Large crowd at the VALSER production plant’s open day

Coca-Cola HBC invited guests to the VALSER production plant’s open day on Saturday, 28 October 2023. Around 1000 visitors took this unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at one of the world’s most sustainable beverage companies.

Last Saturday, the Coca-Cola HBC team opened the doors of the VALSER production plant in Vals to interested visitors. On the tour of the production plant, visitors young and old learned first-hand about the company and its products, witnessed how VALSER uses its resources sparingly, and enjoyed the many attractions on offer.

Jürg Burkhalter, General Manager of Coca-Cola HBC Switzerland, was delighted with the enormous interest shown in the VALSER open day: “We were thrilled by the large turnout, which reconfirmed to us the affinity that the people in the region and all of Switzerland have with our company, the brand and the VALSER product.”

"The close cooperation between Coca-Cola HBC Switzerland and the municipality of Vals is of central importance to us. I am even more pleased that with today's VALSER - Open Day, we were once again able to share and celebrate our bond and long-standing cooperation with the entire population," says Stefan Schmid, Mayor of Vals.

Sustainability pioneer

The guests showed a keen interest in the production processes and the company’s sustainability efforts. VALSER PET bottles have been made exclusively of recycled PET since 2022. The company has also succeeded in closing the recycling loop for green VALSER PET bottles – so even non-transparent PET bottles can be turned into new bottles time and again. The Swiss Packaging Institute (SVI) recognised this innovation with the Swiss Packaging Award.

For the third time, the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) certified our bottling plants in Vals with the Gold Standard. The company reduced its water consumption per litre of mineral water bottled in Vals to just 1.54 litres back in 2022.

Close cooperation with the municipality and local partners

The production plant already obtains its electricity from 100% renewable sources. Coca-Cola HBC also cooperates closely with the Vals municipality and regional partners. The photovoltaic system on the roof of the production facility, for instance, contributes to the municipality’s power grid. In addition to this, the surplus heat from the production plant is used in the thermal baths at the 7132 Hotel, enabling it to significantly reduce its consumption of heating oil.

The company is equally committed to improving its transport operations – Coca-Cola HBC has been working in close partnership with RHB for 40 years, transporting VALSER mineral water between Ilanz and Zizers by rail. Together with local distribution partner Gartmann, the company is currently testing the use of e-trucks with trailers on the route between Vals und Ilanz, where rail transport is not possible.

A fulfilling job where others spend their holidays

Visitors learned about Coca-Cola HBC as an employer at information stands and by talking directly to employees. “Our employees are extremely appreciative of the fact that so many things they love are so close by – be it rest and relaxation, nature, or sport. We work in a place where others spend their holidays,” says Michael Vossler, Vals Production Manager. “We are a winning team. The product and the region are close to all of our hearts – they connect us. We attach immense importance to enabling our employees to keep on improving themselves on a personal and a professional level. Coca-Cola HBC offers extremely exciting career opportunities in Vals as well as nationally and internationally.”

Read Coca-Cola HBC Switzerland’s Sustainability Report here

Find out more about Coca-Cola HBC Switzerland as an employer and browse vacancies here