Ball releases inaugural combined annual and sustainability report

Ball Corp., an aluminum packaging company based in Westminster, Colorado, has released its inaugural combined report covering 2021. The report provides stakeholders with a comprehensive overview of how environmental, social and economic sustainability are driving growth across the company's global aluminum packaging and aerospace businesses.    

According to a news release from Ball, the report details its commitment to transparently sharing progress toward its 2030 sustainability goals and integrating sustainability into all aspects of its business strategy.     

"While 2021 presented challenges such as the pandemic and supply chain issues, we continued to work together as a global team to drive sustainable innovation and deliver results for shareholders, customers and our communities," says Dan Fisher, president and CEO-elect of Ball. "At Ball, sustainability is a business imperative. We remain committed to driving systemic change throughout our company and industry. The progress made last year is a testament to that."   

Ball's sustainability strategy covers the company's entire value chain. It focuses on improving product stewardship by supporting customers' goals, developing net zero-emission and circular strategies for its products and accelerating positive social impact for employees and the communities the company operates.   

Highlights from the 2021 report include:   

• strides on renewable energy, including sourcing 44 percent of global electricity demand in 2021 from renewables, resulting in the elimination of nearly 409,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually;   

• year-over-year reduction of carbon emissions associated with global beverage direct operations by 19 percent, progress toward the company's 1.5 degree science-based emissions reduction target;   

• earning Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI) certification for 35 of its beverage packaging facilities in South America and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (ASI certification enables Ball to create a stronger and more resilient supply chain while underscoring the company's commitment to source 100 percent of its aluminum needs from certified sustainable sources by 2030.);   

• increased sports and entertainment venue adoption of the Ball aluminum cup, a recyclable product that helps venues meet sustainability goals by eliminating 271,000 plastic cups and bottles in 2021;   

• launching the Ball Aerospace-built Operational Land Imager 2 instrument aboard Landsat 9, the latest in a series of missions between NASA and the United States Geological Society which provide monitoring of key natural and economic resources from orbit;   

• more than 60 percent of the aluminum supplied for Ball's aerosol packaging originated from low carbon sources;   

• increased annual spending with minority- and women-owned business suppliers in the United States by 32 percent to $138.2 million; and

• contributed $5 million in global support for Ball communities impacted by COVID-19.   

In addition to reporting progress toward the company's 2030 sustainability goals, the combined report outlines Ball's role in driving the transition to a circular economy. This builds on the company's 2021 Vision for a Perfect Circle, which provides a comprehensive framework for how the industry can achieve an ambitious circular model. This framework calls for 100 percent collection, extended producer responsibility and improved sorting infrastructure. The report also includes updates on Ball initiatives, like diversity, inclusion and community.