Constantia Flexibles was selected this year to participate with 49 other global companies in an international sustainability and climate initiative of the TBD media group. The initiative includes the production of videos and presentation of companies that are pioneers in the field of sustainability. The short films are hosted by Bloomberg's digital network. More sustainability along the entire production supply chain has always been a priority for Constantia Flexibles. The presentation of the more sustainable EcoLam product line in 2019, the opening of Ecoflex, the world's first plant producing exclusively recyclable flexible packaging, and the ambitious goal of almost halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 are just a few examples of the company's leadership in sustainability.
Climate change and sustainability have become increasingly important worldwide and across all industries. The importance of taking appropriate measures was recently underlined by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres: "The condition of our natural environment is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Sea levels are rising; ocean acidification is accelerating; the last four years have been the warmest since records began; one million plant and animal species are threatened with extinction and land degradation continues unabated.
Constantia Flexibles, the world's third largest manufacturer of flexible packaging solutions, takes these worrying developments very seriously. Alexander Baumgartner, CEO of Constantia Flexibles: "We as people, and even more so as a company, have a duty to fulfill, which is to leave the planet for future generations at least in the same condition as we found it. Our participation in the '50 Sustainability and Climate Leaders' initiative is a further measure to fulfill this duty. In the video, we show how companies around the world can also make their contribution.
Being part of the 50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders is an integral part of Constantia Flexibles' long-term sustainability strategy. Through the reach of Bloomberg's digital network and the campaign's close ties to the United Nations, the company wants to show what is possible. As a highlight, an exclusive conference is planned in September in New York together with the UN, where campaign participants will discuss their efforts to achieve a more sustainable future. And - the list of Constantia Flexibles' activities for a better future is very extensive.
Science-based, ambitious goals
Since 2005, Constantia Flexibles has measured its direct and indirect emissions (Scope 1 and Scope 2) as well as indirect emissions (Scope 3) resulting from upstream and downstream processes in the value chain. Constantia Flexibles' goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 24% by 2030 and 49% by 2050 compared to the base year 2015.
The measures to achieve this goal include increasing the share of renewable energies used for power supply, energy optimization and the reduction of indirect emissions from the value chain, e.g. from purchased raw materials. Emissions have already been reduced by 10 % by 2018.
The goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions was officially confirmed by the "Science Based Targets" initiative. The targets adopted by companies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions are considered "science-based" if they are consistent with the degree of decarbonisation required to keep the global temperature increase below two degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial temperatures.
"Setting this ambitious target in line with climate science demonstrates our commitment to contribute to international efforts to limit the global temperature increase and to take action to combat climate change," said Baumgartner.
Recyclable packaging
As a signatory to the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, Constantia Flexibles has assured that all its packaging will be recyclable by 2025. The company already has 60% recyclable packaging.
The innovative EcoLam packaging product line from Constantia Flexibles achieves full recyclability. EcoLam is lightweight and its OPE/PE structure is fully recyclable as it is a mono-material. Of course, the solution still offers the usual oxygen and moisture barrier to protect goods. The sustainable solution is manufactured at the Constantia Ecoflex Ahmedabad plant in Gujarat, India. It is the first plant in the world to produce exclusively both recyclable and flexible packaging.
Constantia Flexibles is also a founding member of CEFLEX (A Circular Economy for Flexible Packaging), a joint project launched by a consortium of European companies. The vision behind it: A collection, sorting and processing economy for flexible post-consumer packaging established throughout Europe.
Certified sustainability
In 2018, Constantia Flexibles' largest plant, Constantia Teich in Austria, became the first European company to be certified according to the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) performance standard for environmental, social and governance performance. In 2019, Constantia Teich successfully completed the audit in accordance with the ASI Chain of Custody standard. This standard supplements the ASI Performance Standard and defines the requirements for the creation of a chain of custody (CoC) for materials, including ASI aluminum. This means that the plant meets the industry's highest sustainability standards, which include government, environmental and social elements.
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