Good business practices for the common good

Publication on GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICES for the common good,

on the occasion of the Audience of the Holy Father Francis for UCID

31 October 2015

Alplast is present in this publication drawn up on the occasion of the audience by the Holy Father Francis which took place on 31 October 2015.

It is a volume that collects about eighty testimonies of entrepreneurs who carry out their activities according to the great principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church which are development, solidarity, subsidiarity, the common good.

This is the descriptive part of our company:

Good Business Practices – Policies and Actions adopted

Company presentation

The industrial adventure of the Goria family began in Turin in 1953, the year in which the “Capsule” company was founded. Production included aluminum capsules for the wine and liquor market. Already in the 1960s, the range of products was expanded with plastic capsules, and the strong demand forced the transfer of production to two different plants. The production of aluminum capsules remains in Turin, while a plant is built for plastic capsules in Tigliole d’Asti (Almond region).

In the 1970s the new company name became ALPLAST, a name that combines the initials of the two main materials used in the production process, namely aluminum and plastic. In 1976, the entry of the second generation into the company made it possible to expand sales in foreign markets and expand the range of products, allowing them to be integrated into new sectors, from oil to mineral water, soft drinks, etc. . 1978 saw the beginning of the construction of a third plant, also located in Tigliole d’Asti (Calvini Region), which, enlarged and modified over the years, is nowadays the main plant. This is the moment of a great productive and commercial change, new departments are built and the administrative and commercial offices are gathered in a single building adjacent to the production plant.

The demand for aluminum caps continues to grow and the market becomes increasingly demanding, and this justifies the decision in 1987 to build a new plant for lithographic printing of aluminum plates in Oggiono (Lecco). In the following years, the drive towards expansion and innovation has never diminished, leading the company on the one hand to establish itself beyond European borders and on the other to increase the number of products it can offer to customers every year. .

In 2003 the entry of the third generation began, which after ten years of training in the various roles of corporate competence, over the last few years is starting to take strategic decisions on the future of the company together with the second generation.

Field of activity:

ALPLAST srl produces capsules, caps and closures for food and beverage products. The customer has at his disposal a wide range of closures in plastic, aluminum and other high-tech synthetic materials, in infinite sizes and colors for every type of need: still and sparkling water, fruit juices, soft drinks, edible oils, wines, soft drinks drinks, liqueurs and coffees to cover all the needs of the global market.

Currently the size of the company is as follows:

• 210 employees;
• 3 production plants on a total area of 50,000 m ² of which 25,000 are covered;
• Turnover of over 40,000,000 € uro of which 50% to 80 foreign countries;

The Company Policy is structured according to the following points:

• the policy must be appropriate to the nature, size and environmental impacts of its activities, products and services; which includes a commitment to continuous improvement and pollution prevention and a commitment to comply with the relevant applicable environmental legislation and regulations and other requirements subscribed by the organization, which provides the reference framework for establishing and reviewing environmental objectives and targets and that it is documented, made operational and kept active.
• identify the direct and indirect significant environmental aspects, under normal, abnormal and emergency conditions, relating to the activities, products and services of the Company itself;
• identify all legal, regulatory and other requirements applicable to the Company’s activities, products and services;
• identify the qualitative and environmental objectives and targets and establish the related priorities;
• set up, implement and maintain over time a Quality and Environment Management Program capable of implementing the Policies and achieving the objectives and goals set;
• ensure operational control of activities and monitor significant qualitative and environmental aspects through appropriate controls and measurements of operational and environmental performance;
• foresee and carry out personnel training and awareness activities, necessary to ensure maximum effectiveness in the implementation and maintenance of the MANAGEMENT SYSTEM;
• ensure a correct and effective flow of qualitative and environmental information within the Company and towards external interlocutors, periodically submitting the MANAGEMENT SYSTEM to the Management’s review, to ensure that it or parts thereof are adapted to changes internal and external that can occur.
• activate a process of continuous improvement in the Quality and Environment Management System, according to organizational, technological, legislative and regulatory developments;
• create tools that allow documenting the application of the Company’s Quality and Environmental Policy within the company, to customers, suppliers, certification and surveillance bodies.
• The management of ALPLAST srl, in accordance with the rules provided for in the company management, with the specific requests of the customers and with the mandatory requirements, has established to standardize its management and operating methods to the requirements of the ISO 22000: 2005 standard.
• In fact, the company has been paying the utmost attention for years to guarantee food safety by focusing its work on points such as the hygiene of the processing and the healthiness of the products in order to give more and more confidence and guarantees to its customers.
• The company’s Quality Policy gives priority to the creation of high quality products, using high quality raw materials in order to best meet the needs of customers. The relationship with the customer must be managed through continuous communication in order to guarantee customer satisfaction.
• The objectives and commitments of the Quality Management System must be understood and adopted by all levels of the company organization which must strive for continuous improvement and innovation.
• Therefore the Company’s staff is the most important resource for achieving the Quality objectives.
• ALPLAST SRL undertakes to create a business context that stimulates dynamism, participation, clarity of operational functions, mutual respect, also urging the assumption of responsibilities by all employees.
• The entire Company Quality Management System must be oriented towards compliance with current legislation and the environment; it is also the Company’s intention to continue with the current policy of using additives only if they are safe and technologically necessary.
• The objectives and suitability for the Quality Policy will be constantly reviewed and adapted to market changes.
• By following the principles of Good Manufacturing Practices (GLP or GMP), it is ensured that operations are carried out according to defined and applied procedures that fall within the specifications of the standard.
• Analytical and visual checks are regularly carried out in the production premises to ensure compliance with GMP standards.
• Internal audits (VII) are carried out to verify the correct application and efficiency of the EMS.
• The safety policy described above is communicated through the help of the bulletin board present within the company and through the distribution of the Food Safety Management Manual. Its understanding is checked during the Internal Audits. At each Review by the Management (annual) the policy is analyzed, to verify its adequacy and updated to re-examine the objectives of food safety and determine new ones.

