At PHOENIX, we believe that building a secure future means doing more than just producing high-quality packaging. It means creating a positive impact through every decision we make, whether that’s in how we treat our employees, how we care for the planet, or how we support the success of our customers and communities. Our 2024 Sustainability Report, the second in our company’s history, reflects the progress we’ve made on that mission and highlights the actions we’re taking to keep moving forward.
This year’s report shares updates on how we’re integrating sustainability into our operations, innovation strategy, and workplace culture. It’s the result of a company-wide effort that includes every facility and department, and it reflects our commitment to transparency, continuous improvement, and long-term thinking.
Making Progress in Energy and Emissions
One of the things we’re most excited about is our progress toward our energy intensity goal where we have already achieved a 15 percent energy intensity reduction in just our third year of the ten-year goal. This milestone was the result of targeted efforts across our operations, including the replacement of older hydraulic presses with more efficient hybrid equipment, improvements in color change processes, and a continued focus on reducing scrap and optimizing press usage. These updates not only lowered our energy consumption but also improved overall efficiency and productivity. We also made progress toward setting our first greenhouse gas emissions reduction target. Throughout the past year, we partnered with a third-party firm to analyze our emissions, forecast future scenarios, and benchmark our performance against industry peers.
Expanding Our Sustainable Product Portfolio
Sustainability is at the core of how we innovate at PHOENIX. In 2024, we expanded our post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin portfolio with the launch of Onyx Essential, a material designed for personal care and home care applications that offers up to 100 percent PCR content. This complements our food-contact safe PCR closures, which can contain up to 30 percent PCR content. These offerings support customers who are adapting to changing regulations around PCR use and extended producer responsibility, while also contributing to a more circular economy.
We also expanded our EcoStack® portfolio, an innovative line of closures designed to reduce material use and improve resource efficiency. EcoStack® closures are manufactured with less resin while maintaining performance and quality. Their nested design increases pack counts by up to 87 percent, resulting in fewer shipments, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and reduced warehouse space requirements. These improvements support our broader efforts to minimize environmental impact across the packaging lifecycle.
Leading in Safety, Quality, and Recognition
Our commitment to quality and safety remains at the core of our operations. In 2024, we were proud to be recognized as the Safety Champion of the Year by the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. This recognition reflects our strong safety culture and our continued investment in training, communication, and best-in-class safety practices. On the product side, all PHOENIX manufacturing facilities once again maintained “Excellent” ratings on their Safe Quality Food (SQF) certifications, scoring between 96 and 100. These results demonstrate our adherence to the highest standards of quality and compliance, particularly in food-contact packaging. Our sustainability performance also received external validation this year. In our 2024 environmental, social and governance (ESG) assessment, we earned a Silver Medal, an improvement from the Bronze rating we received the previous year. This placed PHOENIX in the top three percent of companies in our industry and reflects the maturity of our practices in environmental impact, labor and human rights, ethics, and procurement. Since the close of the reporting period, we have continued to build on that progress and are proud to have recently achieved a Gold Medal rating. This recognition underscores our ongoing commitment to sustainability and continuous improvement.
Strengthening Supply Chain Responsibility and Employee Engagement
Sustainability goes beyond our facilities. In 2024, we implemented our first Sustainable Procurement Policy to ensure that our purchasing decisions align with our environmental and social values. This involves evaluating all of our critical raw material suppliers on a scorecard bi-annually to provide feedback and monitor improvements. We also completed sustainability training for every member of our procurement team, giving them the tools to engage more effectively with responsible suppliers and make informed decisions.
Looking to the Future
The 2024 Sustainability Report is more than a summary of accomplishments. It’s a reflection of our long-term commitment to building a secure and sustainable future. Whether it’s through developing more sustainable packaging materials, reducing emissions, or creating a workplace where employees feel valued and empowered, we are focused on progress that lasts. As we look toward preparing our 2025 Sustainability Report, we remain dedicated to expanding our environmental programs, formalizing our emissions goals, and strengthening the connections between sustainability, innovation, and operational excellence.
We invite you to explore the full 2024 PHOENIX Sustainability Report to learn more about our efforts, challenges, and ambitions. Together, we can continue building a legacy that inspires innovation, confidence, and trust.
Read the full 2024 Sustainability Report here.