How supermarket chatter helps us change the aluminium industry
Past: “This soda is the cheapest! I’m getting this.”
Present: “This soda packaging is made from sustainable materials and fair-trade certified. I’m going to support this brand.”
“Globally, sustainability is rated as an important purchase criterion for 60% of consumers.” - The Global Sustainability Study 20211
The supermarket chatter has changed.
When consumers reach for their favourite soda, salad, or fresh produce, the traditional factors of price and brand are no longer the only considerations behind their purchase decisions.
Waste reduction, carbon footprint reduction, sustainable packaging production, commitment to ethical working practices, and respect of human rights were found to be the top five environmentally sustainable or ethical practices that consumers valued most2.
And there’s power in numbers.
Consumers recognise they have an important role in helping to make the planet a better place through the products they purchase and the brands they support. Together, they have the power to influence sustainability practices of the entire supply chain.
As consumers find themselves more empowered to be the key catalysts for change in this sustainability journey, their demands are driving demand for sustainable practices among corporations. Sustainability efforts and commitments are no longer a good to have, but a must have.
“Consumers want to do more but many want brands to take the lead and help them adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.”2
Our partners like AB InBev, Schneider, and Marubeni share their thoughts on changing consumer behaviour and the sustainability landscape.
“Consumers are demanding more and more transparency in what they buy” ”
– AB InBev
“Realised that our communities were demanding it, from shareholders, to policy makers, to our customers, to our own employees” ”
– Schneider Electric
We, too, hear the voices of our customers and the consumers. That is why we are trying to change the way we do things in the aluminium industry with START.
The aluminium value chain is long and complex, and consumers don’t have all the information they need to make sustainable choices. Where did the soda come from? How was the aluminium can made? Is this made of recycled material?
Who knows the answers? We do. And we want you to know too.
With START, we share 14 key ESG criteria on our aluminium products:
Global warming potential
Water management
Waste management
Energy (electricity) source
Air emissions
Biodiversity
Land management
Recycled content
Safety performance
Contribution to communities
Third-party assessment
Ethics and compliance training
Diversity
Whistleblower programme
And, by partnering with our customers and others in the supply chain to provide their environmental, social and governance metrics (ESG), from mine to market, we provide a holistic view on how the can was produced so that you can make more informed purchase decisions.
Come along with us on the journey to bring transparency, traceability and provenance to the aluminium industry.
1Global Sustainability Study 2021: Initial insights (simon-kucher.com) / Recent Study Reveals More Than a Third of Global Consumers Are Willing to Pay More for Sustainability as Demand Grows for Environmentally-Friendly Alternatives | Business Wire