Plastic bottle manufacturer Constar has signed up with an energy manager to put in place an efficiency strategy across its European operations.

Graham Hall, purchasing manager at the firm which makes bottles for Britvic and Coors, said efficiency could make the difference in a “tough” market.

Mr Hall said: “We may be a big player in the soft drinks sector but ours is a tough industry with tight margins and efficiency in all areas is vital.

“Raw materials make up 82% of the cost of each container and with an annual energy spend in the UK alone of £3.6m we can’t afford to make mistakes when buying electricity.”

The bottle maker is working with energy consultants at Orchard Energy to roll out the efficiency strategy.