Aluflexpack manufactures premium circular flexible packaging and barrier solutions for leading global brands, as well as smaller and family-owned businesses, for over 40 years. Hannah Barnett spoke to CEO Johannes Steurer, Head of Innovation, Business Development & Sustainability Eike Schopper, Sustainability Manager Florian Sattlberger and Innovation & Sustainability Specialist Mande Miošić Pavičić to learn more.
Known for primarily converting aluminium into high-quality final products, Aluflexpack also specialises in converting paper and plastic film.
“Sustainability has been at the core of Aluflexpack since its inception,” stated Johannes Steurer, CEO. “The main purpose of our flexible packaging is to protect the product and, therefore, the consumer. But at the same time, when we develop products, we put a lot of focus on how to reduce Product Carbon Footprints (PCF) and increase recyclability . As part of our integrated success-maker a pproach, we help our customers to meet their sustainability targets and navigate through the complexity of the topic.”
Having grown organically by over 10% each year since 2016, Aluflexpack is one of Europe’s market leaders in primary
flexible packaging, with a turnover of €380 million and 1,600 employees. The company operates 11 integrated production sites across the Continent, as well as recent expansion into North Africa and the US. Aluflexpack serves over 700 customers around the globe, in seven end markets ranging from food to pharmaceuticals.
In 2023, the company committed to the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
Net-Zero Standard – in line with the 1.5 °C climate goal of the Paris Agreement –and will submit its greenhouse gas reduction targets by the beginning of 2025, at the latest.
The continued strategic climate-related commitments are aimed at further increasing the share of renewable energy in the energy mix (33.2% in 2023) in the years to come,
switching to 100% purchased green electricity (90.3% in 2023) and reducing the emissions of Aluflexpack’s production (scope 1+2) by 42% by 2030.
I n As one part of that commitment and strategy, Aluflexpack has developed a revolutionary innovation in the field of packaging – the 4 ∞ Form. This is a pharmaceutical blister pack that is made entirely of lacquered aluminium, which means that it is perfect for recycling and has impressive protective properties. The 4 ∞ Form is compliant with existing and future pharmaceutical and packaging regulations and legislation, such as the PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation). Additionally, using low-carbon aluminium or recycled content aluminium reduces the Product Carbon Footprint.
“This innovation is driven by new regulations and our commitment to sustainability,” continued Mr Steurer. “Utilising our extensive supplier network, collaboration efforts and the expertise of our R&D department, we have developed a solution that can significantly impact the pharmaceutical packaging market towards greater sustainability.”
The reusability of aluminium
A key advantage of working with aluminium is that it is infinitely recyclable – 75% of all the aluminium ever sourced is still in use. It is also lightweight, formable and even at thin gauges provides a premium barrier.
“Our primary focus is to deliver a superior barrier that extends product shelf life, significantly reducing food waste,” explained Eike Schopper, Head of Innovation, Business Development & Sustainability.
The company recently invested €70 million to modernise its production plant in Drniš, Croatia, with expanded continuous annealing and chemical pre-treatment capacities.
“This is a perfect example of vertical value chain integration,” said Mr Schopper. “Now we can treat aluminium alloys with recycled content and then use post-consumer and post-industrial recycled aluminium material in our alloys, thereby enhancing the circular economy and reducing CO2 emissions of our products up to 85 percent.”
Aluflexpack product innovation
“Aluflexpack is focused on the development of recyclable materials and products,” explained Innovation & Sustainability
Specialist Mande Miošić Pavičić. “We work in close collaboration with both customers and suppliers to develop innovative, sustainable products. The company manufactures mono-material laminates, pouches, containers and lids to support the circular economy in line with the upcoming PPWR.”
Furthermore, the company is continuously working on methods to decrease the thickness of aluminium. This approach reduces material usage and emissions while maintaining aluminium's excellent barrier properties.
“We are the biggest part of Scope 3 emissions for our customers, the same applies to us and our suppliers,”
Mr Schopper said. “Therefore, integrated development along the supply chain is essential. We currently have three innovative sustainable projects in incubation, whose development was accelerated by a three-day boot camp in Vienna together with some of our suppliers.”
Sustainability Governance
To tackle the holistic topic of sustainability, Aluflexpack has adopted a broad and comprehensive four-pillar strategy (see Infobox). Aluflexpack focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing recyclable and reusable packaging, and ensuring safe and fair working conditions while promoting diversity and environmental stewardship.
“The fourth pillar, which we call Transparent Foundation, is about reporting on all our activities and initiatives,” added Florian Sattlberger, Sustainability Manager. “We publish an annual Sustainability Report and participate in different initiatives
and certifications, like the SBTi and ASI (Aluminium Stewardship Initiative).
“For Aluflexpack Novi, we recently received EcoVadis Gold medal. At the moment, EcoVadis assessment on a group level is ongoing. We are reporting to the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative and are preparing for Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) reporting within the next year, to fully comply with upcoming EU and Swiss regulation.”
To ensure the strategy is enacted as effectively as possible, the company has established a Sustainability and Innovation Department, reporting dire ctly to Mr Steurer.
This year, the Department has introduced onsite workshops – so-called Sustainability Days – to train experts on upcoming regulatory requirements, validating energy and emissions data and creating a climate roadmap for each production site.
Aluflexpack’s Sustainability Strategy – the four pillars:
Climate Care – Focuses on reducing Scopes 1, 2 & 3 (transitioning to renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, solvent recovery etc.)
“Sustainability as a holistic topic must not be an isolated part within the organisation,” explained Mr Schopper. “We did this by implementing the Sustainability Committee, including our CEO and CFO as well as the heads of critical departments like HR, HSE, R&D, Purchasing, Quality and Product management. The committee meets regularly to set strategic milestones for each quarter.”
Drive Circularity – Emphasizes advancing the circular economy by ensuring products are reusable or recyclable. (over 85% of the company’s portfolio has recyclable solutions).
Act Responsibly – Aims at promoting health, safety and environmental stewardship and become a Great Place to work for employees.
Transparent Foundation - Committed to maintaining transparency through regular reporting and adherence to ethical standards.
Experience and partnership
Long-term business relationships are key at Aluflexpack – some stretch back 20 years or more. Unsurprisingly, sustainability is now a cornerstone of these partnerships too.
“Delivering high-quality ESG data to our customers is a top priority,” said Mr Sattlberger. “This enables them to meet their sustainability targets.”
“Customers have different priorities and different needs,” Mr Steurer added. “And the key to our success is a modular and integrated approach, where we adapt to the needs of customers over time. We can only do that by maintaining robust relationships with our long-term suppliers, as well as all other stakeholders along the supply chain.”
