Risk avoidance through operational excellence for environmental protection

by Pascal Meyer, Group Environment Director, Amcor

As Group Environment Director, I am fortunate to be able to work on initiatives that make a tangible difference to the environment. Sustainability not only taps into my passion for the environment but also goes hand-in-hand with what I’ve focused on my whole career – risk reduction and mitigation.

For many decades now, businesses across the world have got used to reducing risks to ensure better health and safety outcomes in the workplace, but just as important as this is reducing harm to the environment. This is what a modern, forward-looking environment, health and safety (EHS) function does and I’m proud to be part of a company that takes the environmental part of EHS incredibly seriously alongside the traditional health and safety aspect.

Amcor’s strong focus on reducing environmental risks from operations is part and parcel of its broader sustainability strategy and complimentary to Amcor’s work on responsible packaging, which seeks to drive a more circular packaging industry and keep waste out of the environment.

One of the key initiatives Amcor has supported and that I’ve personally been deeply involved in is the implementation of Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) at all Amcor sites globally. OCS is an international program dedicated to enabling every plastic resin handling operation to reach the goal of zero plastic resin loss. The rigorous OCS methodology has helped us build upon and formalize our existing policies for preventing plastic pellet loss, increasing operational efficiencies while protecting the environment.

In 2022-23, we embedded OCS into our upgraded environmental standard (ER1) – this means systematically looking at how resins are stored, transported and used, and training Amcor colleagues to act as the first line of defense against pellet loss.

Not only does this guard against operational risks to the environment, but also reputational risks as minimizing pellet loss enables the teams working at our sites to strengthen their reputation among local communities. The impact of pellet leaks on the environment is very visible and obvious to local communities. It’s therefore critical that we protect local environments and communities as well as our people’s place in these communities, through projects like OCS. All Amcor sites now undergo regular inspections of the OCS elements, update manufacturing equipment to prevent leakage and have EHS professionals working tirelessly to reduce environmental risks.

Implementing new environmental standards across our processes and systems helps us to run an even safer, more efficient business where the environment is always front of mind. Making these constant improvements is challenging, but the way our team overcomes these challenges is a testament to our people’s commitment to the environment and risk-minimization.

I believe sustainability can be understood as a form of risk management – creating better outcomes for the planet while insulating Amcor against risk. That’s a mission I’m proud to serve every day.

Find out more about Amcor’s work to protect the environment in the 2022 Sustainability Report.