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

By: Berry Global Group, Inc. via Business Wire

April 09, 2024 at 10:14 AM EDT

Achieved 86% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging, increased renewable energy use by 65%, met Scope 1 and 2 science-based target two years ahead of schedule

Global packaging leader Berry Global Group, Inc. (NYSE: BERY) 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.

“Through a deep commitment to innovation, customer service, and a people-first culture, our company’s long-term vision is to be the leading source for sustainable packaging,” said Kevin Kwilinski, CEO of Berry Global. “Whether across the products we design and develop, our operations, or how we engage with others, our results are deeply rooted in meeting customer needs by delivering on the many benefits of packaging in a way that accelerates the transition to a circular, net-zero economy."

Compared to 2022, the company made significant progress in 2023, including:

Achieved 86% reusable, recyclable, or compostable fast-moving consumer goods packaging
Increased the use of circular plastics to 10% through key investments and partnerships
Committed to achieve net-zero emissions across its global operations and value chain by 2050
Cut Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 26% versus 2019 to meet its goal of 25% by 2025
Reduced Scope 3 GHG emissions by 21% versus 2019 to advance its goal of 25% by 2025
Increased the use of renewable electricity, like wind and solar, across the business by 65%
Completed internal Operation Clean Sweep audits at 100% of its facilities
Expanded our diversity, equity, and inclusion reporting with a breakdown of the U.S. ethnic minority numbers
Improved average training hours per employee from 54 to 58 through workforce development

One of the driving forces behind meeting Berry’s Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions reduction target two years early was the significant increase in the company’s use of renewable energy, which has been on the rise for five years consecutively. In 2023, Berry increased the use of renewable electricity across its business by an impressive 65%, including converting all of its operations in Mexico to wind and solar power. The company is currently working with the Science Based Targets initiative to develop new Scope 1 and 2 emissions targets, which will be announced as soon as possible.

In the report, Berry also underscores the importance of its new recycling facility in Leamington Spa, United Kingdom that uses the company’s innovative, proprietary CleanStream® recycling technology to offer the world’s first closed-loop system to mechanically process domestically recovered household waste polypropylene (PP) back into contact-sensitive packaging. And the company reported an overall reduction in product weight and increase in the amount of post-consumer recycled (PCR) content purchased to 3.6% of total resin.

Regarding Berry’s social impact goals, last year the company maintained its 21 global ethics ambassadors, increased the number of suppliers evaluated in EcoVadis by 38%, and surpassed its target of reducing its Total Recordable Incident Rate below one, achieving a rate of 0.81 – well below the industry rate of 3.5. In addition, 90% of all Berry facilities completed an annual community volunteer program and the company conducted Global Code of Business Ethics and Cybersecurity Awareness trainings across its 40,000 employees worldwide, achieving participation rates of 98.4% and 99.7%, respectively.

Learn more by downloading Berry’s 2023 Sustainability Report and view snapshots of the company’s sustainability strategy, data, and progress on its corporate website.

About Berry

At Berry Global Group, Inc. (NYSE: BERY), we create innovative packaging solutions that we believe make life better for people and the planet. We do this every day by leveraging our unmatched global capabilities, sustainability leadership, and deep innovation expertise to serve customers of all sizes around the world. Harnessing the strength in our diversity and industry-leading talent of over 40,000 global employees across more than 250 locations, we partner with customers to develop, design, and manufacture innovative products with an eye toward the circular economy. The challenges we solve and the innovations we pioneer benefit our customers at every stage of their journey. For more information, visit our website, or connect with us on LinkedIn or X. (BERY-E)