Our Environmental Commitment

Amcor is committed to managing its businesses around the world in an environmentally responsible manner at all times. This extends beyond its manufacturing facilities to also include its products and services. Two of the key aspects of this commitment include prevention of pollution and continuous improvement. This commitment is supported by an environmental policy, objectives and targets, a management manual based upon ISO 14001 certification and regular environmental reporting and auditing.

In order for Amcor to meet its environment goals there is a commitment to setting objectives and targets, education and communication and management responsibility and review. Through continuing research into Amcor products and production systems, the company aims to achieve best practice environmental management across all its operations around the world.

 

Monitoring Our Performance

The company's environmental performance is monitored by, and reported to, management and the Board of Directors and is a component of performance appraisal and management remuneration.

A cross-business risk management team, reporting to the Amcor Board's Audit and Compliance Committee, develops a program of continuous improvement in conjunction with each of Amcor's businesses.

The major manufacturing sites or higher risk sites prepare their environmental management systems in order to achieve ISO 14000 certification. Many sites have already obtained certification. All other sites are implementing systems using the Amcor Environmental Management Manual, which is based on ISO 14001.

All manufacturing sites work to identify options to reduce energy use and waste production. Energy audits are completed at various sites and the findings implemented on site with learnings transferred to other Amcor sites.

Performance Indicators

Amcor views environmental performance as a critical component of everything we do. We strive to avoid any environmental compliance breaches at any of our operations worldwide. For analysis and reporting purposes, environmental compliance breaches are divided into four levels, based upon significance:

• Level 1 incidents are very minor and occur less than 5% of the time
• Level 2 are technical breaches that result in minimal environmental impact and possibly a fine
• Level 3 incidents may result in permanent environmental impairment, major media coverage and/or prosecution
• Level 4 incidents are extremely significant, resulting in major permanent environmental damage, national media coverage and prosecution.

Amcor has never had a Level 4 incident.

 

Expectations and Objectives

Through dialogue with key stakeholder groups Amcor identifies key concerns in relation to Amcor-related environmental issues.  The key environmental issues raised by our stakeholders are:

• The impacts of Amcor products after they have been used by customers
• Use of recycled materials in Amcor products
• The types of raw materials that Amcor uses in production
• Greenhouse gases emitted from Amcor manufacturing facilities.

Amcor works with customers to design packaging that meets the needs of the product and the community. This involves building environmental factors into product design and choosing the right materials and structure to perform the critical packaging functions of: product protection and safety; ease and efficiency of transportation and use, while providing tamper evidence and conveying important nutritional and consumer information. Packaging is also designed to facilitate reuse, recycling, energy recovery and safe disposal.

Amcor businesses are working with other industry members to make packaging as sustainable as possible. This has resulted in industry packaging Codes of Practice being developed in many countries.

Significant progress has been made over many years to reduce the environment impact of packaging through arrange of reduce, reuse, redesign and recycling initiatives. Other objectives include:

• All major manufacturing sites to be certified to ISO 14001
• Reduction in energy per unit of product
• Reduction in waste to landfill per unit of product.