At Ecolean, sustainability is not a department or a line item. It is the backbone of our entire business. Since our founding in Sweden in 1996, we have believed that packaging should be smarter: lighter on the planet, safer for people, and more efficient for customers. This belief has grown into a global commitment, with tangible results across emissions reduction, resource efficiency, social responsibility, and circular innovation.
As we expand our operations across more than 20 countries, including our growing presence in Asia, our focus remains the same: to do more with less - less plastic, less waste, less energy - while delivering more safety, more food protection, and more long-term value
A word from the CEO
Reflecting on the past year, CEO Marie Samuelsson describes 2024 as a pivotal moment in Ecolean’s sustainability journey. “We are not simply responding to change—we are helping shape it,” she says. “From climate action to circular design, our teams around the world are proving that growth and responsibility can go hand in hand.”
With a changing world and upcoming new regulations in Europe we choose to see this as an opportunity to deepen our sustainability work and elevate our standards. The introduction of our new Pilot Plant in Landskrona, Sweden, is one example of this ambition in action. Built to accelerate testing and innovation, the Pilot Plant supports development of packaging that meets the highest food safety standards while preparing for upcoming legislation like the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
Our strategy isn’t driven solely by compliance. It’s about leadership. With transparency, integrity, and collaboration, we aim to build packaging systems that are fit for the future and help solve the urgent environmental and social challenges of today.
Climate action through a lifecycle approach
Tackling climate change remains at the heart of our environmental work. We take a full lifecycle approach to emissions—looking not only at our direct energy use but also at the impacts of materials, transportation, and downstream logistics.
In 2024, our total CO2 emissions has dropped by 45 percent compared to our 2018 baseline. This reduction spans across all scopes: Scope 1 (direct emissions from our operations), Scope 2 (emissions from purchased energy), and Scope 3 (all other indirect emissions, from raw material production to product use and end-of-life). Scope 3 is by far the largest share of our emissions, so our work here is particularly impactful. Most of these emissions come from the sourcing and production of raw materials like packaging film and filling machine components. That’s why we’re continuously evaluating material choices, engaging with suppliers, and looking at design innovations with the same, or better, performance. The same applies to logistics, where smarter shipping are significantly reducing our footprint.
Smarter shipping for a smaller footprint
Ecolean’s global reach depends on effective logistics but we are determined to deliver that reach with as low emissions as we can. In 2024, we increased the container efficiency by implementing a new practice of stacking pallets, effectively reducing transport emissions per unit. We also launched a pilot partnership with a logistics provider using green methanol which is estimated to save up to 20 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year on shipping routes. In a move that combines both efficiency and emissions reduction, we have been shifting production for some customers from China to Sweden, a change that will avoid roughly 200 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
Shipping is essential to our business, but it doesn’t have to come at the planet’s expense. By rethinking how we move our products, we’re strive to making real progress toward a low-carbon value chain.
Energy that powers change
In our production facilities we continue to purchase 100 percent renewable electricity. In 2024, we also achieved a nine percent reduction in total energy consumption compared to the previous year. These gains were the result of coordinated actions across all our sites. A continues energy mapping and energy-saving upgrades like for example replacing lighting systems with efficient LEDs and improving equipment start/stop routines. In Sweden, we’ve continued using renewable biogas to power our plants and offices and in China and Pakistan we continued to procured renewable energy certificates.
From waste reduction to circular design
Minimising waste has always been a priority at Ecolean. Not just at the end of a package’s life, but throughout our entire process. In 2024, we continued our zero-landfill achievement and recycled most of our production waste.
Many activities to decrease waste and promote recycling has been carried out during the year, for example 20-30 % internally recycled material goes back into our production of packaging film. We’ve also developed reusable transport pallets made from Ecolean production waste, reducing reliance on disposable wooden in markets like Pakistan.
But waste reduction goes beyond internal efficiencies. We’re part of industry-wide collaborations such as CEFLEX in Europe and CoRe in Pakistan, working to build recycling infrastructure and ensure that flexible packaging doesn’t become waste, but a valuable resource in a circular economy.
A culture of safety and learning
Keeping our people safe is fundamental. In 2024, our Total Recordable Injury Frequency (TRIF) dropped to 5.1, a 52 percent decrease from the previous year. This remarkable improvement is a result of focus on safety observations, implementing new standards, machine safety updates, training, safety drills and a strong culture of awareness.
We believe that learning drives innovation. On average, each employee received 18 hours of training in 2024. This included technical, commercial, and leadership development, as well as onboarding programs for new coworkers.
Supply chain accountability
Our sustainability commitment doesn’t stop at our doors. We expect the same high standards from our partners and suppliers. By the end of 2024, all selected suppliers had signed and committed to the Ecolean Supplier Code of Conduct, covering labour rights, ethics, and environmental responsibility. Together with our suppliers we focus on building knowledge, addressing risks, and collaborating on innovation. This to ensure that our sustainability values are upheld at every stage of the value chain.
Looking Ahead
The Ecolean’s 2024 Sustainability Report reflects our purpose. We are proud of the strides we have made in cutting emissions, improving recyclability, supporting employees, and strengthening our global systems. But we know the work continues.
Together with our employees, customers, suppliers, and communities, we will continue to push the boundaries of what packaging can be: safer, smarter, lighter, and better for the world.
Marie Samuelsson, CEO Ecolean AB