Coca-Cola Consolidated, the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the U.S., is leveraging Atlantic Packaging’s MUST Stretch Film Management System to optimize its stretch wrapping operations. With 65 production lines across 16 manufacturing plants, nearly 700 SKUs, and more than 100 packaging sizes, consistency, efficiency, and sustainability are top priorities.
“…It helps us consistently wrap the pallets the same, making sure that we’re wrapping certain pallets the right way,” says Melanie Sabella, Coca-Cola Consolidated Vice President of Technical Services.
Why It Matters
The MUST platform brings advanced data insights to stretch wrapping operations, optimizing material usage while enhancing load containment and product protection. Coca-Cola Consolidated highlights several benefits:
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Standardized Wrapping
MUST ensures consistent wrapping standards across all pallets, helping identify and address variations in how different products react to wrapping. This data-driven approach eliminates guesswork and improves operational reliability.
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Improved Traceability
By integrating MUST with warehouse operations, Coca-Cola Consolidated can trace issues back to specific production lines and individual stretch wrappers. This visibility allows for swift corrective actions, improving overall system efficiency.
“We actually started connecting the dots between a down load at a warehouse coming from a production center and what line that happened on, and then, we actually tied it back to information in MUST,” says Melanie. “As we kind of grew with the whole MUST System, those opportunities kind of came to light, which we couldn’t see before.”
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Sustainability Gains
MUST’s ability to reduce stretch film usage contributes to significant environmental savings. Coca-Cola Consolidated reports measurable reductions in plastic waste, aligning with its sustainability goals and cutting its carbon footprint. 450,000 pounds of stretch film was eliminated in 2024.
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Future Growth Potential
With real-time data and actionable insights, Coca-Cola Consolidated can continuously refine its processes, ensuring even greater efficiency and environmental impact over time.
Strong Partnership
Atlantic Packaging, in partnership with Coca-Cola Consolidated, has launched a Stretch Film Recycling Program to create a closed-loop system that transforms used stretch film into post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin, promoting sustainability by reducing virgin material usage, lowering emissions, and advancing a circular economy. This highlights the businesses commitments to creating a more sustainable economy for future generations.
Optimizing Operations
The MUST Stretch Film Management System exemplifies how innovation can drive both operational excellence and sustainability. For Coca-Cola Consolidated, the partnership has uncovered opportunities to reduce material usage, save money, and optimize production — critical wins in a competitive market.
This collaboration not only underscores the transformative potential of IoT-driven solutions but also sets a benchmark for how industries can simultaneously cut costs and contribute to a greener future.