We’re delighted that two Pernod Ricard Winemakers employees were recognised at last week’s inaugural Women in Packaging Awards in Sydney, run by PKN Packaging News. Marissa Altmeier, Packaging Technologist Manager, won the ‘Sustainability Leader Award’ and was a finalist for the ‘Packaging Technologist of the Year’ award. Procurement and Development Manager, Charlotte Terris also entered the finalist line up for the ‘Manufacturing Leader Award’.
The ‘Sustainability Leader’ award honours a woman who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to sustainability in the Australian packaging industry. It recognises initiatives such as packaging waste reduction, promoting recyclability, advocating for eco-friendly materials, or implementing circular packaging practices. Marissa received this well-deserved accolade for her leadership on the ‘Going Hoodless’ sustainability initiative, removing Poly-laminate (Aluminium) hoods on some of our sparkling wine bottles. Implementing this change across 8 SKUs has yielded extraordinary results, successfully diverting four tonnes of waste from landfill. Huge congratulations go to Marissa for taking home the win in this competitive category.
Marissa also reached the finalists lineup for the ‘Packaging Technologist of the Year Award’ for her delivery of the lightweight Riesling Bottle in Australia. Traditionally challenging to lightweight, Visy recently introduced a 410g version, reducing it from 518g. This transition is expected to yield a 15.4% reduction in CO2 emissions. By being the first adopter of that bottle and sharing the success of these initiatives with industry groups, Marissa has positioned herself as a catalyst for change, inspiring others to follow suit.
Commenting on the awards, Marissa Altmeier said: “I’m absolutely honoured. I’m still in shock firstly to have been nominated – how my team and manager sent the submissions in secret, I don’t know! Secondly, to have actually taken home a win!
I’m proud of what we have done and what we will continue to do. This award is for my team, my peers and supports, and my manager Gwen Callies who is always supportive of our initiatives and encourages me to keep at it. Special thanks Marie, Karina, Simon and Megan”.
Many congratulations go as well to Procurement and Development Manager, Charlotte Terris, who was a finalist in the ‘Manufacturing Leader’ award category for spearheading a transformative initiative within our Australian and New Zealand wine and Ready To Drink brands, transitioning from white to brown cardboard packaging to support our environmental footprint and operational efficiency. This shift has increased recycled content in our boxes by an impressive 27-32% and data reveals that brown board pulp requires approximately 50% less water comparison to white due to the bleaching process.
These awards showcase not only the talented individuals across the business, but also the amazing, creative work being done to drive forward the packaging and circular making goals in our Good Times from a Good Place sustainability & responsibility strategy.
