SUSTAINABILITY

Guala Dispensing aims to be a leader in its market by guaranteeing product excellence and placing sustainability at the centre of its innovation processes. The goal is to offer clients a beacon for any need related to plastic packaging, while building a healthy business and a pleasant environment for personnel, where everyone can do their part for the planet with a view to sustainability.

Products and processes

Circular economy and the focus on climate change have become topics for daily discussion and integral part of our business context. Sales from sustainable products exceeded 93% of the total, consolidating a trajectory that, in recent years, has progressively transformed our product portfolio. Today our Home&Care product portfolio includes several trigger sprayer platforms as a result of an ongoing evolution over time. Thanks to the introduction of new technologies as well as our designers’ expertise, we could reduce final product weight and decrease the number of components, while maintaining performance at the highest level. In addiction to recyclability, also the use of recycled raw matter allows us to further lower our products’ environmental impact: in fact, the content of validated PCR material varies according to technical feasibility, reaching significant percentages (up to 70%) in various trigger sprayers.

Within the Food division, in 2012 the first compatible capsule was launched. Since then, R&D focused on improving the system in various directions: weight reduction, barrier, packaging optimization for stacking, recyclability and material innovation.

New materials such as aluminium together with new technology and design (co-injection and patented opening system) have guaranteed high performance and a more sustainable product portfolio. In addiction, the use of compostable materials in food applications is very effective, as both the packaging and its content can be disposed in the organic waste.

The Pharma business unit is active in the use of bio-based and recycled materials according to a mass balance approach.

To correctly evaluate different alternatives and identify new opportunities for improvement, it becomes essential to leverage new and useful tools for an in-depth and rigorous analysis. Among these, in 2021 Guala dispensing adopted the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method to measure the environmental impact of its products.

In our manufacturing plants, we are committed not only to meeting the applicable legal requirements but also to progressing on a path of continuous improvement for our operations and consequent impacts. The key elements in our approach for efficiency include detailed operational procedures, data collection and monitoring, and investments in technologies that can increase productivity and reduce impacts.  We constantly monitor performance indicators to identify improvement actions and results achieved. A variety of data are tracked including energy consumption, CO2 emissions, water management and the generation of waste.

People and social impact

Guala Dispensing plays an active role in both guaranteeing safe working conditions and creating a positive impact in the communities in which it operates.

Health and safety in the working place are our priority and are guaranteed through the application of a dedicated management system. Employees’ involvement and training are fundamental instruments for continuous improvement aiming at preventing injuries and
reducing risks in the workplace.

In Italy Guala Dispensing promotes and supports cultural initiatives and provides social assistance through Fondazione SociAL.

For more information on trends and our achievements on social and environmental matters, download our latest Sustainability Report.