Ball Packaging Europe Improves Its Sustainability Performance

British plants achieve significant improvements in energy and water efficiency / Enormous investments in sustainability

Ball Packaging Europe, one of the leading producers of beverage cans in Europe, made considerable progress in its sustainability journey during 2011 and 2012. Ball’s plants in UK have contributed its share in these accomplishments. Since 2007, electricity and gas consumption were reduced by 17 percent and water consumption decreased by 34 percent. In the past two years, Ball invested 900,000 Euros in the United Kingdom in energy efficiency projects. This is substantiated by the sustainability brochure presented this summer, which documents the achievements, objectives and activities of the company in the UK.

Ball Packaging Europe has achieved significant improvements in its operations. The energy and resource efficiency of beverage can manufacturing has been improved significantly. In the three UK plants (Deeside, Rugby and Wrexham), electricity consumption per unit produced was reduced by 15 percent and natural gas consumption by 18 percent since 2007.

Furthermore, Ball also succeeded in improving its water efficiency which was improved by 34 percent since 2007.

Last year, Ball produced in the UK five percent less waste than in 2010. Last year, 80 percent of the waste was recycled, 16 percent were used to generate energy while the rest was processed in other ways. Already in 2011, all UK plants reached the corporate goal “zero waste to landfill”.

To further reduce the amount of metal in beverage can manufacturing, Ball’s plants and innovation teams work on making the can even lighter. In 2012, Ball developed a new ultra-lightweight 33 cl aluminum can body that is five percent lighter. Specifically in the UK, Ball also succeeded to reduce the weight of a 25cl and a 44cl can by more than 2 percent. This considerably lowers the environmental impacts of the can. The second major lever for improving the environmental footprint of the can is recycling. Ball in the UK is also actively engaged in promoting recycling of beverage cans and supports the organizations “Every Can Counts” and “Metal Matters”.

Ball Corporation and Sustainability

Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL), of which Ball Packaging Europe is a subsidiary, started to implement a formalized sustainability program in 2006. “We have made significant strides since we issued our third comprehensive biennial sustainability report in early 2012, particularly within our operations, which help reduce our environmental footprint and benefit the bottom line over time,” said Bjoern Kulmann, Ball's director of sustainability. “Balancing our economic, environmental and social impacts is a major focus of Ball's Drive for 10 vision, and our emphasis on the triple-bottom line positions us for greater long-term success.”