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Retal’s EcoVadis score has increased seven points from last year, taking the global plastic packaging manufacturer to a Silver medal at 58%, further closing-in on its objective to reach 65% by 2022. EcoVadis is the recognised ratings platform to assess corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance; minimum Ecovadis scores are increasingly demanded by multinational brand owners in order to be part of their supply chain, so it is imperative that manufacturers perform well in CSR.

Sustainability Director Emmanuel Duffaut says, “Retal is in the top 19% of EcoVadis rated companies in its sector. Staying still doesn’t mean you maintain your score – you lose points. It costs a lot to even maintain your existing EcoVadis score, let alone improve it, so this seven-point increase is an excellent achievement that validates our strategy and action. Our strategic decision to implement the ISO 26000 standard by investing in a specific tool that also allows us to monitor and assess our suppliers’ CSR performance has proved to be the right decision; we have particularly increased our ‘Procurement’ score to 60% (a 20-point increase), which puts us in the top performers in our industry in this category.”

Retal has also increased its score by 10 points in the Labour and Human Rights category, by conducting a detailed Human Rights assessment and thanks to a joint action with all its regional Retal HR departments implementing anti-discrimination actions; this score is expected to improve further in the company’s 2021 results in part due to a boosted performance in the Ethics category.

DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF MULTILAYER FILM WITH VIRUCIDAL (AGAINST SARS-COV-2) PROPERTIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF FACE SHIELD PROTOTYPE CARRYING OUT R&D ACTIVITIES

In January 2021, RETAL Baltic Films, UAB initiated the project Development and Use of Multilayer Film with Virucidal (Against SARS-COV-2) Properties in the Development of Face Shield Prototype Carrying out R&D Activities.

The aim of the project is to carry out the R&D research in order to develop a composition of a PET film for the development of a prototype of personal protective eye and face shields with a surface of antiviral effect against SARS-CoV-2 virus. The manufactured product will be offered to the global market of personal protective equipment against SARS-CoV-2, with the main target audience various health care authorities, where the use of these products is mandatory or recommended.

The project is implemented in accordance with the Operational Programme for the European Union Funds’ Investments in 2014-2020 Priority 1 Promotion of Research, Experimental Development and Innovation.

Total value of this project is EUR 652,622.32, up to EUR 522,097.84 of which is financed by the European Regional Development Fund, as European Union response to Covid-19 pandemic measure".

Lithuania native finds opportunity in Donora

Moving across the Atlantic Ocean from Lithuania to Pittsburgh in December 2019 to become general manager of global plastic packaging manufacturer RETAL’s Donora plant was a career opportunity for Darius Janulionis that came about because of his proven leadership ability.

It has become just as important that he is positive by nature, as the COVID-19 pandemic has meant a very different situation has evolved.

With two young daughters in kindergarten and a singer wife with a career of her own, Janulionis’ life in Lithuania was successful and rewarding.

He has worked at RETAL for more than seven years, having progressed rapidly to the position of production director at the company’s Lentvaris factory, the largest and most profitable of its 19 global sites, after being recognized by the board of directors as one to watch. The company employs 2,000 people worldwide.

When the previous general manager of the RETAL PA factory left, Janulionis was offered the role, with the expectation that his understanding of the business and strong team-building skills would be an ideal fit for the Donora factory, which was the newest of the RETAL portfolio and contained considerable untapped potential.

“The plan was for me to come to Pittsburgh to start the job, get settled with a home and find schools for the girls, then my family would be able to join me,” he said. “But of course 2020 didn’t go as planned for any of us.

“I expected to fly home a few times before they moved over here, but I was not able to get home since the pandemic started as of course the majority of international travel has been banned; every time I booked a flight, it got canceled.”

RETAL supports STEM student initiative in Pittsburgh

The non-profit program was founded in 2004 when industrial manufacturers got together with the Pittsburgh chapter of the NTMA (National Tooling and Manufacturing Association) to create an initiative that harnesses the experience of industry mentors and partners them with technically impressive students.

An inter-school robotics competition is at the heart of BotsIQ, with the teams of students tasked with building a 15lb robot, with every stage of the design and production carefully developed to support the overal STEM goals of the program.

Maria Campieri, Youth Services Manager at BotsIQ, said: “BotsIQ partners with 60 high schools across southwestern Pennsylvania. Through our program, students gain in-demand technical skills needed for a rewarding STEM career. This school year, we've had to think of creative ways to continue connecting industry and education.”

One such creative idea is allowing a small number of BotsIQ representatives to visit RETAL PA's Donora factory, taking all social distancing and health precautions, to film an educational tour of the production site and the administrative functions.

RETAL's HR manager Elizabeth Giecek added: “We are delighted to partner with such an inspiring program; the BotsIQ team are so motivated and the students themselves show incredible potential. It was great to have them here to gather information for an upcoming virtual event and to see first-hand how working with the next generation of STEM experts is important for progressive manufacturing companies like RETAL.”

