblocSlimline aseptic carton packs.

The idea of establishing an eco-friendly, energy-efficient dairy was conceived in 2010. The aim was to support local dairy production, while at the same time fostering a sustainable management system and protecting the dairy region. Thirteen local farmers in South Africa's Eastern Cape region joined forces to do this, using their combined experience and know-how in agriculture and milk-processing to set up Coega Dairy. Out of this local initiative, one of the most modern and most efficient milk-processing facilities has been created.  

As a dairy business positioned as very environmentally friendly and efficient, Coega Dairy focuses not only on the dairy products and production processes, but also on the packaging in which the products are offered. In this respect, SIG Combibloc carton packs with the label of the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC™) are a perfect fit for the company’s portfolio. Carton packs are good for the environment, because they are made predominantly from cardboard manufactured from wood, a renewable resource. This reduces the consumption of fossil resources such as crude oil. Because trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere while they are growing and give off oxygen, sustainably managed forests also help protect the climate. With the FSC™ logo on the carton packs, consumers can be sure that appropriate quantities of wood sourced from FSC™-certified, responsibly managed forests were used to make the cardboard. 

Full support from day one
The two SIG Combibloc filling machines have been in operation at Coega Dairy since the middle of the year. For Dr Victor Korsten, recently appointed CEO of Coega Dairy, these machines are an important tool to enable his company to continue on its path to success: “The ability to fill different volumes as well as different products on a single filling machine makes us very flexible in our production. That will have a positive impact on our business going forward. Coega Dairy had SIG Combibloc’s full support from day one, which ensured a smooth and quick installation of the filling machines, and a smooth and quick start to production. That’s a good basis for a stable, long-term partnership”. Alongside the technical support, training provided on-site at Coega’s plant and at SIG Combibloc’s training centres ensured that production runs without a hitch. 

Coega Dairy also uses SIG Combibloc’s Efficiency Control System (ECS). ECS is a software solution that automatically provides real-time monitoring, recording and analysis of all relevant production data. Information on the overall efficiency of all lines connected to the system, and on the productivity of individual equipment components, is displayed clearly and concisely. In this way, the ECS helps operators identify potential areas for increasing productivity, thus contributing to ongoing improvement of the production process and system efficiency. In addition, any weak points can be identified and selectively optimised. Korsten: “As a dairy industry business, we’re under a lot of competitive pressure – the ECS helps us enormously in increasing productivity and efficiency. The filling machines’ very low wastage rates are also a strong feature. That’s right in line with our own corporate philosophy”.

Steve Stewart, Marketing Manager Sub-Sahara/South Africa at SIG Combibloc: “We’re very proud of the partnership with Coega Dairy. It’s an outstanding example of the positive growth within the entire region. Since 2001, we’ve seen growth rates of up to 35 per cent per year in the Middle East and Africa region. Some of the reasons for this growth are that more and more food and beverage manufacturers are discovering the aseptic carton packs for their products, and they’re looking for innovative packaging formats and system solutions that are as flexible and efficient as possible. In this respect, our portfolio puts us in a very favourable position. Alongside our system of packaging materials and filling machines, our offer includes technical support and a variety of added-value services”. 

Coega Dairy benefits from this as well. The company currently has a UHT full-cream milk, a low-fat and a fat-free UHT milk on the market in combiblocSlimline 1,000 ml with combiSwift screw cap. Coega Dairy also fills various UHT milk brands for one of the largest supermarket groups in South Africa, and various types of UHT milk under the brand name ‘Coastal View’. Coega Dairy also offers a full-cream milk in the 500 ml volume with combiSwift under this brand name.