The 2020 Sustainability Report from RETAL has been published this week, highlighting the ongoing CSR progress across this leading global plastic packaging business.
Sustainability director Emmanuel Duffaut, implementing CSR at RETAL following the ISO 26000 standard since 2018, explains, “I am very proud to share that the RETAL 2020 Sustainability Report is now available to download on our website. It details our progress in mitigating our environmental and social impacts and highlights how CSR continues to be further embedded across RETAL for sustainable development and I am confident that the report will meet our stakeholders’ expectations.”
Duffaut continues, “There are certainly very positive results to share; for example, in 2020, for the second consecutive year, we decreased our operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30%, thanks to increasing our purchase of renewable energy (RE) reaching a 41% share globally (80% in our EU and US plants). We also maintained our B rating in CDP, and we’ve set a series of new climate change goals: RETAL has committed to set science-based reduction targets for GHG emissions, to use 100% RE in EU & US by 2023, to start using RE in the rest of our operations by 2025, and to reach an A score at CDP by 2025.”
Another important development is the first results of RETAL Sustainable Procurement Program (SPP) through which the company intends to promote CSR across its supply chain and integrate it in purchase decisions, as well as social actions bringing further advancements in the Human Rights and Health and Safety categories.
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The continual integration of CSR practices at global plastic packaging manufacturer Retal sees it constantly improving its management and mitigation of climate change, with the calculation of its corporate carbon footprint (CCF) for the third year in a row.
Sustainability director Emmanuel Duffaut established a network across Retal’s plants to gather the information to calculate its CCF according to the ISO 14064 standard, which is then verified by 3rd party. The company’s CCF results and climate change management practices are evaluated through the public Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Climate Change Survey, in which Retal has obtained an industry-leading B score 2 years in a row.
Duffaut explains, “The CCF and CDP evaluations are crucial for us to clearly see the impact of our mitigation efforts, identify our shortcomings and opportunities for improvement, and to build trust with our stakeholders through transparent and credible disclosure.”
Global and local food and beverage customers can quickly and easily get the CSR information they need from their Retal contact, as well as accessing its annual Sustainability Report.
Duffaut continues, “There are certainly very positive results to share; for example, in 2020 thanks to increasing our purchase of renewable energy (RE), we reduced our operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30%, saving over 30.000t of GHG. We also purchase 41% renewable electricity globally – 80% in our EU and US plants – almost reaching our objective of 85% set for 2022 already. We also maintained our B rating in CDP which is another achievement showing good climate change management. Building on these good results, we’ve set a series of new goals: Retal has committed to set science-based reduction targets for GHG emissions, to use 100% RE in EU & US by 2023, to start using RE in the rest of our operations by 2025, and to reach an A score at CDP by 2025.”
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The continual integration of CSR practices at global plastic packaging manufacturer RETAL sees it constantly improving its management and mitigation of climate change, with the calculation of its corporate carbon footprint (CCF) for the third year in a row.
Sustainability director Emmanuel Duffaut established a network across RETAL’s plants to gather the information to calculate its CCF according to the ISO 14064 standard, which is then verified by 3rd party. RETAL’s CCF results and climate change management practices are evaluated through the public Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Climate Change Survey, in which RETAL has obtained an industry-leading B score 2 years in a row.
Duffaut explains, “The CCF and CDP evaluations are crucial for us to clearly see the impact of our mitigation efforts, identify our shortcomings and opportunities for improvement, and to build trust with our stakeholders through transparent and credible disclosure.”
Global and local food and beverage customers can quickly and easily get the CSR information they need from their RETAL contact, as well as accessing its annual Sustainability Report.
Duffaut continues, “There are certainly very positive results to share; for example, in 2020 thanks to increasing our purchase of renewable energy (RE), we reduced our operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30%, saving over 30.000 tons of GHG. We also purchase 41% renewable electricity globally – 80% in our EU and US plants – almost reaching our objective of 85% set for 2022 already. We also maintained our B rating in CDP which is another achievement showing good climate change management. Building on these good results, we’ve set a series of new goals: RETAL has committed to set science-based reduction targets for GHG emissions, to use 100% RE in EU & US by 2023, to start using RE in the rest of our operations by 2025, and to reach an A score at CDP by 2025.”
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While mergers and acquisitions can have the reputation of asset stripping for short-term gain for a small number of shareholders, Plastec and RETAL have realised that the most beneficial way for generating profit is to maintain the same business model while acquiring expertise and valuing people as well as property and products.
