Our lightweight packaging solution means more food using less resources.
Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution are pressing global challenges, and food waste remains a significant issue in a world where many still face hunger.
Ecolean focuses on six sustainability areas: Safe food for all, Less food waste, Climate action, Towards circularity, Transparency through a life cycle approach, and Fair, equal, and inclusive practices. This comprehensive approach to sustainability underscores our commitment to create a positive impact across the entire value chain.
Safe food for all
Each year, almost 600 million people fall ill after eating contaminated food. Safe and convenient food packages are part of the solution. Our unique system with ready-to-fill packages, helps our customers bring safe food to the market.
Food safety is fundamental for the nutrition and health of everyone on the planet. Our aseptic system draws on an advanced and rigorous sterilisation process and a system that minimises risk throughout the value chain.
Ecolean’s aseptic packages prolong shelf-life and help our customers bring safe food to people all around the world – regardless of local distribution channels and climatic conditions. This can help save lives and avoid foodborne disease.
SDG 2 - Zero hunger
+ Ecolean packages bring safe food products to people all over the world – regardless of local distribution channels and climatic conditions.
+ Ecolean packages allow food products to be transported long distances, handle harsh environments and withstand long-term storage at ambient temperatures without access to refrigeration.
SDG 3 - Good health and well-being
− Ecolean's operations involve health and safety risks.
+ Through our work with health and safety, we work to minimise and manage risks and educate employees.
+ Through our work with audits on customer sites, we promote health and safety, and the safe operation of filling machines.
+ Through the design of our filling line equipment, we reduce exposure to chemicals and risks during the filling operation for customer personnel.
Less food waste
One third of all food produced globally goes to waste – including 17% that is wasted at consumer level.
At the same time, around 10% of the global population do not have enough food to eat according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). According to the UNEP, food waste also accounts for 8-10% of global climate emissions, which is roughly equal to all global transportation combined.
Ecolean believes that all produced food should reach somebody’s mouth and not be wasted. We can achieve this by drawing on high-quality flexible packaging that allows the user to easily squeeze out every last drop.
SDG 2 - Zero hunger
+ Ecolean packages bring safe food products to people all over the world – regardless of local distribution channels and climatic conditions.
+ Ecolean packages allow food products to be transported long distances, handle harsh environments and withstand long-term storage at ambient temperatures without access to refrigeration.
SDG 12 - Responsible consumption and production
− With the use of packages, waste is created. Proper waste management systems and the availability of recycling infrastructure is a prerequisite in all markets.
− Ecolean's production today uses finite resources. We work to increase the use of renewable materials in our production.
+ Ecolean's packaging solutions prevent food waste. Our packages are flexible and easy to empty.
+ Ecolean packaging prevents food waste by prolonging the shelf life of the products inside.
+ We work with sustainability as part of our business concept by promoting product innovation and driving a life-cycle perspective.
+ Ecolean is part of creating increased recycling opportunities for flexible plastic packaging.
Climate action
Resource efficiency is at the heart of climate action. Lightweight packaging uses less raw materials and reduces the carbon footprint.
Ecolean strives to minimise its climate impact. Since 2018, we have reduced our own direct and indirect emissions (scope 1 and 2) by more than 90%, which surpassed our 2030 target that aligns with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C objective. But our climate work also involves helping our partners and customers to achieve their own climate objectives. This is why we promote full transparency with our sustainability data and are always open for engagement and collaboration.
Resource efficient, lightweight packaging that uses less raw materials is our way of taking action and changing the system from within. We will not stop innovating for better practices until the fight against climate change is won.
SDG 13 - Climate action
− Any manufacturing process or produced products generate carbon emissions.
+ Ecolean's lightweight approach and efficient production process results in packages with a low carbon footprint.
+ Ecolean provides full environmental data for the entire packaging system, to help customers make fact-based decisions.
+ Ecolean works to increase the use of renewable energy at our production sites.
+ Ecolean works to reduce energy use, both at our production sites and when optimising our filling line equipment.
Towards circularity
Innovative packaging solutions are crucial in the transition towards circularity. We are developing lightweight packaging that is efficiently produced and easy to recycle by incorporating less components and high-quality materials.
