Head of RETAL Service Vladislav Medvedovskiy presented at the AMI Plastic Closures Innovations (PCI) Conference on 6 June 2023.
With a technical and engaging presentation entitled “Implementation Insights: Solving Tethered Closure Challenges”, Vladislav took his turn on the stage in front of many packaging industry leaders.
Held at the World Trade Centre in Barcelona from 4-6 June, the event is widely considered to be an important date in the plastic industry calendar, and billed as ‘bringing together leaders, innovators and experts to explore the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in plastic closures’.
Vladislav explains, “I welcomed the chance to share my technical insight on the implementation challenges of tethered closures and how RETAL Service supports our customers in quickly and effectively solving those challenges. I shared how we made over 180 visits to customers in 2023 alone, and how we’ve seen all the possible issues with implementing tethered closures! I really enjoyed the event, especially having the chance to meet with so many fellow professionals and listen to other interesting presentations.”
The RETAL team are keen participants in plastic packaging industry conferences and events, supported by the communications team. For further information contact Maria Jarrar at media@retalgroup.com
RETAL is proud to sponsor the Lituanica VLR youth robotics team, who recently brought home the ‘Growing FIRST’ award from the global FIRST Robotics competition, held in Houston, Texas, in April 2024.
Founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST Robotics is a global nonprofit organization that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18. With the pinnacle of its annual events the international competition, the FIRST Robotics program is suitable for schools or structured after-school activities and is supported by a network of volunteers and sponsors including over 200 Fortune 500 companies.
RETAL Purchase Director Arturas Scerbakovas, an active supporter of Lituanica VLR (Vilnius Lyceum Robotics), says, “FIRST Robotics is a fast-growing global robotics community that is focused on helping to prepare young people in careers in STEM. It’s great fun and very high energy; it’s a brilliant way for young people to develop their technical skills in a fast environment. My daughter is in the team; she loves engineering and plans to study it at university, so I’m happy to do whatever I can to support her.”
With the Lituanica VLR team earning the ‘Growing FIRST’ award in recognition of its impressive progress, RETAL is a proud sponsor of this inspirational team that is motivating the next generation of skilled engineers.
For further information contact Maria Jarrar at media@retalgroup.com
The Financial Times has placed RETAL as the highest ranked packaging producer on its 2024 Climate Leaders Europe list.
The independent list is a collaboration between the Financial Times and Statista, with the recognition gained thanks to RETAL’s constant effort in managing climate change impact since 2018, including its A score from CDP, Science Based Targets validated by SBTi (including its Scope 1 target already reached ahead of schedule), a 33% total renewable energy usage across the business, and a climate change risk assessment according to TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures).
Now in its fourth edition, the list focuses on businesses that have made the greatest reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with factors such as value chain transparency, collaboration with sustainability assessors used to produce an overall total for each company. https://www.ft.com/climate-leaders-europe-2024
RETAL Chief Sustainability Officer Emmanuel Duffaut says, “We are very proud to be recognized by the Financial Times and Statista and are already looking forward to making the list next year as we yet again improve our management and further mitigate our GHG emissions. I would be delighted to talk to any of our customers or potential customers about how we’ve achieved this independent recognition. We are all on this journey together, so understanding how we can continue to encourage positive actions is good for us all.”
For further information click here https://www.retalgroup.com/csr-at-retal/
Contact Maria Jarrar at media@retalgroup.com
Multinational plastic packaging producer RETAL has earned its first A- score from the globally-recognised CDP, rewarding the company’s improved management of climate change after getting a B score during 4 years in a row.
As ‘the gold standard of climate change management evaluation, CDP represents the reference for investors, to assess companies, cities, state and regions performance in this area but is also becoming the mainstream tool for private companies to evaluate their suppliers.
Emmanuel Duffaut, Chief Sustainability Officer at RETAL, is clear that an A- score from CDP illustrates how the company puts climate change management at the forefront of its CSR action. “Our A- score is a great achievement and it sends a strong message to our people, our customers and all our stakeholders regarding our commitment to sustainability and it is very positive for our business. This rating ascertains RETAL’s leadership (top 18% of companies in our sector reporting to CDP) in terms of climate change management and gives all our partners the confidence to know that our products are manufactured in a sustainable way.”