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PET preform that helps to extend shelf life

Global plastic packaging manufacturer Retal is actively working with a leading food and agri-business to manufacture a PET preform that helps to extend the shelf life of its popular refrigerated drinking yoghurt in Africa. To achieve this, Retal is adding ColorMatrix Lactra SX Light Blocking Additive to its monolayer PET bottles for the multi-national producer’s refrigerated drinking yoghurt specifically for the Nigerian market. The PolyOne additive is claimed to block 99.9% of light, thus protecting the dairy product.

Jiri Nydrle, Sales manager at Retal Czech, is working directly with the customer, and said “Light blocking is a particularly hot topic in the African dairy market and, at present, we only export this monolayer PET preform with the Lactra additive as there is not the current demand for dairy milk in PET bottles in Europe as cartons have a clear dominance in the UHT sector.” He continued “The brand owner in Nigeria had a break in their supply chain so we were asked to help by our valued long-term partner Caraway Africa Nigeria Ltd. Our sales director got the initial contact and he was able to quickly close the deal. The whole offer was discussed online and we were able to agree prices and arrange for 10 containers to be sent to Nigeria. It was a very effective method of communication and kept everything moving quickly; it shows a new way of working.”

With all the constituents of the solid masterbatch ColorMatrix Lactra SX Light Blocking Additive certified as food safe, it offers a good way to extend shelf life without impacting the product quality; drinking yoghurt in Lactra preforms has a six month refrigerated shelf life. Lactra does not need to be dried before processing; it is solid state pellets that are added as close as possible to the extruder entrance, and it creates an opaque white preform with an almost total light block.

Retal expects to see continued demand for preforms with Lactra in other countries as it delivers good refrigerated shelf-stability for dairy products without adding weight as monolayer PET is used.

RETAL supports STEM student initiative in Pittsburgh

RETAL PA is proud to be an active partner in the BotsIQ future workforce development program, connecting smart students with STEM career opportunities.

The non-profit program was founded in 2004 when industrial manufacturers got together with the Pittsburgh chapter of the NTMA (National Tooling & Machining Association) to create an initiative that harnesses the experience of industry mentors and partners them with technically-impressive students.

Maria Campieri, Youth Services Manager at BotsIQ, says, “BotsIQ partners with 60 high schools across southwestern Pennsylvania. Through our program, students gain in-demand technical skills needed for a rewarding STEM career. This school year, we've had to think of creative ways to continue connecting industry and education, as in-person events are difficult, even with social distancing.”

RETAL's HR manager Elizabeth Giecek says, “We are delighted to partner with such an inspiring program; the BotsIQ team are so motivated and the students themselves show incredible potential. It was great to have them here to gather information for the virtual event and to see first-hand how working with the next generation of STEM experts is important for progressive manufacturing companies like RETAL.”

Retal molding plant gives struggling PA town another chance to shine

Donora, Pa. — In 2016, Cyprus-based Retal Industries Ltd. decided to pick a former Spartech Corp. compounding plant in Pennsylvania as its first U.S. base.

Donora's nickname "home of the champions" proved to be as relevant today as it was in its 1950s heyday as the company's decision to locate there gave the community another chance.

While the well publicized difficulties of towns and communities throughout the rust belt are also true, the clear characteristics of hard work, loyalty and positivity shine through.

This undeniable spirit was one of the main pulls for global plastic packaging manufacturer Retal Industries decision to build in Donora, with the process of creating its factory and ensuring it quickly became successfully active gaining invaluable support from the local community.

Elizabeth Giecek, human resources manager at Retal PA LLC, joined the company in May 2017, and has a close understanding of how the community support allowed the business to find a happy home.

"I'm originally from about 35 minutes away from Donora, in Washington, and I've always been interested in the history of the valley. It used to be that each town had its own mill and there were plenty of good jobs for regular people, but as the mills started pulling out it got harder," she said.

"Steel production started to decline from the early 1980s, and it was also that pollution became more of an issue throughout the valley. So the tone changed; people and families needed to leave to find jobs, and young people graduated and left," she said.

But while the tone of Donora and its neighboring towns changed, that local pride and expectation of hard work remained.

Donate and develop

The modification of APET films to suit the demands of face shields has opened up not just philanthropic avenues for one packaging converter, but also commercial opportunities. Emma-Jane Batey reports

It will be almost impossible to describe 2020 in the future. With so much happening that we could have never predicted, the stories of loss and triumph over adversity may well get forgotten as we try to make sense of it.

Businesses large and small have had to adapt, some with more of a fair wind than others, and as we head into the unknown that is this winter, it is crucial that we take what we have learned and make the best of it.

During the first lockdown in spring, global plastics packaging manufacturer Retal responded to an online shout-out from a non-profit organisation that needed face shields for healthcare workers in Lithuania. The Retal Baltic Films team made the necessary adjustments to the plant’s equipment in order to produce transparent, fog-free APET films that are thicker than the company’s usual food-grade films.

As ‘essential’ manufacturing has been able to continue throughout the lockdown, the company was able to donate the required volume of these particular APET films for the production of more than 70,000 masks. These were requested by Robotikos Mokykla, a non-profit that provides technical education for children, and was spearheading the organisation of creating PPE masks for people in at-risk jobs during the initial phase of coronavirus.

