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Packaging innovation

We are working to make sure we reduce the impact of our packaging on the environment every day.

Our approach

Packaging is an essential part of our daily lives, which provides convenience and reduces food waste and product damages. To reduce our impact on the environment and ensure that we are providing the services that our customers demand, Almarai is committed to reducing the impact of packaging as part of our Doing Better Every Day strategy. We are focusing on innovation as the key method for reducing potential waste as much of the packaging we use is an essential material that protects and preserves our products throughout the supply chain. We are aiming to strike a balance between finding packaging solutions that reduce our impact without compromising on the freshness and taste of our products. By using innovative designs, materials, and technologies we can not only reduce the number of materials entering the waste stream but also contribute to greater supply chain efficiency. We have set the ambitious goal of preventing 9000 metric tons of plastic waste entering the waste streams by 2025. To further this goal, we are investing in research and development to find new ways to reduce our packaging, while still providing a safe and enjoyable experience for our customers. We are also exploring opportunities to use recycled materials and biodegradable materials in our packaging in order to reduce our environmental impact. We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and improving our sustainability efforts, so that we can continue to provide the highest quality products and services to our customers.

In 2022, we published our position statement on Environmental Impact of Packaging to transparently communicate our approach. We emphasized our hierarchy of strategic approach of prioritizing removing and reducing followed by reusing, recycling, and reimagining.

2022 performance and initiatives

Our company has continued to innovate our plastic and paper packaging to ensure that the quality of our products remain whilst reducing the impact we have on the environment. Regarding our target of preventing 9,000 metric tons of waste by 2025, we have achieved a total of 6456 metric tons to date. In 2022, we removed 713 metric tons of plastics and 74 annualized metric tons of paper weight. Key projects that contributed to these reductions included the redesign of our 1.5L juice bottle cap which amounted to an 18% reduction in weight, the use of foaming agents to displace plastic with air in our 10kg and 4kg yoghurt packaging, the optimization of our UHT milk transit packaging, and the taking advantage of new product packing equipment which allowed us to optimize the use of packaging materials. As part of our packaging design process, we now make a conscious decision in the initial phases to address whether packaging is necessary. We are also seeking to use recycled materials in our products to encourage circular economy thinking into our packaging designs. Across our GCC operations, 70% of cardboard packaging came from recycled materials. Through investment at our manufacturing sites, we will be able to deliver reductions in the amount of corrugated board consumed through redesigning our outer boxes to be more resource efficient. A program is also underway to optimize pack sizes to drive efficiency improvements through the supply chain.

Our highlight stories
Zabadi cups packaging optimization

In December 2022, Almarai conducted a commercial trial for utilizing 10% post-consumer recycled PET plastics for Zabadi cups, which ran successfully paving way for official launch in 2023. This effort is one of many ways that Almarai intends to drive demand for post-consumer recycled material to help evolve waste recycling ecosystem in the kingdom.

HPET for Zabadi cups and poultry trays

In late 2022, we completed trials on using HPET for our Zabadi cups and poultry trays. Beginning in 2023, this initiative is expected to reduce our packaging usage in these formats by up to 25%, without affecting the quality, strength, and sturdiness expected for the packaging. This initiative will also have secondary benefits, as it will reduce our transportation carbon footprint due to reduced weight.

Actively supporting packaging economy in KSA

Almarai has been working with packaging suppliers, recyclers, plastics manufacturer, National Centre for Waste Management (MWAN), and Saudi Investment Recycling Initiative (SIRC) to reduce waste at source and divert most waste away from landfill. In addition, Almarai has been working with other businesses from FMCG, plastics manufacturing, and recycling sectors at KSA Packaging Working Group under Federation of Saudi Chambers to engage with MWAN and SIRC to divert more wastes from landfill and evolve circular packaging economy.

Progress on our strategic goals and targets

Goal/Target Progress
Avoid the use of 9,000 metric tons of plastics from entering the consumer waste stream by 2025 (against a 2015 baseline)
Actively support the transformation of the packaging economy in KSA by 2025
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