Bong AB (publ)
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2020, 2021, 2023)
Reporting Period: 2020
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Environment
- Social
- Governance
Environmental Achievements
- More than 90 percent of total waste from the plants goes to recycling.
- All fine paper suppliers can show full traceability and origin control of the raw material.
- The largest manufacturing facilities are certified according to ISO 14001 and ISO 9001.
Social Achievements
- No serious work accident occurred in the Group's units in 2020.
- Good relations with the trade unions in each country.
- The company does not discriminate on the basis of gender, age, ethnicity, religion, political opinion, etc.
Governance Achievements
- Bong complies with the Code with regard to requirements for independent Board members.
- The Audit Committee met three times in 2020, all of which were fully attended.
- The Remuneration Committee met on one occasion in 2020, at which all members participated.
Climate Goals & Targets
Environmental Challenges
- The Covid-19 pandemic led to profound changes in operating environments, supply chain disruptions, and changes in consumer behavior.
- A heavy –13% decline for Retail Gift Bags due to hard lockdowns.
- Overall, the sales decreased by 18% compared to 2019 in the envelope segment.
Mitigation Strategies
- Restructuring in UK and France and saving efforts in all countries.
- Investments in light packaging products to accelerate growth.
- Repurchase of own bond loan.
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: At the end of 2020, paper suppliers with volumes corresponding to more than 90 percent of Bong's purchases of fine paper had signed Bong's Code of Conduct for suppliers.
Responsible Procurement
- Code of Conduct
- Supplier Code of Conduct
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: Global Compact
Certifications: ISO 14001, ISO 9001, PEFC, FSC
Third-party Assurance: PricewaterhouseCoopers AB
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- e-Green environmentally friendly solution made from 100% strong kraft paper
Reporting Period: 2021
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Environment
- Social
- Governance
Environmental Achievements
- Waste per unit manufactured was 1% lower in 2021 compared with 2020 and almost 4% lower than in 2016.
- More than 90 percent of the total waste from the plants goes to recycling.
- Some major plants are certified according to ISO 50001, which is an energy management system targeted at the continuous improvement of energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption.
Social Achievements
- No serious work accident occurred in the Group's units in 2021.
- Good relations with the trade unions in each country.
- The company does not discriminate on the basis of gender, age, ethnicity, religion, political opinion, etc.
Governance Achievements
- Bong’s Code of Conduct imposes bans on bribery.
- The company considers that the governance and control of its own operations and impact on suppliers provides support for the assessment that overall the company's sustainability risks are comparatively small.
- The Board of Directors has established a remuneration committee.
Climate Goals & Targets
Environmental Challenges
- Supply chains of raw material remain very tense with long lead times.
- Exploding gas and electricity prices on top of machine shutdowns and strikes, which reduce available paper capacity and put massive pressure on paper prices.
- Drastic price increases for glue, window films, freight, packaging, and difficulties in hiring qualified workforce.
Mitigation Strategies
- Bong has successfully implemented sales price increases to customers but needs to increase prices further in Q1 and Q2 2022.
- Focus on sales price increase, improvement of efficiency and reduction of cost.
- Further increase our light packaging production capacities and product portfolio despite a difficult labor market in Europe.
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: At the end of 2021, paper suppliers with volumes corresponding to more than 90 percent of Bong's purchases of fine paper had signed Bong's Code of Conduct for suppliers.
Responsible Procurement
- Supplier Code of Conduct
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: Global Compact
Certifications: ISO 14001, ISO 9001, ISO 50001, PEFC, FSC
Third-party Assurance: PricewaterhouseCoopers AB
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- e-Green product range
- Bubble Mailers
- Board Backs
- Corrugated Board
- All Board Mailers
- 100% paper based ecological mailer
Reporting Period: 2023
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Environment
- Social
- Governance
Environmental Achievements
- Decreased energy consumption per manufactured unit by more than 8% compared to 2022
- More than 90% of total waste from the plants goes to recycling
Social Achievements
- No serious work accident occurred in the Group's units in 2023
- Good relations with trade unions in each country
Governance Achievements
- Continued support for the UN Global Compact initiative
- Ongoing refinancing process of senior secured bonds
Climate Goals & Targets
Environmental Challenges
- Weak macroeconomic conditions in Europe, high inflation dampening consumer demand
- High energy prices, increasing towards the end of the year
- Potential supply chain and delivery problems due to the war in Israel/Gaza
Mitigation Strategies
- Continuous efforts to keep costs under control
- Measures to improve energy efficiency
- Intensive work on improving productivity and adjusting staff to meet current demand
- Evaluating possibilities for alternative solutions for refinancing bonds
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: At the end of 2023, paper suppliers with volumes corresponding to more than 90 percent of Bong's purchases of fine paper had signed Bong's Code of Conduct for suppliers.
Responsible Procurement
- Supplier Code of Conduct
- Demanding environmental requirements imposed on suppliers of glue, paint and window film
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: UN Global Compact, Swedish Annual Accounts Act
Certifications: ISO 14001, ISO 9001, ISO 50001, PEFC, FSC
Third-party Assurance: PricewaterhouseCoopers AB
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- AirPro Green range of cushioned paper mailers
- Turn Over Top paper carrier bags