Crown accelerates climate change commitments with Twentyby30 launch

03 Aug 2020 --- Crown has debuted its Twentyby30 global responsibility program, establishing 20 environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals to be achieved by 2030. The objectives include the reduction of Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), targeting a 50 percent combined reduction in absolute Scope 1 (fuel) and Scope 2 (electricity) emissions, reducing water usage by 20 percent and sending zero waste to landfill. As part of the rigid packaging leader’s pledge to advance its contribution to climate action, its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets are approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as consistent with reductions required to keep global warming to 1.5°C – the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement.

The program identifies five distinct pillars of action – “Climate Action, Resource Efficiency, Optimum Circularity, Working Together and Never Compromise” – that represent topics of urgent global concern in which Crown can create notable impact.

Crown will report its progress against the Twentyby30 program goals annually through global reporting standards, including CDP and its sustainability reports. Its performance is also scored by various ESG rating providers such as Sustainalytics and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

For Dr. John Rost, Vice President, Global Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs at Crown, reducing the supplier’s overall GHG emissions by 50 percent in just a decade represents the biggest challenge, especially while the global organization continues to grow.

“To meet this goal, we will evaluate how we make our products and identify innovative ways to create packaging using far less energy,” Rost tells PackagingInsights. “First and foremost, we will eliminate inefficiencies and find novel ways to optimize our production lines. Where possible and applicable, we will also implement renewable electricity in place of fuel. In conjunction with these efforts, our world-class R&D team will uncover new methods for preserving energy and reducing emissions through a dedicated focus on design and manufacturing innovation.Crown’s SuperEnd beverage end has achieved a 10% weight reduction.

Crown commits 50% R&D budget to GHG reduction
As part of the program’s “Never Compromise” pillar, Crown has committed at least 50 percent of its R&D technology developments toward minimizing the footprint of its products and manufacturing processes.

“This goal has two distinct areas of focus: product and process. By employing Design for the Environment concepts and lifecycle thinking, we examine how various product design features and manufacturing processes affect resource use (energy, materials and water) and where they can help eliminate waste and emissions (spoilage, waste to landfill and GHG). As a result, we can lower our overall product footprint to benefit the environment and our communities. These benefits also support our customers, who continuously seek opportunities to advance their own sustainability goals,” Rost explains.

One of the core ways Crown has reduced its packaging footprint is through lightweighting – the practice of using less steel or aluminum to reduce overall weight. For example, Crown’s SuperEnd beverage end decreased beverage end weight by 10 percent, preserving materials and saving energy during distribution.

“We have continued to innovate the technology since its inception 20 years ago, including a recent global rollout of the Interchangeable SuperEnd beverage end, which is compatible with existing filling lines and requires no downtime for customers running multiple end variations,” Rost says.

Another game-changing innovation is Crown’s Peelfit technology, which “dramatically” reduces material usage in dry food cans through an innovative heat-sealed design. From a production efficiency perspective, Crown is exploring new avenues for minimizing changeover time and downtime to shrink its overall manufacturing footprint.

“Examples include methods for reducing the frequency of label changes in small-batch beverage production, as well as our real-time weld-monitoring technology that prevents spoilage and increases uptime in our food and aerosol plants,” Rost adds.Crown’s Peelfit technology “dramatically” reduces material usage in dry food cans through an innovative heat-sealed design. 

“The Twentyby30 program is a bold, comprehensive initiative that represents the next chapter of our sustainability journey. The program's ambitious goals, which touch all aspects of our business, will help us accelerate our progress over the next decade, allowing us to make the greatest impact possible while reducing our footprint,” concludes Timothy J. Donahue, President and CEO of Crown.

Under the program, Crown aims to accomplish the following by or before 2030 (using a 2019 baseline):

“Climate action”

• Reduce Scope 1 GHG emissions, targeting a 50% combined reduction in absolute Scope 1 (fuel) and Scope 2 (electricity) emissions.
• Reduce Scope 2 GHG emissions, targeting a 50% combined reduction in absolute Scope 1 (fuel) and Scope 2 (electricity) emissions.
• Reduce absolute GHG emissions from its supply chain (Scope 3) by 16%.
• Source 60% renewable electricity by 2030, 90% by 2040 and 100% by 2050.
• Reduce Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions by 10% per unit of product.

“Resource efficiency”

• Reduce water usage in its operations by 20% by 2025.
• Maintain a 100% track record of meeting local wastewater standards.
• Ensure all employees have continued access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene.
• Replenish 100% of the water consumed in its operations back to high scarcity risk watersheds.

“Optimum circularity”

• Send zero waste from its operations to landfill.
• Reduce packaging material use by making its aluminum and steel cans 10% lighter in weight.
• Support increased metal packaging recycling rates in its major markets in collaboration with industry associations and other partners.
• Maintain or improve its industry-wide average of recycled content in metal cans and transit packaging products in collaboration with suppliers, industry associations and other partners.
• Increase the recycled content of the plastic strapping it makes by 10% globally.

“Working together”

• Reduce our Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) by 20% by 2025.
• Continuously “encourage, inform and empower” every employee to be active participants in Crown's Sustainability Program, creating meaningful connections between their daily tasks, their personal lives and the impact they can make in the environment and society.
• Evolve toward a more employee-centric organization where Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) awareness is embedded in the organizational culture, allowing its people to be authentic at work. Encourage our top management to be D&I role models as a source of inspiration for all.

“Never compromise”

• Decrease the lifecycle footprint of its products and processes through eco-design and manufacturing innovation. Crown commits to devoting at least 50% of its Research & Development technology developments toward minimizing the footprint of its products and manufacturing processes.
• By 2022, all operations meet a new consolidated “One Crown Standard.” This new standard will unify existing standards of migration, toxicology and safety utilized in our various geographical locations. By 2025, Crown will have screened all food contact materials for the presence of Chemicals of Concern (COC) and eliminate them where necessary.
• By 2025, all suppliers determined as high risk are assessed by third-party verification assessments. By 2030, 100% of Crown's core raw materials and service suppliers, by spend, are assessed and comply with Crown Responsible and Ethical Sourcing policies and requirements, with an interim target of achieving 75% by 2025.

By Joshua Poole