Following the success of this volunteer project, the Retal Baltic Films team was keen to continue with the production of this specific APET film, even though the demand for face shields decreased in urgency as the supply of PPE became more reliable.

Violeta Ruseka, Retal Baltic Films’ APET films sales manager, explains: “We all know that 2020 has been a huge challenge, but the challenge to amend part of our additional production capacity to produce these thicker APET films for face shields was a welcome one. In March and April we found they were in great demand and we created an internal platform so that medical professionals could order them directly; it’s quite probable that the majority of face shields used in Lithuania until May were made from Retal Baltic Films APET film.”

While demand for this film for face shield applications dropped slightly after June, the company found that other applications were fast creating additional needs, in particular for the temporary, transparent hanging screens that have been quickly installed at many shops, coffee bars, and administrative offices with public access.

Ruseka adds: “This APET film is around 5mm thicker than the film used for face shields, but other than that it has the same anti-fog, no haze qualities and can be easily cut to whatever size and shape is required.”

Now that the company has finalised the technical parameters for its various APET film thicknesses, it is able to quickly adjust production according to its customers’ needs, both in terms of donating product for non-profit organisations and selling in quantity for commercial customers.

For example, Swedish packaging converter INP Forpackningar contacted Retal Baltic Films eager to source large volumes of clear films following the news that the company was able to supply thicker APET film with guaranteed anti-fog, no haze properties.

“This is one of two new cooperations that we have established since June and we are seeing new orders come in in smaller quantities too,” admits Ruseka.

INCREASED OPTIMISATION WITH LABORATORY AND WAREHOUSE INVESTMENT AT RETAL BALTIC FILMS

The pace of RETAL’s ongoing development shows no sign of slowing down, even though 2020 has been full of unforeseen challenges.

The global plastic packaging manufacturer has been able to stay close to its investment and progression strategy this year, with its ambitious CSR strategy underpinning its success.

An important example of RETAL’s continued growth is the official opening of its dedicated new laboratory and warehouse at its RETAL Baltic Films facility in Klaipeda, which represents a considerable €4.5 million investment, resulting in enhanced testing facilities and a new 4000 square metre warehouse.

RETAL Baltic Films General Manager, Viktorija Griziene, explained how this investment illustrates RETAL’s focus on development.

“We are delighted that our new facilities will support our ambitions to deliver complete packaging solutions for our customers. We can now offer fast, reliable, expert testing in-house, which guarantees that customers can clearly understand every element of their products from RETAL. Essentially, we can imitate the actual industrial processes that our customers use, including capping and filling, allowing us to smooth out any details that could be optimised.”

This complete packaging solution now includes a highly sophisticated validation process, thanks to the investment in the laboratory at RETAL Baltic Films, which assures guaranteed product quality stability due to the in-house equipment and technical expertise.

“Our highly experienced team can effectively utilise the new equipment to analyse the product and any changes the customer requires, including new additives, slight design changes, or new materials,” continued Ms Griziene.

PACKAGING WITH A COMMUNITY CONSCIENCE

Working for a plastic packaging manufacturer isn't always something people want to shout about at parties, especially if they are a passionate advocate of environmental projects in their local community. But for Danielle Cycak, Supply Chain Manager at RETAL, being on the inside is the perfect way to make a real difference.

We cannot get away from the fact that plastic packaging is not having a golden time at the moment. It's an easy bogeyman across the media, from wildlife programmes to EU legislation, so it can be hard to be a plastic packaging champion without looking like you're disconnected from the zeitgeist. And of course, we all want to be responsible citizens and leave the world a better place than how we found it, so it's not like packaging professionals want to waste loads of valuable raw materials and just dispose of them in the nearest river.

Yet with plastic packaging being so easy to criticise, it also means that the reality of plastic as a packaging material is also incredibly transparent; both literally (consumer studies show a slow uptake for 'non glass like' packaging with higher recycled content, even though it's more sustainable) and metaphorically (being under the spotlight means there's nowhere to hide).

For Danielle Cycak, Supply Chain Manager for global plastic packaging manufacturer RETAL at its Donora, Pennsylvania plant, her dedication to actively supporting and participating in community-based environmental activities predates her employment with this leading company. Integrating her strong sense of responsibility towards environmental projects and her career development was a crucial aspect in her taking the job in the first place. Cycak tells Sustainable Plastics, “I've been a part of a number of community projects for years; we're so lucky to have an abundance of natural resources to explore from waterways to state parks as well as Pennsylvania being rooted in agriculture.”

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Retal awarded twice

DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF MULTILAYER FILM WITH VIRUCIDAL (AGAINST SARS-COV-2) PROPERTIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF FACE SHIELD PROTOTYPE CARRYING OUT R&D ACTIVITIES

Lithuania native finds opportunity in Donora

RETAL supports STEM student initiative in Pittsburgh

PET preform that helps to extend shelf life

RETAL supports STEM student initiative in Pittsburgh

Retal molding plant gives struggling PA town another chance to shine

Donate and develop

INCREASED OPTIMISATION WITH LABORATORY AND WAREHOUSE INVESTMENT AT RETAL BALTIC FILMS

PACKAGING WITH A COMMUNITY CONSCIENCE