Customers and
suppliers

Active stakeholder engagement

Management approach

Vetropack understands that its business is influenced by numerous stakeholders. These include investors (equity and borrowed capital), customers (direct customers and retailers), suppliers and employees and their representatives. Vetropack’s stakeholder groups also comprise society in general, as represented by supervisory authorities, legislators, trade associations and non-government organisations. Vetropack maintains an open and transparent dialogue with these groups in the interest of long-term value creation.

The Vetropack Code of Conduct and Business Ethics Policy serve as the foundation for active stakeholder engagement at Vetropack. Both the CEO and the CFO maintain relationships with investors and are responsible for responding to their questions and enquiries. This communication takes place in meetings or during plant tours. Vetropack also communicates proactively on its strategic objectives and publishes a financial report twice a year. Its regulatory requirements are met through the publication of annual reports and interim reports, as well as disclosures made at Annual General Assemblies. Other managers are also responsible for maintaining relationships with stakeholders. For example, the CSCO, the Head of Procurement and the CTO are responsible for maintaining contact with suppliers. The management team at each Vetropack production site is responsible for ensuring proper treatment of customers, employees, authorities and members of the local community.

Vetropack uses the company website, the intranet, the online magazine for employees, brochures and the customer magazine to communicate with internal and external stakeholders. It interacts daily with its customers and also conducts surveys every four years – most recently in 2019 – in order to learn more about customers’ requirements and their level of satisfaction. The last few years have shown that customers’ demands are becoming more and more specific and individual. Many of these specifications relate to sustainability and the source of the products. For example, we now receive enquiries that explicitly request a final product made almost exclusively out of used glass.

This page contains information on the following GRI disclosures: 102-40, 102-42, 102-43, 102-44.

Multi-supplier strategy

Management approach

Vetropack works closely with its suppliers to ensure the ongoing, cost-effective and reliable procurement of production equipment and raw materials. Vetropack’s multi-supplier strategy reduces the risk of interruptions to glass packaging production operations and also helps ensure reliable product deliveries.

The Procurement department works to improve and further develop the Group’s multi-supplier strategy and, in doing so, reaches out to other departments if necessary and possible. Vetropack’s Code of Conduct for Suppliers defines the systematic approach used by Vetropack when searching for, assessing and validating potential new suppliers. Relevant criteria here include financial performance, the supplier company’s history, its product portfolio, ownership structure, secure IT infrastructure, existing certifications and sustainability performance. Suppliers have signed the Code of Conduct for Suppliers or have provided evidence that they have their own Code of Conduct that is at least equivalent to the former. Contracts involving relevant goods or services also contain explicit clauses on environmental protection, working conditions and on compliance with human rights. Vetropack also investigates its supply chain with regard to risks relating to conflict minerals so that these risks can be minimised. Requirements for complying with the regulations for handling conflict minerals are also included for selected suppliers.

For Vetropack, its Code of Conduct is not a mere requirement but a bilateral agreement. For example, a reporting process that allows suppliers to report incidents of non-compliance with the Code (“whistleblowing”) was introduced in the year under review. Suppliers that perform well in relation to environmental and social concerns also receive access to particular incentives (such as supplier awards, a programme for preferred suppliers, access to invitations to tender).

Long-term collaboration agreements are essential for ensuring that partnerships with suppliers are structured as effectively as possible, particularly when strategically important suppliers are involved. Vetropack considers suppliers of energy, transport services and primary and secondary raw materials to be very important. Vetropack also carries out regular evaluations of the optimal division between internal solutions and external partners for various works processes. For example, in the year under review the company started looking at whether it would be sensible to outsource mould repairs.

Within the framework of its annual management review process, Vetropack evaluates the progress made with the multi-supplier strategy using key performance indicators (KPIs) such as the number of active suppliers per procurement category and the number of long-term contracts in effect.

Health and safety of customers and consumers

Management approach

Vetropack supplies the food and beverage industry with products that are used by millions of consumers. It is therefore extremely important to Vetropack that the health and safety of all customers and consumers are ensured at all times.

Vetropack takes measures to ensure that all the glass containers it manufactures are inspected in order to ensure the consistent high quality and safety of its products, as well as compliance with all legal and customer-specific requirements. The management systems in place at all sites are certified in accordance with the requirements of the ISO 9001 quality management standard and the ISO 22000 food safety management standard. All glass works, apart from the one in Italy and in the Republic of Moldova, are also certified in accordance with the requirements of Food Safety System Certification 22000 (FSSC 22000).

Ensuring the highest quality standards is also considered a key objective as part of Strategy 2030. To check progress in this area, the number of complaints per glass container sold and critical defects identified internally are also recorded as management indicators.

Disclosures

GRI 416 Customer Health and Safety
416-2 Incidents of non-compliance concerning the health and safety impacts of products and services

No incidents were reported during the period under review.