RETAL’s A- CDP score has been achieved through our continuous effort to embed climate change into our long-term strategy, management and operations, materialized recently by setting science-based targets validated by SBTi, performing a risk assessment following the TCFD guidelines and reducing our GHG emissions. Read more about RETAL’s actions in its latest Sustainability Report here.
For further information contact Maria Jarrar at media@retalgroup.com
The RETAL stand at this year’s BrauBeviale trade fair welcomed visitors from over 30 countries, with the RETAL and RETAL Baltic Films teams keen to highlight the latest innovative product developments.
Busy with meeting areas, filled with samples, and open to new and existing customers, the RETAL stand was a popular place at the event, which drew crowds of over 40,000 from across the beverage packaging industry.
The latest product from RETAL created great interest. The PET wine bottle for the famous Spumante sparkling wine attracted special attention, with samples of the bottle available to people interested in knowing more.
Samples were also available for a range of food and beverage segments, including finished products for alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, edible oils and honey. RETAL presented complete solutions of rigid and flexible packaging for beverage and food producers, as well as tethered closures for a range of neck finishes. The tethered closure samples proved especially popular, as brands were ready to stay ahead of incoming legislation.
Senior marketing manager Maria Jarrar attended the event and is pleased to report that it offered a great opportunity to meet with customers. She says, “BrauBeviale was especially dynamic this year. We were delighted to speak with so many people at our stand, and also to walk around the event to catch up with our network. Sustainability continues to be the main topic, and we’re seeing how increased experience and expertise is bringing ever more innovative solutions. Being able to share samples and conversations showed how RETAL is continuing to make this leap forward throughout our complete packaging solutions portfolio.”
Thank you to everyone that visited the RETAL stand.
The latest RETAL Sustainability Report can be downloaded here LINK
Multinational plastic packaging producer RETAL has published its latest Sustainability Report, documenting its actions for the 2022 calendar year.
Written with reference to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, the RETAL Sustainability Report shares RETAL’s ongoing dedication to reducing its environmental impact across its 12 plants and its supply chain, to continuing investing in its people and facilities, and to providing its global food and beverage brand customers and stakeholders with the relevant information to remain their trusted partner in sustainable packaging.
Chief Sustainability Officer Emmanuel Duffaut is clear that this Sustainability Report is a valuable marker in the company’s sustainability management. “This voluntary effort allows to show the hard work, dedication and focus of the company to develop and operate sustainably and responsibly made evident by the strong environmental and social results disclosed, but also to be transparent and accountable towards our stakeholders.”
Key results include -
Ecovadis increased score (63% - Silver level) and CDP B rating
Validated Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) targets.
Achieving Scope 1 science-based target seven years early
Using 100% renewable energy across three plants and 43% across all plants
Operational Health & Safety integrated into Sustainability Department
Anti-discrimination training company-wide
Anti-corruption external assessment
Investment in energy efficient equipment across plants, including all-inclusive closures production in RETAL Balkan
The latest RETAL Sustainability Report can be downloaded here
For further information contact Maria Jarrar at media@retalgroup.com or contact Emmanuel Duffaut directly on emmanuel.duffaut@retalgroup.com
Consumers in North America are increasingly appreciating sustainable packaging options, but not ahead of price and convenience, so shows a McKinsey study that aims to ‘get inside the minds of consumers’ in the US. With the understanding that the packaging value chain will have to change to stay in step with the evolving demands of consumers, it makes interesting reading for plastic packaging producers.
It is clear that the Covid pandemic has pushed a new type of convenience alongside the ‘on the go’ and individual serving convenience of pre-pandemic times. Now, we also want to be sure that what we’re buying, eating and drinking is clean, or at least can handle a swift going-over with an anti-bacterial wipe (which also needs to be packed in sealable plastic, ideally individually).
A recent study from Mordor Intelligence highlights how flexible packaging in particular is seeing a boost since Covid, with the ability to easily mold to brand designs while being lightweight and easy to fill means that it will take a chunk of the predicted 3.4% plastic packaging industry growth by 2027. This takes the value of the North American plastic packaging market to $51.2 billion.
The huge opportunities for growth in the North American packaging industry is a key reason why multinational plastic packaging producer RETAL is expanding its facilities in Donora, PA, adding a further 6 lines, taking its capabilities to approx. 2.5 billion preforms a year with 11 lines. President and CEO Darius Janulionis explains why the company has decided to invest further in the North American market. “We’ve enjoyed rapid development since we opened in Donora, PA in 2016. It’s a great place to be to connect with our global beverage brand customers and our local customers alike; the Pittsburgh region is accessible, packed with skilled workers and there’s a real history of plastics expertise here.”
