The macro-trend of operational excellence has unlimited interpretations when it comes to its micro-integration. To be able to purposefully and accurately define and manage a project that has clear goals is the function of project management, with operational excellence usually at its heart.
So how does that manifest itself in a global manufacturing company that is dedicated to high volumes and high quality – in a sector where regulations are changing? Emma-Jane Batey reports.
Operational excellence is defined as creating value for customers and shareholders thanks to the execution of its operations in the most efficient, effective manner. The idea being that two comparable businesses can have a clear winner depending on who works in the most excellent manner. At a time when globalisation means we can buy almost anything from almost anywhere, that excellence is what makes the difference – and wins the customer.
But what does operational excellence mean on a day-to-day basis? Is it just something that people say because they’ve heard someone else say it in a meeting, or do they actually know how to turn that zoomed-out concept into the hundreds of tiny actions it requires from an engaged team that know what they’re doing?
It’s said that the best time to start a pension is when you started working, and the second-best time is today. The circular economy is rather similar, in that ideal time to start would have been ages ago, and the next best time is now. Thankfully, we can look at how Sweden has done it. Rather than thinking ‘oh, it’s too late for the rest of us now’, we can just jump in and do the right thing from now on.
Let’s imagine that Sweden is our circular economy mentor. Let’s learn from how Sweden manages to recycle over 2 billion bottles and cans every year. Let’s copy how Sweden has integrated its deposit scheme in events arenas, shopping centres and grocery stores. Over 85% of all consumer packaging of cans and PET-bottles for beverages in Sweden is recycled, let’s do that too. There’s even a verb in Swedish - panta - that specifically means recycling packaging in collection points. We may or may not need a new verb.
A 36-year head start
A key element in the successful infrastructure that supports recycling in Sweden is Returpack, which was founded in 1984. Responsible for the Swedish deposit systems for metal cans and recyclable PET bottles for ready to drink beverages, Returpack is a privately owned company, owned by 50 percent by the Swedish Brewery Association (Sveriges Bryggerier), and by 25 percent each by the Swedish Food Retailers’ Federation (Livsmedelshandlarna) and the Grocery Store Association (Svensk Dagligvaruhandel).
An active supporter of Returpack is Spendrups Bryggeri AB, the biggest and most prominent Swedish family-owned and independent brewery, itself established in 1897 and today managed by the fourth generation of the founding family. Producing around 4 million hectoliters of beverages each year, Spendrups has contributed to building up globally recognised beer brands such as Heineken on the Swedish market, and its own sparkling water brand, Loka.
As a company that values both its heritage and its legacy, Spendrups is perfectly positioned to give an insight into how plastic packaging can be sustainable, with the advantages of being part of Sweden’s progressive infrastructure sits comfortably alongside its own dedication to long term responsibility.
Anna Lidström, Head of Sustainability at Spendrups, explains how the company’s philosophy and actions are in tune with how the Swedish beverage industry has had a circular approach to packaging for over 100 years. Lidstrom says, “The family spirit is strong at Spendrups; the long-term vision is that the company is supposed to be handed to the next generation, and so to do that properly, we must work in a way that is sustainable as well as profitable. We work in a circular manner through increasing use of recycled material in our packaging, striving to make our packaging 100% recyclable and utilising reusable packaging wherever possible.”
Read full article online at Sustainable Plastics
Retal’s US plant, Retal PA in Donora, PA, reports increased productivity across their operation. CEO and president Darius Janulionus, who took over the running of the fast-growing plant from his role as production director for Retal Lithuania, says, “Of course we all know that 2020 was full of challenges, and 2021 is still not plain sailing, but thanks to the strength and hard work of our team, we can happily say that we have achieved better than hoped for results. We have seen increased productivity across our operation, which is largely due to the team working together, utilising opportunities to share our expertise and listening closely to our customers’ changing needs. Staying agile has been crucial.”
The sales team is led by chemical engineer Bob Phillips, a well-known face in the US plastic packaging industry, alongside sales coordinator Brittany Brooks and latest recruit Vlad Nyemstov. Biochemist Brittany worked in the RPA quality laboratory prior to joining the sales team and brings knowledge about preform production. The latest addition to the RPA sales team is Vlad Nyemstov, an Ukraine native who has lived in the US for five years. The Programming Engineer joined Retal in the middle of February.
