For the past three years, the Schubert Group has been refining its environmental and social policies, which have resulted in key gains for its Mission Blue sustainability drive, detailed in its 2025 Annual, reports Neill Barston.

As the business explained, its latest publication, which falls on the company’s key 60th anniversary, covers its core imilestones achieved last year, and the momentum behind the company’s transformation – transparently, entirely digitally and in a refreshingly new look.

Refreshingly, as the company noted: “Building packaging machines with innovation and passion while presenting dry sustainability figures at the same time – Schubert does not see these two things as compatible.”

That is why, with its current annual, the manufacturer is once again presenting an informative and engaging reporting format focusing on its Mission Blue Sustainability Initiative.

Moreover, as the business noted, its latest release is par sustainability magazine, reporting in accordance with ESRS and an annual report, it also presents  the latest facts and developments in the four sustainability areas of “sustainable corporate governance”, “climate-friendly production”, “environmentally friendly machines and services” and “sustainable packaging”.

The teams responsible for these areas provide in-depth insights into how they translate specific sustainability targets into individual measures, introduce innovations into existing processes and work together to initiate structural change.

Strong momentum and teamwork 
This creates strong momentum across all sustainability areas, which has an impact both within the company and beyond it. Examples include the “Great Place to Work” certification, the “Lean & Green Management Award”, the new generation of TLM packaging machines and the sustainable packaging solutions developed by the Packaging Competence Center.

Marcel Kiessling, Managing Director of Gerhard Schubert GmbH, spoke to Confectionery Production recently at this year’s interpack event in Dusseldorf, who believed its annual reports, and focus on sustainability in a holistic way, through improving its equipment, core manufacturing sites, and investing in its people were all of critical importance.

 He commented: “Our Mission Blue Sustainability Initiative stands for a vision that closely links our traditional Schubert values with specific sustainability targets. This makes Mission Blue an authentic component of our overall corporate strategy. We are proud that it has developed into a genuine team project that is making a noticeable difference for us and our customers.”

As the company added, sustainability standards are usually based on the three ESG pillars of Environment, Social and Governance.

As a partner in the hotly debated and heavily regulated packaging industry, the company explained that it has  deliberately chosen a different approach.

“While we aim to become more sustainable ourselves through our focus areas of Sustainable Corporate Management and Climate-Friendly Production, we also strive to develop packaging solutions that enable our customers to develop more sustainable methods of production. We are pursuing this goal through our focus areas of Environmentally Friendly Machinery and Services and Sustainable Packaging.”

Business ethos
Furthermore, as the German-headquartered firm, which now employs around 1,900 people observed, policies that foster the development of staff and help with their wellbeing are critical to its evolution.

The business noted: “A company is only as good as the people who work in it. For us this is not a catchphrase, but part of our everyday reality. Our employees make Schubert what it is. Without their loyalty, expertise and passion, we would not be at the forefront of the packaging industry today. That’s why we consistently put our people at the centre of everything we do – through secure jobs, opportunities for development and a working environment shaped by trust, appreciation and a long-term outlook.

“We care about the health of our employees and stand up for equality and diversity. Similarly important to us is the balance between family and career – for both men and women. Schubert also fulfils its social responsibility by strengthening the Crailsheim region and making it an attractive place for people to live. Of course, this also includes financial and active support of social and charitable projects.”