Janulionis and his team are leading a campaign to highlight the ‘American Made’ plastic packaging capabilities at RETAL PA, with the focus on sharing how the company is standing on the shoulders of its plants across Europe, with extensive R&D and sustainability experience helping to offer a portfolio that’s responsible and flexible. He adds, “We’ve just launched a dedicated landing page for our US capabilities to show how we’re perfectly positioned to continue serving the US market as it grows and develops. We already work hand in hand with our customers in the US, creating and manufacturing preforms that meet their requirements, and we’re excited to connect with more potential partners as we continue to serve our existing customers.”
Proven quality
The challenge for many brands when it comes to choosing plastic packaging that is easy to fill, easy to transport and market ready is guaranteeing the quality required is achieved time and time again – even when requirements or regulations change. The RETAL PA team’s investment in the latest equipment extends to its quality laboratory as well as its production, with the lab not only stocked with top-of-the-line intrinsic viscosity measurement capabilities and state of the art gas chromatography instrumentation, but also a team of dedicated and experienced quality professionals who have trained with RETAL’s established experts in Europe.
Lead by Quality Manager Brittany Brooks, recently named as a ‘Woman Breaking the Mold’ by Plastics News in 2022, the quality department offers tours to explain how the equipment supports the complete service, with a recent household brand name customer vocal about how impressive the focus on quality is at the facility. Brooks says, “We’re a really tight team, all focused on delivering the best possible product and service. We have European technical and design skills combined with US customer service and drive. We can plug and play!”
With the demand for reliable and flexible plastic packaging for food and beverages showing no sign of slowing down, it’s important to note that sustainability is on the up – but not for sustainability’s sake. Another McKinsey study is clear that consumers are not putting environmental concerns at the top of their list, but they still want to know that these issues are catered for somehow. Janulionis adds, “Thanks to further investment, we are already thinking forward and equipping all our machines with technology that will allow us to use up to 100% recycled content (rPET). We are already producing more than 50% of our total output from 100% rPET. Sustainability is certainly another area where the knowledge and experience of our group is implemented by our local team, allowing us to produce a high percentage of rPET with the highest quality, so brands can deliver what their customers are increasingly demanding.”
While regulations for recycled content in plastic packaging in the US are still in early stages compared to parts of Europe, working with a packaging partner that has already ironed out how to meet changing regulations with multinational brand customers is a valuable way to meet customer needs, without costly downtime.
Read online at Interplas Insights
Read / download in PDF
Energy efficiency is an important topic across RETAL PA. We need to know that we have reliable energy to power our plant in order to keep production and operations running smoothly, but we also need to know where that energy is coming from and how it is being managed.
Our latest corporate Sustainability Report details how electricity usage is the most material aspect of our business, making the highest contribution to our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As a company that proudly holds a B score from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and a Silver Level from EcoVadis, we are focused on making our energy usage as responsible and sustainable as possible.
To achieve this, we have committed to the Science-Based Target initiative (SBTi) that is designed to keep global warming below 1.5°C, which means that we expect to be using 100% renewable energy at RETAL PA by the end of 2023.
RETAL PA has already achieved 82% of renewable energy usage by 2021, as detailed in our latest Sustainability Report, and we are on track to achieve our 100% goal during 2023. We buy our renewable energy from a reliable partner that guarantees the provenance of the supply and is able to maintain the service we need for continuous production. We have also implemented an energy efficiency management system at RETAL PA, as we have at all our plants.
Boost of energy
So where is all this renewable energy being used at RETAL PA? In 2022, we produced 1.247 billion preforms by converting 62.7 million pounds of PET resin, of which 11.5 million pounds were recycled PET material (rPET). We also expanded our production capacity thanks to the installation of six new, state-of-the-art injection molding lines, taking our preform production volumes up to a possible two billion each year.
All our equipment has been carefully chosen to help us continue to achieve our sustainability targets, with the energy efficiency of the machines supporting our reduction of GHG emissions too. By taking a holistic approach to powering RETAL PA, we can be sure that our operations are as efficient and sustainable as possible – all while creating best in class preforms for the US beverage industry.
Read online at Sustainable Packaging News
Read / download in PDF
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
Read / download in PDF
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)
Read / download in PDF