GOOD PRACTICE DESCRIPTION

As a concrete act of demonstration of the principles set out above, the Company confirmed its adherence to the Global Compact and Sedex associations.

Alplast believes that Social Responsibility, Quality and the Environment are important requirements for every company. Consistently with the principles expressed also in the Charter of Values, Alplast believes that the development of its activities must be sustainable and compatible with the environment that hosts them, that it can create opportunities for the inhabitants, collaborators and owners and is oriented to a continuous improvement of activities and performances, maintaining a fair balance between social, environmental and economic responsibility.

Regular refresher courses are held by qualified internal and external personnel (updating and assimilation of basic safety concepts).

Periodically, update and verification meetings are carried out internally, with the collaboration of external personnel expert in occupational safety.

Alplast srl fully respects the freedom of the staff to join trade unions and the right to collective bargaining in accordance with current legislation and employment contracts.

Membership in any organization is never denied and will never have any negative repercussions or lead to extortion.

The company policy is not to use the employment of child labor or young workers still in compulsory schooling.

The Management guarantees that only personnel who have reached the age of 18 are employed. To this end, selection procedures are in place such as to detect compliance with the required requirements for the personnel employed, including age requirements.

Alplast guarantees equal opportunities and freedom to follow its principles and religions for all employees, offensive or coercive behavior and any form of discrimination of any form or nature are not allowed.

The staff is selected and hired on the basis of the specificity of the tasks to be covered on the basis of objective parameters such as level and type of training, experience, skills appropriate to the required profile. At the time of hiring and during the course of the employment relationship, political, religious or trade union opinions are neither investigated nor taken into consideration, as well as facts that are not relevant for the purpose of assessing the professional attitude of the worker.

The company makes a “social specialist” available on a regular basis. This professional figure helps workers who request it, on issues concerning the social, private and corporate spheres.

Concessions are granted to working mothers (use of part-time) and permits based on the provisions of Law 104.

An air conditioning and microfiltration system was built, useful for improving the working conditions inside the production plants.

Over the last few we have focused our research on the following points:

Replacement of old high energy consumption plastic injection systems with new high efficiency and low consumption systems.

Replacement of old electric ovens for offset printing with new gas ovens with high energy efficiency. The new ovens are positioned above the printing area and therefore far from the operator’s work area. This intervention, in addition to allowing considerable energy savings, has made it possible to significantly improve working conditions in the summer months.

Recovery of pallets in good condition, used for the transport of goods. Until 2010, the goods were delivered in “one way” pallets normally used for one transport only. The amount of wood wasted was considerable and the costs very high. The recovery work has also been extended to the European level. The work also involved foreign customers and transporters. The former were incentivized for recovery, guaranteeing supplies of standard-sized pallets and guaranteeing periodic recovery (within a short timeframe) of the pallets to avoid storage costs. Special rates have been agreed with the transporters for recovery, in order not to excessively burden the costs on the company budget.

The goal for the next ones is to further reduce energy consumption through an in-depth analysis of energy needs. This type of analysis is assisted by external personnel specialized in the control of energy waste. In addition to the analysis of electricity consumption, a project is underway to analyze the consumption of hydraulic oils used for the presses (polluting). A project is underway for a possible recycling of hydraulic oils aimed at reducing the waste of this pollutant.

At the same time, a control action is underway for the saving of inks used for printing, (pollutant) aimed at reducing the waste of these products. The other by-products of Alplast processes are fully recyclable.

The company is also very attentive to the cultural and charitable activities that take place in the area, regularly guaranteeing an economic contribution to the associations to the bodies that promote them.

Alplast operates in full compliance with transparency, correctness, and impartiality in the conduct of its activities, and requires its collaborators to abide by these principles.