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Spotlight: Customer Collaboration is Key to Bringing Circular Solutions to Market Faster

  • Berry Global
Active, Smart Packaging, Sustainable Packaging

In 2019, we launched our Impact 2025 strategy, pledging to increase our global company’s positive environmental impact through products, performance, and partners by the year 2025. That same year, Berry helped launch the Alliance to End Plastic Waste as a founding member and joined Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy working group as a Global Commitment signatory.

In 2023, we sent a letter to each of our impacted customers announcing the next stage of the roadmap to achieve our Impact 2025 sustainability goals, which entailed eliminating non-recyclable products from our portfolio that contain dark colored polyethylene terephthalate (PET), carbon black, and mixed materials. This was a bold move demonstrating our role as a sustainability leader and underscoring our environmental commitment to working with our customers to advance a circular economy.

Sustainability has increasingly become embedded into the way we operate our company and do business with our customers and other partners. Around 86% of our product portfolio is currently reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and circular plastics now make up nearly 10% of total resin consumed. In addition to communicating regularly about how we are delivering on our commitments, Berry hosts internal sustainability webinars and external, full-day masterclasses with various customers throughout Europe focused on circular design and product innovation.

For instance, we recently held a series of “Sustainability in Beauty Days” with key customers across several of our European beauty factories aimed at helping us all “speak the same language” when it comes to sustainability. Through an open-forum approach, a team of design and material science experts across the industry listened to our customers’ most pressing beauty packaging challenges. Together, we navigated the complexities involved in designing for circularity without compromising on aesthetics or performance.

Thierry Bernet, Berry Global’s Vice President of Circular Economy and Innovation for the Consumer Packaging International Division has been instrumental in driving significant progress toward our Impact 2025 goals. He is passionate about bringing solutions toward a circular economy to market faster and believes innovation in packaging design is key to driving progress. Thierry will soon be retiring and we are grateful for all he has done to challenge and support our internal innovation teams and collaborate closely with customers to help them meet and exceed their sustainability goals, navigate the changing regulatory environment, and so much more.

Personal Passions Driving Positive Change

“I want More Reducing because Berry owes it to people and the planet. As a sustainability leader in a global market, it's our responsibility to minimize the greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts of our products. I’m proud of our innovation teams for leading this exciting journey by steadily and methodically working with our customers and partners to implement the rules of the circular economy!”
— Thierry Bernet, Vice President, Circular Economy and Innovation, Consumer Packaging International Division, Berry Global

“I want More Recycling because we need to change the world of plastic by closing the loop and stopping the waste. Recycled plastics are key to advancing a circular economy. It’s a win-win that keeps materials in use and decreases carbon emissions.”
— Mégane SATIS, Circular Economy Manager, Consumer Packaging International Division, Berry Global

“I want More Recycling to advance the circular economy and help our customers drive toward their sustainability goals. Berry’s ability to drive impactful change through circularity leadership continues to inspire me and sets us apart from others – from offering a value proposition for fully recyclable products to investing in infrastructure for the recovery and recycling of valuable waste materials.”
— Jonathan Pitt, Global Product Management Leader, Consumer Packaging International Division

“I want More Reuse systems, so less waste is created and ending up in the environment. Forward thinking, uniform and effective legislation, such as the European Union's Circular Economy Action Plan, gives me hope – especially across Europe, where each country currently has its own laws. The clean waste streams created by reuse systems simplify high-quality recycling and can be an important component of the circular economy.”
— Ellen Seyda, Circular Economy Manager, Berry Global

“Just 15 years ago, sustainability was rarely part of discussions with our customers. Now, as a result of Europe’s progressive regulations, consumer attitude shifts, the warming of the planet, and more, it’s every day every minute. Thankfully, the push to make the most of our resources is not subsiding or going away. I want More Reducing because it’s not only good for people and the planet, it’s also a growth driver and opportunity for our business.”
— Eric Chavent, Executive Vice President of Global Accounts, Consumer Packaging International Division, Berry Global

Achieving More Together

  • 86% of our product portfolio is reusable, recyclable, or compostable
  • 91% of our portfolio is recyclable or has replacement validated recyclable solutions available
  • Circular plastics make up 9.7% of total resin consumed
  • Post-Consumer Recycled Resin (PCR) makes up 3.6% of total resin purchases

We are listening for the next opportunity to act. Share your personal sustainability passion here and let’s accomplish more together!

