From nature to nutrition

Building a regenerative food packaging system
The world faces increasingly complex challenges: protecting our climate, preserving nature, managing finite resources, and ensuring access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food. At SIG, we have an opportunity to be part of the solution. Our ambition is to build a regenerative food packaging system – one that supports people’s health, heals nature, and creates a better future for generations to come.

Our four action areas

We focus our efforts on creating long-term value and a regenerative packaging system across four key areas where we have the biggest levers for systemic change.

Climate+

We aim for climate-positive packaging by designing solutions that actively reduce emissions and remove carbon, and commit to decarbonizing our value chain in line with climate science, while enabling carbon emission savings beyond our value chain.

Climate+
(c) Sharifuz Zulhusni, WWF Malaysia

Nature+

SIG is committed to leading the way in providing regenerative packaging solutions which contribute to halting and reversing of biodiversity loss, fostering a shift to a nature-positive economy.

Nature+

Resource+

Our ambition is that all SIG packaging will be resource-positive by design: maximizing renewable content, accelerating material recovery, and driving innovation so materials remain in use through effective recycling pathways.

Resource+

Food+

Access to affordable, safe, and nutritious food and beverages is a fundamental human right. Our regenerative packaging solutions can help transform the food system and sustainably serve this right.

Food+

Our strategy is underpinned by our foundational action areas:

Sustainable innovation

We aim to be the leader in sustainable packaging. We are committed to investing in R&D to better meet the needs of customers and consumers.
Sustainable innovation

Responsible culture

Our sustainability commitments are underpinned by our culture of responsibility. We take a responsible approach across the entire value chain.
Responsible culture

Sustainability is nothing new at SIG

We have always created packaging that delivers safe, affordable, shelf-stable nutrition – with a smaller carbon footprint than other packaging types like plastic bottles, glass bottles, or cans, proven by ISO-compliant life-cycle assessments, conducted by the independent Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IFEU), and critically reviewed by an independent panel.

The further we have travelled, the more ambitious we have become. Now, the path ahead of us stretches out into a vastly more sustainable future. With ambitious targets, we’re leading the way towards a fully regenerative packaging system.

Annual and CR reports

Our combined Annual and Corporate Responsibility Reports detail our progress towards our sustainability targets as we continue on our journey to create packaging for better.

Explore more about sustainability at SIG

WWF partnership

Together with WWF Switzerland, we are supporting thriving forests.

Biodiversity

We recognize our responsibility to protect essential ecosystems beyond our value chain.

Cartons for Good

SIG Foundation's innovative solution to tackle food loss and malnutrition.

Our starting point

  • Standard cartons made of, on average, 75% paperboard, 21% polymers and an ultra-thin layer of aluminum foil
  • 28–70% lower carbon footprint than alternative packaging, such as plastic and glass bottles and aluminum cans (according to full comparative life cycle assessments of packaging systems for food, UHT milk, and non-carbonated soft drinks on the European market)
  • Third-generation filling machines with an industry-leading waste rate (< 0.5%) through highly efficient filling process

Our sustainable innovations

2009

First in our industry to establish worldwide FSC™ Chain of Custody certification3

2010

World’s first packaging material for aseptic cartons with no aluminum layer and an up to 23% smaller carbon footprint than SIG’s standard packaging material1

2013

The first aseptic carton that looks and pours like a bottle while offering the environmental benefits of a carton

2016

First carton provider to secure sufficient FSC™-certified paperboard to guarantee that every customer can include the FSC™ label3 on any of their SIG packs

2017

World’s first aseptic carton 100% linked to forest-based materials,2 and with a 63% smaller carbon footprint than SIG’s standard packaging material for aseptic cartons1

2019

World’s first paper straw for aseptic carton packs, made with FSC™-certified3 paper

 

World’s first aseptic carton packaging materials with ASI-certified aluminum foil

2020

World’s first aseptic carton packaging material with post-consumer recycled content via polymers linked to 100% recycled plastics4

2021

- First in the industry to purchase 100% of our liquid packaging board with FSC™ certification3 for our aseptic cartons

 

- Launch of SIG NEO, SIG’s next generation filling machine for family-size aseptic carton packs which reduces carbon for filling and packaging per pack by 25% and consumables (hydrogen peroxide, compressed air, and water) by 30%

2022

- World’s first full barrier aseptic carton with no aluminum layer suitable for all kind of liquid products

- Bag-in-box and spouted pouch solutions join our portfolio, including the first APR5-recognized recyclable bag-in-box, the world’s first bag-in-box linked to recycled content4, and a recycle-ready spouted pouch system solution of film, fitment, and equipment

2023

SIG’s path to Net-Zero is approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), being among the first 325 companies globally to have its target validated by the SBTi.

1 Results based on ISO-compliant life-cycle assessment CB-100732c for Europe.
2 Linked to wood residues from paper making via an independently certified mass balance system.
3 FSC™ trademark license code: FSC™ C020428.
4 Via an independently certified mass balance system.
5 Association of Plastic Recyclers.