Sustainability Report 2022

Syntegon has published a sustainability report for the first time for fiscal year 2022. We are thus creating more transparency and are affording stakeholders greater insights into our sustainability management practices. We have prepared the report with reference to the recognized standard of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). It includes information from the areas of environment, social affairs and responsible corporate governance.

Discover how Syntegon contributes to a green future, takes social responsibility and is committed to ethically sound business practices.

For a better life

To the point: Find an overview of Syntegon's sustainability strategy here!

Governance

In line with the goals of the United Nations

Syntegon, as a partner to the pharmaceutical and food industries, yet again did its part to make foods and pharmaceuticals safe in 2022, thereby contributing to several of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, such as ending hunger and ensuring healthy lives for all.

Our packaging solutions effectively protect products from dehydration and humidity to preserve their nutritional value, freshness, and flavor. Syntegon’s technologies help ensure medicines are produced and packaged to the highest safety standards. This is how we contribute to the global supply of medicines and vaccines to people.

Goal 2

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

Goal 3

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

Goal 9

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

Goal 12

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

United by service

In conversation: What the mechanical engineering and gastronomy industries think about the importance of good service for sustainable economic development.

1.4

billion euro in annual sales

years of experience

sites

2,000

patents and patent applications

Sustainable packaging solutions

A renewed focal point of Syntegon’s efforts in 2022 was transitioning from conventional plastic packaging to paper and more recyclable mono-materials. Our new PMX packaging machine for ground coffee and whole beans is a case in point: It processes recyclable mono-materials and enables condition monitoring to save energy and conserve materials. We also integrated lock-style technology in our proven Sigpack TTM cartoner platform in 2022. This tech serves to curb energy and material consumption.

The packaging change

Looking ahead: Recyclable solutions for a future with less plastic waste.

Shrinking the carbon footprint of pharmaceuticals and food production

Syntegon’s intelligent, sustainable processing and packaging solutions help boost energy efficiency and conserve resources in food and pharmaceutical industry manufacturing processes. In 2022, as part of a life-cycle assessment, we developed a method of calculating the carbon emissions of equipment in our portfolio. Now Syntegon can offer to food and pharmaceutical manufacturers a totally transparent view of the deployed technologies’ carbon footprint.

A site becomes self-sufficient

On track: The Syntegon site in Beringen aims to reduce its emissions to zero by 2033.

Reduced emissions

Syntegon is aligned with the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Agreement on climate change. In 2022, we reduced our total energy consumption by 11 percent and our emissions by 17 percent compared to the previous year. Syntegon intends to increase the share of renewables in its total energy consumption from 41 percent in 2019 to 55 percent by 2025. Renewables had already accounted for a 49-percent share in 2022. We installed new photovoltaic systems at five sites that same year.

percent green electricity at all European sites

percent lower CO₂ emissions than in 2021

percent less energy consumption than in 2021

new photovoltaic systems

Diversity

Sustainability and diversity are closely linked. We value diverse teams and see the greatest potential for growth in terms of gender representation. In 2022, the share of women in the workforce came to around 19 percent. We aim to pursue recruiting and personnel development initiatives to increase this figure to 25 percent by 2025. Syntegon is striving for a gender ratio of 20 percent women and 80 percent men among managers.

Lifelong learning as the key to success

Syntegon firmly believes that learning is the key to personal and corporate success. We are committed to high-quality training and professional development for all our employees.

With the Syntegon Learning World, Syntegon offers its workforce a demand-driven training portfolio currently consisting of more than 300 courses and over 6,500 digital training opportunities. Employees devoted eleven hours on average to training and professional development in 2022. We aim to increase per-employee training hours to 35 a year by 2025.

Commitment beyond borders

In action: The aid organizations CARE and Lift Ukraine are helping those affected by the war in Ukraine.

Engaged in society

Syntegon actively assumes responsibility in the social environment of its sites through donations and encourages its employees to become socially involved. We donated 80,000 euros to charitable causes in 2022 to the benefit of food banks, hospitals, and educational institutions. In 2022, Syntegon also provided renewed financial support to CARE Deutschland, an aid organization that furnishes food and medicine to people in need.