I Want “More Reducing” Because We Owe it to People and the Planet

At Berry Global, Inc., we know everyone has the power to create change. This article is part of a series through our More Together initiative highlighting how we can #BMoreTogether by sharing personal passions for sustainability. What’s your More? Click HERE to share why you care about reducing, recycling, reusing, or renewing precious natural resources.

In the world of business, some often find their true purpose where they least expect it. The pivotal moment that marked the beginning of my career in #sustainability happened when a global, leading brand called out my former company’s sustainability shortcomings. My boss as the time was shaken by the accusation, but knew it was regrettably true.

Amidst a backdrop of job transitions within our division, I decided to seize the opportunity to spearhead the sustainability efforts at the company. Little did I know that this would mark the beginning of a remarkable journey where the focus of my day-to-day job would ultimately become a deep-rooted passion.

Now, as a plan for retirement after many fruitful years of working at Berry Global, Inc., I’ve come to learn that sustainability cannot be effectively addressed without passion. Why? Because while we can quantify revenue, productivity, and many other aspects of business through data and statistics, many of the felt social impacts of #climatechange are less tangible. Yet, these impacts have far-reaching consequences for both people and business.

Cultivating collective care and driving real change involves grappling with difficult questions about the best ways to inspire action. Do we illustrate climate risks and dangers through facts and figures? Or do we lead with hope, optimism, and solutions? Our sustainability team at Berry continues to pose, learn from, and adapt to these questions. And we’ve come to understand both approaches are essential. That’s why we provide team members opportunities to dive deep into climate-related issues, while also finding ways to keep them informed about Berry's circular collaborations and all we and our customers are doing[MC1]? to advance a more sustainable future.

“Cultivating collective care and driving real change involves grappling with difficult questions about the best ways to inspire action.”

For instance, we recently held a series of “Sustainability in Beauty Days” with key customers across several of our European beauty factories aimed at helping us all “speak the same language” when it comes to sustainability. Through an open-forum approach, a team of design and material science experts across the industry listened to our customers’ most pressing beauty packaging challenges. Together, we navigated the complexities involved in designing for #circularity without compromising on aesthetics or performance.

I want More Reducing because Berry owes it to people and the planet. As a sustainability leader in a global market, it's our responsibility to minimize the greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts of our products. I’m proud of our innovation teams for leading this exciting journey by steadily and methodically working with our customers and partners to #BMoreTogether by implementing the rules of the #circulareconomy!

What’s your More? Now that I’ve shared mine, I hope you’ll take a moment to share your personal passion for change at https://more.berryglobal.com/.

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