End-of-year review

At Vetropack customer centricity goes far beyond producing and supplying high-quality glass packaging: it also means that we embark on a journey of continuous innovation and sustainability, hand in hand with our customers. Together, we develop customised solutions that meet every brand’s individual requirements. We firmly believe that glass containers are more than just packaging for food and beverages. They express brand values; they embody a product’s identity, and they play a critical part in our customers’ success.

Carlsberg: innovation meets design

Vetropack and Carlsberg collaborated closely to develop the unique 1664 Blanc glass bottle – an outstanding example of a successful customer relationship with high recognition value. Inspired by the profile of the Eiffel Tower, this blue bottle attracts attention all over the world. But this collaboration goes beyond design: under the auspices of the ‘Together Towards ZERO’ sustainability programme, we are also working with the brewery group to reduce CO₂ emissions throughout the value chain. Thanks to our innovative glass packaging, we are helping Carlsberg to achieve its sustainability goals – and to do so with no compromises on quality or design.

Gösser: redefining sustainability

Another example of Vetropack’s customer-centric innovation is our collaboration with Gösser, a brand of Brau Union Österreich. In March 2024, we marked a milestone for Austria’s brewing industry with the launch of the new standard bottle. Impressive features of the thermally tempered 0.33-litre reusable bottle include its low weight, resilience and resource-saving production method.

International recognition and multiple awards

But innovation goes beyond the bottles as such: in collaboration with Brau Union Österreich, we have also tailored the related crates and pallets to meet the requirements for our new reusable bottle. Thanks to the skilful interplay of design and logistics, the bottle can be integrated seamlessly into the existing returnable cycle – making transport especially efficient. We were honoured to receive several prestigious prizes for this pioneering packaging solution in the reporting year: the ‘WorldStar Award’ from the World Packaging Organisation, the Austrian State Prize for Smart Packaging (1st place in the ‘Packaging of the Future’ category), and the Swiss Packaging Award (2nd place in the ‘Reusable Packaging/Systems’ category).

Click on the image to view our video, which showcases yet more important events from the reporting year.

At the end of January, we were able to commission a new furnace, two servo-driven glass-blowing machines and one additional glass-blowing machine at our Kyjov site in the Czech Republic. The modern furnace to produce coloured glass offers higher capacity than its predecessor, making it more energy-efficient and thus helping to reduce CO₂ emissions.

We are proud to welcome vistitors to our new website, which went live in February. Alongside insights into our employees’ day-to-day work, the website features comprehensive reports on customer projects. Also: Vetrotime, our customer magazine, is now available to read online.

Closure of our production site at St-Prex

The most difficult decision of the year concerned the closure of glass production at St-Prex, which we had to announce in May. Following extensive analysis of all options, it became clear that the plant could not continue to operate economically in the long term. This was one of the most difficult steps Vetropack has ever had to take. We would like to express our appreciation for the work and loyalty of our employees at St-Prex. A comprehensive social plan has been put in place to provide the best possible support for those affected during the difficult transition phase.

New approach to interacting with customers

2024 was also a year when we set new standards for interaction with our customers. In July, for example, we held the first Vetropack Customer Talk at our production facility in Nemšová. Formats such as these offer scope for us to continue deepening our collaboration with our partners, as well as opportunities to gain insights into the customer’s perspective and to improve ourselves.

CO₂ reduction targets validated

Another highlight of the year was the installation of new solar systems at our Kremsmünster plant. This project, which we were able to announce in July, marks another important step in our climate protection journey. The solar installations make a major contribution to the site’s energy supply and are a visible sign of our commitment to a sustainable future.

August saw us reaching a milestone in terms of climate protection: validation of our climate targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) signals our commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with the latest scientific findings – our contribution to mitigating climate change. The SBTi targets include Vetropack’s commitment to reducing absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 50.4 percent by 2032 – based on 2021 as the reference year.

At the end of November, we commissioned a state-of-the-art furnace and the associated glass-blowing machines at our Croatian site in Hum na Sutli. This strategic modernisation will allow us to increase production capacity, optimise energy efficiency, and reduce the plant’s environmental footprint.

2024 was a year marked by exciting events and milestones – and the challenges will not become any smaller going forward. This makes it all the more important that we never lose sight of what matters most of all: our customers. Our mission is – and will remain – not merely to fulfil our customers’ needs, but to surpass their expectations.