Rising aluminium prices shrink Coca-Cola can sizes in HK

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HONG KONG - The rising cost of raw materials, in particular aluminium, has pushed Coca-Cola to cut the size of its cans retailing in Hong Kong by 7%.

With the price of aluminium soaring by as much as 25% this 2008 so far, global food and beverage conglomerate Coca-Cola has cut the size of its cans in Hong Kong from 355ml to 330ml. This affects the following brand names retailing in the island - Coca-Cola, Coke Light, Coke Zero, Coke with lemon flavour, Fanta, Sprite, Sprite Zero and Schweppes Cream Soda – all carbonated soft drink brands.

Kenth Kaerhoeg, communications director for Coca-Cola Asia Pacific, confirmed the move was due to the rising cost of aluminium, which is the material used in the manufacture of its soft drinks cans.

Kaerhoeg attributed the rising raw material cost to power shortages in Mainland China, which have led to a reduction in aluminium output.

He added that this move would consolidate can sizes with those in Europe. It is unclear whether Coca-Cola intends to implement the same for its non-carbonated soft drink brands in Hong Kong – such as its Heaven & Earth ready-to-drink tea range - and throughout its other markets in the Asia Pacific region.

According to a supermarket chain in Hong Kong, the retail prices of Coca-Cola carbonated soft drink brands have remained the same even though the size of the cans had decreased.