Read online at PetPlanet
The packaging industry offers a microcosm of the corporate world when it comes to career opportunities. The broad range of careers available in plastics packaging manufacturing allows for extensive professional development, in a sector that is proudly embracing the vocal demands of the brands and consumers that are its active stakeholders. Not to mention the fact that the manufacturers themselves are keen to be sustainable from both a business and an environmental perspective.
This joint focus of responsibility allows for interesting careers across the various functions of a plastics packaging converter, as Anthony Langel, finance manager for Retal PA – the Pennsylvania, US facility of global plastics packaging producer Retal – knows only too well. Langel joined the company in 2019, having spent the majority of his early career in financial consulting to the IT industry. With a finance degree and an MBA that focused on the industrial sector, Anthony has more than a decade of experience in professional environments.
But what made him move into the packaging industry? “My initial finance career developed through consulting for small businesses that did not have their own financial department, which gave me a great insight into all aspects of finance for commercial operations as well as a real ‘in at the deep end’ experience! I valued the chance to learn quickly and to speak directly with the people at the head of the businesses I was consulting for, as this meant I saw the workings of a range of types of company, from real estate to construction, to industrial.”
This close contact with decision makers has given Langel the chance to see how businesses can be more profitable, and how to action that in practical ways. He explains: “I have an affinity for cost accounting; revenue vs net costs, gross margin issues…lots of businesses can look at the money they’re bringing in without looking at the value. For example, with one client I realised that they were paying a per diem on payroll for armed security guards, yet this brought with it additional costs of insurance and added risk, and yet the need for armed security was not necessary. I like to find real world examples of how money is being spent and analyse if that is the most effective way; where figures cross over with value.”
Langel initially contacted Retal after seeing a job advert for a finance manager that he only had seven of the requisite 10 years’ experience for. Although not initially called for interview, the HR manager saw his clear career progression and set up an interview for a position when the previous finance manager left.
“I feel like we both benefited as I was able to show how keen I was to be part of a global business and the HR manager could see that I was positive and ready to learn more about the specifics of their business,” adds Langel.
Read online at Plastics in Packaging
While plastic bottles get the all the media attention and infrastructure investment, plastic films are quietly sitting there, being useful and, sometimes, recycled.
With only 9 % of all plastic films currently being recycled, the less visible cousin of the plastic bottle has a valuable role to play in the circular economy, particulary with regards to consumer understanding of standard recycling collections.
With nearly 5 million tonnes of packaging films produced worldwide every year and only just over 9 % being recycled, it's no wonder that alternatives such as compostable and biodegradable films are widely touted as the best thing since the bag that prevously wrapped sliced bread. But the convenient consumer disconnect of buying 'more responsible' packaging vs what happens to it after they put it with the rest of their recycling means that vast problems are stored up for recycling collection schemes a little further down the chain.
Read online at Susntainable packaging News (p.60-61)
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.
Read online at Dairy Industries
Focus on RETAL and how the global plastic packaging manufacturer is exceeding the requirements of its brand-owner customers.
Emma-Jane Batey speaks to design engineer Andzejus Buinosvskis and marketing manager Mariya Ushakova from RETAL to learn how this global plastic packaging manufacturer is exceeding its brand-owner customers’ requirements.
The impact of the EU single-use plastic (SUP) directive on tethered closures sees a ruling that all beverage containers of up to 3L must have lids that ‘remain attached’ is not only set to be positive from an environmental perspective, but also in terms of plastic packaging innovation.
Given the crucial yet often underplayed role of closures in performance and, to a lesser extent, brand awareness, this SUP directive brings lids and caps into the spotlight. And now that closures have been given their chance to shine, they seem to be rather enjoying it.
For global caps and closures manufacturers, their work has long been in the shadows, yet for those involved in the creatively technical aspects of the design of closures – with a deep understanding of how the closure literally allows the product itself to be protected – this is not news.
Read online at NS Packaging
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.
Read more in PetPlanet online.
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 expected end of project implementation is 31 December 2021.
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".
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.”
Read online on MonValley Independent