As a multinational plastic packaging producer, RETAL takes reducing overall carbon footprint seriously, both as a commercial and an environmental sustainability decision.
Our Sustainability Report Environment chapter details RETAL’s climate change action with our goal to set Science-based targets for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction via SBTi (Science
Based Target initiatives). It also explains our mitigation strategy to use as much renewable energy as possible – goal is to reach 100% in EU & US by the end of 2023 –, phasing out fossil fuels and
increasing our energy efficiency across our plants.
We contribute to the plastic circular economy by promoting Design for Recycling, encouraging use of recycled materials and lightweighting products.
Energy Efficiency
Our RETAL Iberia plant has recently gained the ISO50001:2018 certification for energy efficiency management, now our third plant to achieve this, alongside RETAL Lithuania and RETAL Czech. This certified management system is a tool to support us optimize our energy consumption and reduce our GHG emissions through precise measurement and continuous improvement. The process of gaining the certificate involved the whole of the Girona-based facility, with the production zone, offices, storehouses and all processes assessed. During the audit, different simulations were done to see what consumptions are the most important in the plant’s processes, giving an opportunity to identify improvement measures to increase efficiency.
Investment in Efficient Equipment
Investment in state-of-the-art, energy efficient machinery is also integral to our focus on resource efficiency. At our US plant in Donora, PA, RETAL PA has so far added a further six injection molding lines to join its existing five lines. The new molding lines have been carefully chosen for their sustainability credentials, with the advanced technology meaning that each machine uses less
energy to produce the same product.
Read online at Sustainable Packaging News
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Integrating sustainability at every stage is a cornerstone of responsible plastic packaging production. We know that making smart decisions when it comes to material choices and reducing waste is a logical part of the journey, but what about earlier on in the process? How can we make sure that money is spent wisely, in a way that will help to future-proof the companies that are working hard to create packaging solutions that deliver on performance and sustainability?
Choosing the equipment that will make the right difference is not the decision of one department, nor is it a wish list of ‘nice to haves’ that will somehow revolutionize an inefficient production facility. As Posh Spice famously said, ‘It’s easy to buy a £5m house’. OK, she wasn’t talking about investing in packaging machinery (I don’t think), but the message is the same; you’ll always find someone that’s trying to sell something, but it’s your responsibility to buy the right thing at the right price.
So what is ‘the right thing’ when it comes to choosing equipment that will enable plastic packaging producers to progress sustainably? With sustainability coming from all directions, that choice needs to consider the production site, the product, and the consumer...and the environment.
It’s not about thinking that choosing to add rPET is enough, or that lightweighting preforms is enough. Yes, these are both very important steps forward, but there is more that can be done, even if the buzzwords are not quite as trendy. Equipment that uses less energy, generates less waste, or requires less water means that responsibility is integrated earlier. Industry 4.0-ready equipment means that maintenance can be done by experts remotely, without needing downtime or travel.
Anton Sugoniaev, head of R&D at RETAL, explains how this converter considers the complete journey of the packaging it produces. “We’re observing the growing trend for ‘conscious consumption’, with it being ever-more important for people to know about the goods they consume, how they’re packaged, where the product comes from. Consumers value trustworthy brands and need to identify with the whole story behind the product and its package to create motivation for purchase.”
Creating a motivation for purchase is certainly a driver for brands and the whole supply chain, with the understanding that integrated sustainability is both a want and a need. Sugoniaev defines this as ‘raising a sustainability-oriented mindset’, with the role of the plastic packaging supply chain including educating consumers in how their choices impact on the production. “If consumers understand that clear caps and bottles are more sustainable than coloured bottles in terms of recyclability, for example, or reduced label sized vs full sleeve, and their purchasing preferences are aligned accordingly, then as a society we’re heading for a more sustainable future. As a plastic packaging producer, we can help to positively influence that by promoting an honest, transparent dialogue with our brand owner customers, to see how we can bring extra elements of sustainability into our production, which can also be used in brand marketing.”
Investment in equipment that pays back in the medium to long term is the privilege of producers with capital, so there is a responsibility to choose modern machinery that will quickly bring sustainability advantages to the brands that work with them. Efficiency of production is the driver for RETAL’s ongoing investment, seen in its new PET preform systems by continuously renovating the installed base to boost the reliability and efficiency of the machines, alongside a centralized resin feeding system at its largest facility in Lithuania that reduces raw material packaging and transportation costs.