See also

Amcor and Berry to Combine in an All-Stock Transaction, Creating a Global Leader in Consumer And Healthcare Packaging Solutions

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Berry, Mondelēz and LyondellBasell Work Together to Use Recycled Plastic in Triscuit Packaging

Berry recently partnered with Mondelēz International and LyondellBasell to use 50% International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS-certified circular plastic via advanced recycling, based on a mass balance approach, into protective film liners for Triscuit Crackers packaging in the U.S. and Canada. This innovative packaging solution complements the current outer box made from 100% recycled paperboard and 35% post-consumer recycled content.

Spotlight: How Berry Leveraged an Employee Idea for Saving Energy and Brought it to Life on a Global Scale

In 2021, through an employee-led 100 Million kWh Challenge, our company committed to a strategy of investing over $30 million to foster energy reduction at our facilities. The challenge spanned 300 sites located in 39 countries across North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Berry engaged a team of over 900 engineers, technical leaders, and maintenance groups from across the globe through daily communications, webinars, and on-site energy events.

Berry’s Reusable Cups Support Unprecedented Reuse Project Led by the NextGen Consortium

To support and learn more about reusable cup programs, Berry is participating in the Petaluma Reusable Cup Project, an unprecedented collaboration to drive reuse led by the NextGen Consortium, an industry collaboration managed by Closed Loop Partners’ Center for the Circular Economy. Starbucks, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Peet's Coffee, Yum! Brands and other global and local brands and restaurants are partnering in the project.

Berry Launches Fully Recyclable, Customizable Domino Bottle

Global sustainable packaging leader Berry Global Group, Inc. has launched a customizable, rectangular Domino bottle available with up to 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic for the beauty, home, and personal care markets. The 250ml Domino bottle includes a 75-millimetre-wide front face and customizable side panels. This allows all four sides of the container to be printed, maximizing opportunities for brands to create unique packaging experience with high impact shelf presence.

Berry Global Expands Production of Magic SL to North America

To help meet the growing need for sustainable beauty and innovative personal care packaging in North America, Berry Global has expanded the production of its iconic Magic SL (Slim) Light piston-follower airless system to its factory in Libertyville, Illinois. This expansion will provide Berry’s beauty and personal care customers with access to a locally sourced dispensing solution that supports product usability, aesthetics, and convenience for moisturizers, serums, and facial skin care products.

Spotlight: Customer Collaboration is Key to Bringing Circular Solutions to Market Faster

Berry Global partnered with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company to improve the recyclability of food packaging with MXD6, a high-performance barrier solution for extruded articles, such as thermoformed items and extruded plastic tubes and bottles. The MXD6 barrier is recyclable up to 12% and received Critical Guidance recognition from the Association of Plastics Recyclers, validating its compatibility with the Polypropylene recycling stream. Using MXD6 helps eliminate the performance and compatibility limitations of Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol.

2023 Sustainability Report Shows How Berry Global is Delivering on its Impact 2025 Strategy

Global packaging leader Berry Global Group, Inc. released its 2023 Sustainability Report, providing a clear picture of the company’s progress towards its ambitious environmental sustainability, social impact, and corporate governance commitments. The report highlights how Berry is collaborating across the value chain to advance its Impact 2025 strategy, celebrating record achievements like receiving an “A” rating from MSCI, and reaching its short-term Scope 1 and 2 science-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target two years ahead of schedule.

New, Lightweight Closures for Protein Powder and Wellness Supplements Help Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Nutraceuticals

As people become more health conscious and aware of the need to take preventive healthcare measures, the market for nutraceuticals – products that combine pharmaceutical-like properties with nutritional benefits – is growing rapidly. Berry offers a wide range of plastic caps and closures – from screw, snap and flip-top caps to overcaps and tube closures – with senior friendly, child resistance, and tamper evident options.

  • Company News
  • English
  • Modified 08 Mar 2024
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