To create a circular future, recycling must become a central part of everyday life. Closing resource loops and using materials over and over again must become the new normal.
By 2030, all our packages will comply with the ‘Designed for recycling guidelines’. As society accelerates its recycling capabilities, we will be ready to offer the highest sustainability standards. To achieve this will demand close collaboration with partners, suppliers and customers as well as working in tandem with regulation and technological advancements.
In our own operations we send more than 95% (during year 2023) of our own waste to recycling. Our goal is to decrease the need for virgin materials to save both energy and raw materials to promote greater circularity and resource efficiency.
SDG 13 - Climate action
− Any manufacturing process or produced products generate carbon emissions.
+ Ecolean's lightweight approach and efficient production process results in packages with a low carbon footprint.
+ Ecolean provides full environmental data for the entire packaging system, to help customers make fact-based decisions.
+ Ecolean works to increase the use of renewable energy at our production sites.
+ Ecolean works to reduce energy use, both at our production sites and when optimising our filling line equipment.
SDG 12 - Responsible consumption and production
− With the use of packages, waste is created. Proper waste management systems and the availability of recycling infrastructure is a prerequisite in all markets.
− Ecolean's production today uses finite resources. We work to increase the use of renewable materials in our production.
+ Ecolean's packaging solutions prevent food waste. Our packages are flexible and easy to empty.
+ Ecolean packaging prevents food waste by prolonging the shelf life of the products inside.
+ We work with sustainability as part of our business concept by promoting product innovation and driving a life-cycle perspective.
+ Ecolean is part of creating increased recycling opportunities for flexible plastic packaging.
Transparency through a life cycle approach
Access to comparable data enables sustainable decisions. We believe that full transparency from cradle to grave contributes to innovation, sustainability and trust.
Understanding impacts and what changes are needed to become more sustainable requires measurements and comparisons with good quality data. However, in most industries – including the packaging industry – there is currently a lack of sustainability data, which prevents companies from making optimal decisions.
Our EPDs are part of our work to shift the focus to the entire life cycle of a product and not just the materials used in the product itself. Ecolean offers transparent cradle-to-grave environmental data for both its packaging and filling machines.
SDG 12 - Responsible consumption and production
− With the use of packages, waste is created. Proper waste management systems and the availability of recycling infrastructure is a prerequisite in all markets.
− Ecolean's production today uses finite resources. We work to increase the use of renewable materials in our production.
+ Ecolean's packaging solutions prevent food waste. Our packages are flexible and easy to empty.
+ Ecolean packaging prevents food waste by prolonging the shelf life of the products inside.
+ We work with sustainability as part of our business concept by promoting product innovation and driving a life-cycle perspective.
+ Ecolean is part of creating increased recycling opportunities for flexible plastic packaging.
Fair, equal and inclusive
Everyone who works with us – from our own employees to our value chain partners – contributes towards a more sustainable packaging industry. An open and transparent value chain is key to building a fair, equal and inclusive business.
Innovation for a more sustainable future is what Ecolean is built upon. But for change to happen, we need skilled employees with innovative minds and groundbreaking ideas working in inclusive, safe and fair workplaces.
Together with our partners, we work to ensure a sound and safe environment where everyone can grow. By being a responsible company with fair, equal and inclusive workplaces, we are convinced that we can help create stronger societies. Zero corruption and zero breaches of human rights is one of our 2030 targets.
An important part of our work is to regularly evaluate that our governance framework is effective, and that our values and principles are followed and integrated into all our business activities. Our Code of Conduct covers the areas of human rights, diversity, equality, non-discrimination and business ethics.
SDG 5 - Gender equality
+ Ecolean promotes a diverse workforce and works towards a gender balance in our workforce.
+ Through our Code of Conduct we promote an inclusive culture and tolerate no discrimination.
SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth
+ Ecolean works to safeguard employee labour and human rights, both in our own operations and in our supply chain through the Ecolean Code of Conduct.
+ We contribute to economic growth by paying taxes and fees in the countries in which we operate.