Acquired in 2016 by the well-known packaging manufacturer RETAL, Plastec is an Italian company based in Ascoli Piceno that produces PET preforms and bottles for the food, cosmetics, detergent and pharmaceutical industries. Established in 2006 by Giampaolo Gatti and Vincenzo Pizi, the company has developed over the years while maintaining a friendly, family-like environment.
"There are so many of us here that have grown up together. Many children of friends and colleagues of my dad and Vincenzo have worked here and still work here,” explains Noemi Gatti, Giampaolo’s daughter and the finance controller at Plastec. “There’s a true sense of family because we all rely on each other and have seen the business grow from nothing.”
“We can fix equipment but we can’t fix people,” adds Gatti, stressing the importance of investing in human resources. “People being happy, motivated and rewarded at work is the most important thing. Loyalty goes two ways.”
RETAL appreciated this philosophy and, when finalising the acquisition, the board of directors agreed that Plastec must continue to run as it always had, but with the additional reach and support of a global group. This also brings numerous benefits in terms of business. RETAL already owned a facility in Italy and was keen to expand its local capability to better serve its multinational brand owner customers in the food and beverage industries.
Under the leadership of Renzo Imperia, then general manager at RETAL Italia, Plastec continued to flourish with the day-to-day management of Giampaolo and Vincenzo until 2021, when Renzo’s move towards retirement saw Giampaolo being named as general manager of RETAL Plastec.
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RETAL Baltic and RETAL Lithuania have both been awarded two wings from the Equal Opportunity Wings initiative, which operates in partnership with the Human Rights Monitoring Institute.
Equal Opportunity Wings – up to a maximum of three – are awarded as an acknowledgment of an organisation’s achievements in ‘mainstreaming equal opportunities in the workplace and creating a diverse and inclusive culture’.
Ruta Ziliene, HR Director for RETAL Europe & US, explains, “RETAL Baltic was approved for two wings out of three. We are pleased to have gained two wings at our first assessment and look forward to gaining our third wing as we continue to improve: our next step is to make a deeper analysis of the situation of equal opportunities in the company, and after to prepare and implement an Equality Plan. And we have no doubt that we are on the right path.”
Simona Zuriene, HR manager at RETAL Lithuania, says, “These two wings show that we are really starting to fly when it comes to the working conditions of our employees. We have more to do and we are working hard to make it happen, for the good of our people and our business.”
Sustainability Director Emmanuel Duffaut is highly supportive of this initiative. He adds, “I am very glad to see the combined efforts of RETAL Baltic HR and RETAL Group CSR being recognised in this official capacity. I am confident that the RBA equality plan, together with the upcoming anonymous whistleblowing channel, our Anti-discrimination policy, and awareness activities will get us the missing wing next year.”
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RETAL Baltic and RETAL Lithuania have both been awarded two wings from the Equal Opportunity Wings initiative, which operates in partnership with the Human Rights Monitoring Institute.
Equal Opportunity Wings - up to a maximum of three – are awarded as acknowledgment of an organisation’s achievements in ‘mainstreaming equal opportunities in the workplace and creating a diverse and inclusive culture’.
Ruta Ziliene, HR Director for Europe/US, explains, “RETAL Baltic was approved for two wings out of three. We are pleased to have gained two wings at our first assessment and look forward to gaining our third wing as we continue to improve: our next step is to make a deeper analysis of the situation of equal opportunities in the company, and after to prepare and implement an Equality Plan. And we have no doubt that we are on the right path.”
Simona Zuriene, HR manager at RETAL Lithuania, says, “These two wings show that we are really starting to fly when it comes to the working conditions of our employees. We have more to do and we are working hard to make it happen, for the good of our people and our business.”
Sustainability Director Emmanuel Duffaut is highly supportive of this initiative. He adds, “I am very glad to see the combined efforts of RETAL Baltic HR and RETAL group CSR being recognised in this official capacity. I am confident that the RBA equality plan, together with the upcoming anonymous whistle blowing channel, our Anti-discrimination policy, and awareness activities will get us the missing wing next year.”
The value of PET is clear thanks to Austrian social enterprise HELIOZ, which is committed to bringing safe drinking water to rural communities.
HELIOZ works with global plastic packaging producers to ensure PET water bottles are available in the communities in which the project is active, including parts of India and Uganda, so uncontaminated drinking water can be accessed by the people that need it.
Alina Eglhofer, HELIOZ marketing & communications, explains, “HELIOZ works with plastic packaging partners like RETAL; the PET bottles are a vital part of our toolkit, alongside WADI, our solar powered UV device that measures the solar disinfection of the contaminated water. PET bottles are used repeatedly over a six-month period to provide clean drinking water to communities that do not have easy access to what we take for granted, and then the bottles are recycled by our local partners; nothing is thrown away, everything has value.”