Invest wisely
Sugoniaev continues, “Investment decisions are made with efficiency and sustainability in mind; our latest CSR report highlights our progress and the importance this progress is to our global partners. For example, we’ve upgraded two more of our preform machines to handle flakes and we’ve made a significant investment in closure compression molding with several new lines. We chose these lines as they are proven to run shorter cycle times and show reduced energy consumption in comparison to conventional injection molding. We’ve been utilizing both cap manufacturing technologies and deploy new products with a rational balance between them both, developing new, lighter closures and tethered closures by harnessing all the experience of our R&D team and the technological advantages of our investments.”
Investment in equipment at the RETAL testing laboratory also tests for temperature, humidity and oxygen permeability, with preforms and closures tested alongside third-party products. Efficiency is a clear advantage, as there’s no downtime on customers’ lines, plus the certified laboratory can advise on modifications as well as identifying any defects quickly.
All this careful investment points to the same goal – efficiency. Perhaps the definition of efficiency has evolved to incorporate sustainability now that all brands have to be clear that the ‘whole story’ of their products is considered. Sustainability for its own sake is better than nothing, but when investment in efficiency is combined with understanding sustainable design, production and testing, then a more circular approach to plastic packaging is within reach.
Wrap-up
Ultrasonic welding uses around 50% less energy than conduction heat sealing systems
Pneumatic power can help stretch blow molding efficiency with higher throughput and continuous production
Smart automation reduces downtime, promotes preventative maintenance and gives clear analytics in real time
Read online at Sustainable Plastics (page 11)
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The predicted 3.4% growth of the plastic packaging industry in North America takes its value to $51.2 billion. RETAL PA is well-established in Donora, PA and continues its local expansion with the addition of six lines, taking its capabilities to approx. 2.5 billion preforms a year with 11 lines.
RETAL PA President & CEO Darius Janulionis says, “We’re perfectly positioned to continue serving the US market as it grows and develops. We already work hand in hand with our local and national customers, creating and manufacturing preforms that meet their requirements. Our team is motivated, experienced and highly trained, working with the most modern equipment in our industry, and our recent investment has taken us to the next level. We’re here in Donora, we can reliably transport our preforms to customers across the country.”
To support the expansion and highlight its flexible portfolio of standard and bespoke preforms using PET and up to 100% rPET for food, beverage and household goods customers across North America, RETAL PA is launching a communications campaign. The goal is to illustrate how RETAL PA is ready to ‘plug and play’, with its valuable position as part of the wider group giving direct access to R&D and technological excellence.
The campaign strapline ‘American Made’ shows that RETAL PA is experienced in producing PET preforms at its state-of-the-art facility, with the strength of the wider multinational RETAL group bringing experience in sustainable plastic packaging design and development through working with household brand customers for many years across its 13 production sites in nine countries.
Janulionis concludes, “We have the quality focus, the equipment, the capability and the capacity. It’s the perfect time to start a conversation with us.”
Read online at Industry Europe and Sustainable Packaging news
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Hopefully we can all agree on one thing; a circular economy is the goal. So, to that end, we should all be trying to make sustainability as easy as possible. For long-term environmentally beneficial actions to be implemented without unnecessary delays, the people who make the decisions have to be able to understand why they should do what they have the power to do.
But what if the language around sustainability has become too complicated? For the packaging industry, even packaging experts can find it hard to explain exactly what sustainability means, and how to clearly define the targets and actions that can make a difference. It seems that agreeing on the why doesn’t translate to agreeing on the what or the how. Why is that? Surely we can invest a
little time on clarifying the core sustainability terms so that we’re on a better path towards a circular economy?
Emmanuel Duffaut, sustainability director at plastic packaging producer RETAL agrees. Now in his sixth year at the company, he has seen steady progress in the clarity of sustainability communications and how this makes it easier for stakeholders to engage. Duffaut says, “The last five years have been a huge leap forward in terms of sustainability reporting, and the understanding of sustainability in general. There are many drivers for sustainability in a global plastic packaging producer, most notably the desire to be a responsible player in this industry. There are incredible innovations coming forward that harness the R&D skills of packaging design experts for example, as well as responsible operational solutions such as using renewable electricity to
reduce GHG emissions.”
This combined approach of integrating expertise in packaging design with responsible decisions beyond the packaging products themselves equals a more holistic way of addressing sustainability. Duffaut heads the team that creates RETAL’s annual sustainability report, and it is here that a number of challenges arise in terms of language used. Duffaut explains, “Even just the fact that the terms Sustainability Report, CSR Report and ESG Report seem interchangeable can be confusing. I take a pride in making sure our Sustainability Report is as clear and easy to read as possible so that all our stakeholders – customers, suppliers, financial institutions and employees – can see our progress and get on board with making progressive decisions.”
Don’t bamboozle anyone
As with anything, it’s easy to assume that people know the jargon. Let’s be honest, some people like to bamboozle others by sneaking in acronyms and tricky terms just to confuse them or make themselves feel important. But when it comes to sustainability, shouldn’t we all be making it as accessible as possible? There is no benefit to making sustainability more complicated as we will all be further away from the goal of a circular economy.
