Ball announces winning manufacturing plants for sustainability award

Ball Corporation has announced the five aluminium packaging plants with the most significant operational and social sustainability improvements in 2019, including progress across the areas with the most significant sustainability impact across Ball’s operations (safety, energy, water and waste), as well as the promotion of aluminium packaging’s sustainability credentials and engagement in their local communities.

Ball is awarding one plant in each region of its Global Beverage Packaging and one plant in its Aerosol Packaging businesses with the 2019 R. David Hoover Sustainability Award.

The winners are as follows:

Global Beverage Packaging

  • Kapolei, Hawaii (Beverage Packaging North & Central America): The Kapolei plant set a plant record for electricity and gas efficiency in January 2019 and, during the year, saved Ball more than $1 million through energy efficiency projects. Kapolei also completed 3 water efficiency projects, which resulted in a 30% reduction in normalized water usage between 2018 and 2019.
  • Buenos Aires, Argentina (Beverage Packaging South America): Buenos Aires has continued to improve efficiency across Ball’s Big 6 categories since 2014. Between 2018 and 2019, Buenos Aires reduced total waste 15%, increased recycling 4% and decreased water usage by more than 3% in 2019. Buenos Aires also demonstrated an “exceptional” willingness to participate in innovative projects, and share best practices and provide assistance to other Ball plants.
  • Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Beverage Packaging EMEA): The Gelsenkirchen plant improved across Ball’s Big 6 categories, achieving zero total recordable incidents, improving electricity efficiency by nearly 5%, natural gas efficiency by 12% and water efficiency by 6% in 2019. The plant also decreased its waste by 24% and was rated “excellent” for its ongoing improvement and commitment to efficiency projects, as well as dedication supporting others. Gelsenkirchen also excelled in driving BPEMEA’s ASI certification (Aluminium Stewardship Initiative).
  • Yangon, Myanmar (Beverage Packaging Asia Pacific): The Yangon plant has consistently improved its electricity efficiency since 2016, improving by nearly 23% in 2019 by implementing several energy efficiency projects. The plant also improved its overall safety culture with improved reporting and a greater focus on corrective actions. In addition, it implemented communications campaigns about the sustainability benefits of aluminium cans for local audiences, engaging celebrities, social influencers and NGOs.

Aerosol Packaging

  • San Luis Potosí, Mexico: The San Luis Potosí plant attained zero total recordable incidents for the year. As Ball’s most electricity efficient aerosol plant in 2018, San Luis Potosí reduced its electricity intensity by another almost 5% in 2019, improving its electricity efficiency by 10.4% since 2016. The plant also launched a campaign to educate the public about aluminium’s sustainability credentials and to increase recycling rates.

“In our ongoing efforts to further enhance the sustainability credentials of aluminium packaging, all of our operations are continuously seeking opportunities to achieve zero accidents, minimize environmental impacts, support their local communities, and educate consumers about the importance of beverage and aerosol can recycling,” said Bjoern Kulmann, director, global sustainability at Ball Corporation.

“We have seen fantastic results and impacts by each of our plants in 2019 and congratulate these five plants who went above and beyond in their commitment to sustainability.”

Ball established its annual R. David Hoover Sustainability Award in 2011 in honour of the company’s former chairman, president and chief executive officer, who was a key driver in the development of the company’s formal sustainability program.

Ball will release its 2020 sustainability achievements, as well as updated, third-party verified sustainability data, later this year on www.ball.com.

For more information about Ball’s ongoing sustainability efforts, visit: www.ball.com/sustainability.