Sustainable packaging for a better future

SIG, the more than 170-year-old food and beverage packaging company headquartered in Neuhausen, Switzerland, is progressing its sustainability strategy to move the industry towards a more sustainable future.

SIG's focus on sustainability was evident from day one, starting with the decision to base the company and its factory on the Rhine Falls for a renewable source of energy. As a leading aseptic solutions provider of packaging for better – better for customers, for consumers, and for the world – SIG offers a unique portfolio of carton, bag-in-box, and spouted pouch solutions, leveraging its distinctive technological and innovation capabilities.

SIG's connection with the Chinese market dates back to 1985 and the foundation of its first factory was laid in Suzhou in 2002. SIG sells more than 10 billion aseptic cartons annually in the mainland China market.

The ambitious packaging company plans to refine its sustainability DNA through a series of measures to achieve its group-wide Net-Zero science-based target from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). SIG has committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its value chain by 2050 – the most ambitious commitment available through the SBTi process. Of the over 2,000 companies globally with a public net-zero pledge, SIG has been among the first 325 companies to have its target validated by the SBTi.

SIG is the first company in the industry to source 100 percent of the paperboard used in its packs with FSCTM certification (trademark license code: FSC™ C020428) that ensures forestry operations are managed sustainably and continually regrown – to avoid forest degradation or deforestation, protect biodiversity, maintain ecosystem services and carbon storage, and respect the rights of workers, local communities, and indigenous peoples. All SIG cartons can carry the FSC™ Mix label on pack, demonstrating the commitment to responsible sourcing direct to consumers.

SIG's connection with the Chinese market dates back to 1985 and the foundation of its first factory was laid in Suzhou in 2002. With China as its home base for Asia-Pacific development, the company has grown over the past 20 years from the groundbreaking launch of its plant at Suzhou Industrial Park, to today's nearly 1,700 employees in China, with five modernized production plants covering aseptic and chilled carton and bag-in-box product lines. Currently, SIG sells more than 10 billion aseptic cartons annually in the Chinese mainland market.

In 2017, SIG Asia-Pacific Technology Center was established in Suzhou, aiming to better meet the needs of local customers through innovative technology and to meet growing demand for healthy and nutritious food and beverages in China and the Asia-Pacific market. In 2022, SIG Terra Alu-free + Full barrier, the world’s first full barrier packaging material without aluminum layer for aseptic carton packs, was launched in the China market. SIG Terra Alu-free + Full barrier packaging material has a high renewable share and a low carbon footprint, being designed for recycling. Removing the aluminum layer reduces energy needs in the supply chain and contributes to lowering the CO2 footprint of packaging.

SIG beverage cartons offer a responsible choice that is fully recyclable by design. The raw materials from used cartons can be separated and recycled to make new products, keeping valuable resources in circulation. The high-quality paper fiber can be separated and recycled for reuse at paper mills, while the remaining polymer and aluminum mix (PolyAl) can be reused together for roof tiles and furniture, or separated for a wider range of applications. For post-consumer food and beverage packaging recycling, SIG is actively supporting the Chinese government to implement the Extended Producer Responsibility system in the food and beverage packaging industry. As the first batch of members, SIG has been participating in the Alliance of Technological Innovation in Compulsory Resources Recycling Industry (ATCRR), a non-profit, self-regulatory organization set up under the guidance of the National Development and Reform Commission since 2018. Specialized Committee on Utilization has processed a total of 490,000 tons of recycled carton packaging over the past three years. By 2025, eco-design in the field of beverage carton packaging will be more widely carried out, and the resource utilization rate of discarded beverage carton packaging will strive to reach 40 percent.

"China is SIG's largest single market. We have always adhered to the concept of serving local customers and benefiting Chinese consumers, and through our innovative technologies and high-quality products and services, we aim to meet today's and tomorrow's food and beverage needs of Chinese consumers. At the same time, as a pioneer in advocating the sustainable development of the industry, SIG is willing to work with more industry partners to promote the production of lower-carbon food and beverage packaging, and continue to foster the recycling of packaging, to promote the development of the circular economy, " said Ms. Angela Lu, President & General Manager Asia Pacific at SIG.

Angela Lu, President & General Manager Asia Pacific at SIG