A recent report in the Financial Times highlights how the lack of clarity around definitions in corporate sustainability is increasingly challenging, noting that large chunks of teaching time for MBA students is focused on defining sustainability terms, rather than analysing the topic itself. For corporations, the story is similar, with a report from IBMon the importance of sustainability for business noting that ‘companies may lack the ability to implement sustainable solutions or even know where to start. Sustainability in business is evolving and so are the answers.’
The IBM report adds the fact that ‘sustainability in business is a megatrend that will continue to profoundly affect companies’ competitiveness and even survival in the market’. That survival element is largely due to consumers voting with their feet because while they may not want to drastically change their habits, they do want to be more responsible. A white paper from Deloitte explains this by saying that sustainable lifestyles are on the rise, but that ‘consumers need more help’ in making decisions.
What’s the fix then? It seems like we have an excellent recipe for progressive and meaningful sustainability if businesses want to develop more sustainable solutions, financial institutions want to invest in sustainable businesses, and consumers want to spend their hard-earned money on products that share their values.
Much like the term ‘greenwashing’ helped to shed light on unproven environmental claims by giving it an easy-to-remember name, all of us involved in the positive future of the packaging can agree to stop the jargon, to choose to make sustainability simple. Duffaut is clear that companies can make this choice too, “There is a balance to be had between the necessary evolving of language around corporate sustainability progress and using new terms for their own sake. Sustainability isn’t a competition with winners and losers, we all stand to gain if we can take meaningful steps forward. For example, clearly definable terms like ‘mitigate’ and ‘material’ are useful for the clarity and brevity of reporting, but also for communicating with our stakeholders. Whereas ‘green’ or ‘eco’ don’t actually mean anything.”
Commit to clarity
Everyone is busy, everyone is on the same planet, but are we on the same page? Being clear about what reporting structure, what terminology, what
framework a business is choosing to report on its sustainability performance is an easy first step. There are plenty of respected options, including
EcoVadis, CDP, GRI and other standards are all available for structured reporting, so starting with a known quantity is helpful. Taking that a step further
and accepting that we have a human responsibility to be clear about how good packaging can be responsible, practical and progressive will also
encourage clear language to be the norm, so we can all win at sustainability.
Read online at Interplas Insights
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10 Apr 2023 --- A sustainability report is the essential tool in communicating corporate social responsibility goals and actions to any organization’s stakeholders, from employees to customers to financial institutions. Increasingly, potential recruits value the environmental performance – and social values – of a company they’re considering, customers are keen to work with suppliers that align with their goals, and banks are using these reports as part of their assessment when making financial decisions. With the packaging industry at the sharp end of the pointy finger of sustainability for some time, it makes perfect sense that packaging manufacturers take creating and publishing their sustainability reports seriously.
A recent report from global management consulting firm McKinsey calls the global megatrend of sustainability in packaging a “general awakening” that shows no sign of slowing down, with all packaging manufacturers and brands that source packaging needing to “implement processes to address future requirements proactively.”
This appreciation of the seriousness of sustainability in packaging is also reflected in the report’s analysis that “83% of the legal measures relating to sustainable packaging worldwide focus on plastics,” with plastic beverage packaging leading the way in terms of accountability, according to the report.
The global beverage brands that use plastic packaging know that the quantifiable sustainability of their products, which is largely governed by the packaging, is a major factor in consumer choice, so it makes sense that these brands are driving their packaging suppliers to publish an annual sustainability report in a recognized format.
Creating an obligation
With so much at stake, it’s understandable that plastic packaging manufacturers for the F&B industry want to be sure that their annual sustainability reports are accurate, easy to understand, and effectively communicate their position and mitigating actions regarding their environmental and social impacts, even before the EU Directive makes it an obligation. Emmanuel Duffaut is the sustainability director at Retal, a multinational plastic packaging producer serving many leading food and beverage brands. Duffaut has seen how the company’s annual sustainability report has evolved since he joined in 2018, tasked with defining and driving its sustainability actions.
He explains: “Producing a sustainability report is a massive undertaking – you must provide a significant amount of data and information in a way that is easy to read and which provides an accurate image of the company.”
“Everything starts with the collection and aggregation of data and information from each of our 12 plants throughout the year to answer the indicators required by the GRI standard. Then you must build the narrative of the report around how we manage CSR and our goals,
actions and results in the different sustainability topics.”
“Last but not least, you must make the report appealing and reader-friendly, easy to navigate, highlighting the key information and data in
each section and providing a positive image of Retal. Retal collaborates with professional writers and designers to ensure that its report will deliver its CSR information to all its stakeholders in the best possible way. In that respect, we also provide an executive summary.”
