2025 Chairman’s Sustainability Awards: Crown’s winners bring about an eco-friendly take on packaging

Taking sustainability goals ahead, on January 15, Crown Holdings Inc., the packaging company, revealed the list of winners of its 2025 Chairman’s Sustainability Awards. Under the categories of Sustainable Manufacturing, Safety/Employee Engagement and Innovation in Sustainability, it recognises manufacturing sites within Crown’s global base that improved in environmental performance, workplace safety and innovation throughout 2025. 

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Addressing the company’s approach to sustainability, Sandrine Duquerroy-Delesalle, Vice President of Global Sustainability & External Affairs at Crown Holdings, stated, “Sustainability has always been a core focus of our operations and our primary products, which are inherently recyclable and contribute to the circular economy.”

Duquerroy-Delesalle noted that the achievements being recognised reflect the initiative taken by teams across the company and emphasise the momentum of Crown’s Twentyby30™ programme. 

Award winners

The Sustainable Manufacturing Award was won by the Ponta Grossa aluminium beverage can plant in Brazil for introducing energy-efficient processes, including a system that recovers residual heat from compressors and reuses it in production. Similar waste-heat recovery initiatives are now being rolled out at other facilities of the Crown.

The Safety and Employee Engagement Award was handed to the Izmit aluminium can plant of Turkey for modernising and standardising its air system, improving air quality and working conditions while lowering temperatures inside the plant.

The Innovation in Sustainability Award was shared by Signode Virton in Belgium and SS Metals (SMP) in Singapore. In Belgium, the launch of plastic stretch film containing 30 per cent post-consumer recycled content reduced reliance on fossil fuels, supporting Crown’s circularity goals. 

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Honourable mentions

Finalist for the Safety/Employee Engagement Award was the Bowling Green, KY, aluminium beverage can-manufacturing plant for lowering 20 per cent of its total recordable incident rate (TRIR). The Sustainable Manufacturing Award finalist was Signode India Limited, the India-based transit packaging manufacturer and distributor. It was recognised for several initiatives, such as a plastic recycling and reuse program. 

Runner-up for Innovation in Sustainability Award was Agoncillo, Spain, beverage cans and ends plant for implementing Smart Air Efficiency initiative that enhanced air usage and decreased carbon emissions.

Timothy Donahue, President, CEO and Chairman of the Board, said the awards reflect the commitment of Crown’s workforce. He commented, “We recognise the drive and dedication of our global team members to minimise the Company’s environmental footprint while safeguarding employees.” 

Image for representational purposes only (source: https://crowncork.com/)

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