SIG CEO: We must give back to the planet – not merely reduce how much we take away

28 May 2019 --- Rolf Stangl, CEO of SIG, a global leader in aseptic packaging solutions, has stressed that circular economies must go beyond minimizing environmental damage and find ways to actively give back to the planet. He believes critics still see packaging suppliers as facilitators of throwaway culture and explains how SIG is attempting to change mindsets by adopting a “net positive” approach to sustainability.

What does a “net positive” approach from business look like in practice? For a global packaging systems provider like SIG, this is a particularly acute challenge.

“We know that the world’s current pattern of economic growth risks making environmental issues worse, not better. Rising populations are driving consumption in ways that place a growing strain on our climate and ecosystems. Reducing the impact of additional consumption is no longer enough,” Stangl says.

“Though we strive to be different, critics still see our industry as facilitators of throwaway society. As we expand into developing markets which aspire to higher standards of living, we are on the front line of the battle to build a more sustainable and affordable supply system,” he adds.Unless we decouple growth from environmental impact and leave ecosystems stronger than we found them, it won’t just be business which struggles to survive, Stangl warns.

It is one of the reasons SIG has been supporting a major international forum in Hainan, China, which takes place in May. The forum brings together some 300 corporate leaders, start-ups, investors and international agencies to share and discuss zero-carbon and circular economy solutions for a sustainable and climate-resilient future.

It’s a big topic and an even bigger challenge, but by sharing ideas and leading by example, Stangl hopes the Hainan conference can serve as a catalyst for companies everywhere to think more collaboratively about how to become part of the solution.

The crux of the issue for SIG is how to help create a “net positive” food supply system. “Our role today is supplying food and drink manufacturers with technology for packing their products in aseptic cartons – an inherently more sustainable system than many packaging alternatives and one which eliminates the need for refrigeration and preservatives,” Stangl explains.

SIG packs are made mainly from paperboard, a renewable raw material which can also be reused at the end of the life-cycle.

“We are working hard to help improve recycling rates and to design out other materials such as fossil plastic and aluminum. Our paperboard also comes from certified responsible sources, which helps tackle climate change directly by investing in the world’s most effective carbon sinks: forests,” Stangl says.Rolf Stangl, CEO of SIG.

Another challenge is food waste. Aseptic carton technology allows farmers to make the most of the world’s precious agricultural output by preserving its nutritional value for a long time. The long ambient shelf-life together with the lowest filling waste rate in the industry helps to tackle food waste and the role it plays in climate change. And with no need for refrigeration and a cold chain as goods are transported and stored, SIG is also reducing food loss while cutting energy usage and carbon emissions in the food supply chain.

Furthermore, as a major supplier at the heart of the distribution system, SIG collaborates with customers, suppliers, communities, employees and other stakeholders to develop a waste-free society, working together to further reduce carbon footprints and build effective recycling systems.

The current worldwide concern over single-use plastic packaging made out of finite fossil resources creates an opportunity to demand that all companies commit to using more renewable materials, Stangl claims.

“Mounting concern over climate change is also rightly drawing attention to environmental impacts along the product life-cycle, not just what happens after a product is used. We are proud that our paper-based cartons have among the lowest carbon footprints along the life-cycle compared to other materials like plastic, glass and metal,” Stangl notes.

“We recognize this will require a sustained effort by all involved in the supply chain. Consumers are rightly demanding that corporations take more responsibility for building a genuinely zero-waste society and truly circular economy. Our commitment to going ‘Way Beyond Good’ means we aim to halve our environmental footprint by 2030 while doubling our contribution to society,” he says.

Right now, the way the world consumes goods is polluting the oceans, exhausting landfill capacity and creating more than two billion tons of waste every year. Today’s climate and natural resource crisis means we face a real risk of supply failure in the food and packaging systems, according to Stangl.SIG's "Way Beyond Good" sustainability strategy aims to halve the supplier's environmental footprint by 2030.

“Unless we decouple growth from environmental impact and ensure we leave ecosystems and society stronger than we found them, it won’t just be business which struggles to survive,” Stangl concludes.

Recently, SIG teamed up with SO+MA House Brazil to promote recycling in the city of Curitiba. The initiative enables local citizens to exchange waste packaging for reward points they can use to pay for food and other essentials. Over six tons of material has been collected since the pilot program began in December 2018.

SIG also launched an FSC-certified paper, plastic-alternative straw which can be recycled via existing paper recycling streams earlier this year. It is made from three layers of paperboard and two layers of adhesive.

Edited by Joshua Poole