RETAL is delighted to support HELIOZ in its mission, with the ongoing lessons learned such as appreciating that so-called 'single use plastics' are anything but, and that local collection of used plastics bring opportunities for businesses as well as the environment. Emmanuel Duffaut, RETAL Sustainability Director, adds, “We are all inspired by the HELIOZ team and their dedication to empowering the local communities in which they work, as well as the acceptance that the local people instinctively see value instead of waste. RETAL is delighted to be partner to HELIOZ as we are keen to be involved with community projects that appreciate natural resources and cleverly utilize the value of PET, as well as raising awareness of PET recycling and collection.”
RETAL Baltic Films has recently invested in further Form-Fill-Seal testing equipment at its Lithuanian plant in order to deliver a complete analysis of the bottom and top packaging elements for its food and beverage customers.
Viktorija Griziene, general manager at RETAL Baltic Films, says, “We have integrated complete FFS capability to complement our long-standing expertise in films. We can advise our customers in selecting the right materials to get the optimum result.”
Food and beverage brands often face the challenge of a reliable seal where the bottom tray and the top lidding film meet, particularly if they change materials, so RETAL Baltic Films is keen to highlight how it can efficiently test how the two materials interact at its own dedicated testing facility. Griziene adds, “We’re constantly checking how it all works during the initial phase so the process is smooth on the customers’ production line, without the need for downtime.”
Valuable time is saved as well as valuable resources, with the on-site FFS testing capability from RETAL Baltic Films able to integrate sustainability-focused downgauging without compromising on the properties’ performance.
RETAL design engineer Andzejus Buinovskis presented at the AMI Plastic Closures Innovations Virtual Summit on 2nd - 3rd June, with his informative presentation provoking interesting questions in the Q&A session.
Andzejus created a video presentation highlighting his insight on the RETAL tethered closures journey and the circular economy. “I shared how RETAL has developed a series of tethered closures in accordance with the list of requirements from the leading brand owners. I was determined to add more personal insight too as everyone presenting was working to the same set of criteria.”
This smart approach lead Andzejus to highlight how collecting and recycling play a key role in the circular economy, as well as showing how reusing molds is a big contributor to sustainable development. He adds, “I was also pleased to include details of how Lithuania has integrated deposit schemes and that 80% of bottles come with the closures attached – even though they’re not tethered!”
The 'immersive virtual event' was attended by leading brand representatives, equipment manufacturers and packaging producers, with the presentations and following discussions showing how the focus on tethered closures, lightweighting and the circular economy are still at the forefront of packaging and beverage industry drivers.
With the UK plastic packaging market annually contributing around £11bn [1] to the national economy and employing over 85,000 people, it is clearly an important
industry, representing around 3% of GDP. Global plastic packaging producer RETAL has recently made the strategic decision to expand its salesforce in the UK and Eire, bringing in experienced negotiator Steve Harvey to help navigate its journey. Emma-Jane Batey reports.
An interesting collision of macro-trends sees increased globalisation and a focus on sustainability at the same time as a renewed appreciation for personal recommendations and honest communication. While it is possible to work with manufacturers on price or volume, or with smaller producers that deliver the personal touch, global brands and smaller brands that think big want it all. For brands that value all these at the same time, it can be hard to find a plastic packaging partner that ticks all the boxes.
RETAL serves customers in over 60 countries thanks to 19 production facilities worldwide and it has recently made the decision to expand its sales network to include the UK and Eire. Logistically-close production means that standard and custom preforms and closures can be delivered in volume in a matter of days, with just in time service and a dedicated single point of contact. RETAL Lithuania Sales Director Rimvydas Bazinys shares how the company plans to utilise its close contacts and ability to deliver agile solutions to food and beverage brands in the UK. “For many years we focused on each specific geographical area or a special performance such as multilayer properties, but as we have been increasingly working with global players and successfully delivering their orders to locations where we do not have production facilities, we realised that it is our portfolio, our people, and our production capabilities that matter the most.”
Rimvydas notes that ‘we can quickly deliver from RETAL plants to the UK; from Lithuania we can deliver to the UK in just four or five days’, so clearly the physical location of the production site is not the most crucial element of a mutually-beneficial situation. He continues, “Closures in particular are especially small, light and easy to transport, and we work with a large number of global food and beverage brands to create closures for products including juice, carbonated drinks, mineral water and milk. Our proven experience of working closely with global brands across local, national and international markets means we know how to respond to demand for increased standardisation within a specific market.”
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