Read online in Packaging Insights
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The ISO50001:2018 energy certificate has recently been awarded to Retal Iberia following an external audit. Quality Manager Xavi Mora says, “This international standard is a tool to support us improve on energy consumption by developing and implementing an energy management system. The aim of this certification is to for continual improvement when it comes to energy consumption and efficiency.”
The process of gaining the certificate involved the whole of the Girona-based facility, with the production zone, offices, storehouses and all processes assessed. During the audit, different simulations were done to see what consumptions are the most important in the plant’s processes, giving an opportunity to identify improvement measures to increase efficiency.
This analysis was followed by an evaluation, with a strict process of documentation, checks and improvements implemented on the actual plant system. Only once this was complete, could the audit from the certification body be granted.
Mora adds, “Everybody is involved in this process; we all use energy, so everybody must know that they can contribute to reducing the energy consumption, from switching off the lights, changing the climatization of the different areas, reaching more efficient production procedures or implementing new controls or even changing some equipment for new ones. To reach new goals, we all have to participate!”
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RETAL’s near-term Science Based Targets for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), materializing this multinational plastic packaging producer’s commitment to mitigating its impact on climate change.
As stated in the certificate issued by SBTi and on its website: “RETAL commits to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 42% by 2030 from a 2020 base year. RETAL also commits that 93.9% of its suppliers by emissions covering purchased goods and services will have science-based targets by 2027.”
RETAL Sustainability Director Emmanuel Duffaut says, “This is a key development for a large manufacturer, and we will endeavor to reach these targets by implementing concrete actions to reduce our direct and indirect GHG emissions. It’s another great step forward in our management of climate change, alongside our commitment to set net-zero targets. Having our targets approved by SBTi shows we’re first in line in our industry.”
RETAL will continue to update its progress on this important journey.
For further information contact Maria Jarrar at media@retalgroup.com
RETAL’s Head of R&D Anton Sugoniaev will be participating in the Plastic Closures Innovations event in Barcelona.
From 13th – 15th June, this respected industry event, hosted by AMI, will take place, with many industry partners and decision makers present.
Sugoniaev will be delivering his presentation, entitled ‘Insight into Creating Successful Tethered Closures’, explaining how small technical and design elements can offer big benefits for tethered closure production.
He says, “I am looking forward to sharing how our journey to creating a range of tethered closures for our customers has evolved, showing the twists and turns of legislation, implementation and production to an audience of fellow packaging experts. It will also be a good opportunity to meet with people we know and who share our commitment to the role of progressive packaging in the circular economy.”
Back after six years, Interpack 2023, the ‘world’s leading packaging trade exhibition’, held in Dussedorf from 4th – 10th May, was worth waiting for.
The RETAL stand featured a wide range of product samples from across the complete range of flexible and rigid solutions from RETAL Baltic Films, with members of the sales team on hand to answer any questions.
Visitors to the stand enjoyed talking to the RETAL packaging experts, with wide-reaching conversations including questions on sustainability, recyclability, and chemical recycling.
Senior Marketing Manager Maria Jarrar says, “There was a friendly atmosphere at Interpack – everyone seemed happy to be back after such a long break. We were pleased to take the opportunity to answer questions, share samples of our rigid and flexible packaging solutions, and meet customers and potential customers. It was interesting to discuss topics including mono high barrier solution for FFS packaging and our 100% rPET rigid film and chemical recycling project. It was clear that sustainability is still the hot topic, with everyone keen to ask about how we’re making our portfolio as responsible as possible.”
Read online at Business Focus
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The ISO50001:2018 energy certificate has recently been awarded to RETAL Iberia following an external audit.
Quality manager Xavi Mora says, “This international standard is a tool to support us improve on energy consumption by developing and implementing an energy management system. The aim of this certification is to for continual improvement when it comes to energy consumption and efficiency.”
The process of gaining the certificate involved the whole of the Girona-based facility, with the production zone, offices, storehouses and all processes assessed. During the audit, different simulations were done to see what consumptions are the most important in the plant’s processes, giving an opportunity to identify improvement measures to increase efficiency.
Successful audit
This analysis was followed by an evaluation, with a strict process of documentation, checks and improvements implemented on the actual plant system. Only once this was complete, could the audit from the certification body be granted.
Mora adds, “Everybody is involved in this process; we all use energy, so everybody must know that they can contribute to reducing the energy consumption, from switching off the lights, changing the climatization of the different areas, reaching more efficient production procedures or implementing new controls or even changing some equipment for new ones. To reach new goals, we all have to participate!”
For further information contact Maria Jarrar at media@retalgroup.com