Interview on MCC’s Sustainability Vision With a Panel of Experts

A Persistent Pursuit of a Better Tomorrow, Today

MCC works every single day towards sustainable development that helps build a brighter future for all. Our customers’ growing demand for a sustainable approach is getting louder each day. Therefore, we commit ourselves to minimize environmental impact and develop sustainable label solutions that meet the needs of our customers and partners within the value chain. Based on our corporate values of integrity, passion, creativity, perseverance and achievement, we describe here how we work towards this every single day. We spoke with three MCC key figures to get their vision on sustainability, and all things sustainable in the home care & laundry space.

Q: Sustainability is an all- The first pillar is Collaborate. This means that at encompassing concept. What MCC, we engage with multiple stakeholder partners does sustainability mean to MCC throughout the value chain who are aiming for a and where does MCC put the sustainable future. emphasis? Secondly, we have Act. We want to lead by taking SB: For us at MCC, the best definition action to optimize our supply chain and production of sustainability is meeting the process. We will use a continuous improvement needs of all our stakeholders without approach in each facility globally with clear and compromising the ability of future transparent reporting about our KPI goals and Dr. Stijn Billiet generations to meet their own needs. progress made. Global Director Sustainability We are not only limiting this to the Act is followed by the third pillar, Resolve. We environmental side, but equally want to offer label solutions that meet today’s important are the social, economic sustainability needs. By understanding our customers’ and governance aspects. In 2020 we unified this into goals, we offer the optimal label solution that is also our sustainability vision. The simple statement “At MCC the most sustainable. we CARE about a better tomorrow, today” embodies We end up with the fourth pillar, Engage. At the what we try to do daily at MCC. We continuously core of our business are the people we interact with work to ensure that we stay a responsible leader in every day. We know that our people are our greatest the market and expand our portfolio of sustainable asset as they are the key ingredient in making us solutions for all stakeholders. CARE is also an acronym more sustainable, which is one of our most important for our four main pillars within sustainability. competitive advantages.

Q: A sustainability policy is invaluable today, but has it always been the case? How would you describe MCC’s evolution in terms of sustainability: from where have we come and how do you see MCC evolving in the future?

SB: MCC was established in 1916 and this long experience in providing premium label solutions has always been combined with an ecological mindset. With the strong growth that the company has experienced in the last years, we determined that there was indeed a greater need to update our sustainability strategy to ensure that it fits within the new MCC family. The first steps in elaborating this sustainability policy were taken in 2020. However, more details will be made public in the coming months. In offering sustainable solutions to our customers, we consider regional differences and, of course, market-specific trends. For the home care & laundry market, we have a lot to offer, and we are excited to be able to share this with the outside world and all our stakeholders.

(EPBP) to ensure our sustainable product offerings Q: What role does sustainability play in the home pass their stringent requirements. All of this allows care & laundry market? us to be a sustainable label solutions leader for the CB: Consumers are motivated home care & laundry market. to choose brands that align with their priorities and brand values. Nowadays, we see that consumers start to attach more importance to and see added value in sustainability. There are specific brands within the home care & laundry market that have prioritized the environment and see Dr. Craig Bushman sustainability as one of their key Vice President Research & focus points. Those brands have Development sustainability as a natural outcome. We certainly see some transition taking place as the home care & laundry market is starting to recognize that consumers are willing to pay more for brands that have a sustainable message. Consequently, this is a key motivator for them in their willingness to invest in sustainable solutions.

Q: How does MCC succeed time after time in providing customers with appropriate, up-to-date and sustainable solutions?

DP: MCC is committed to ensuring sound environmental practices are a part of our daily process. We believe that sustainability is our joint responsibility and opportunity. We are an active participant with key industry partners surrounding environmentally sustainable initiatives such as waste reduction, environmentally friendly materials, recyclability of materials and energy efficient production technologies. Next to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), we are also actively involved with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), and work closely together with the European PET Bottle Platform

“We certainly see some transition taking place as the home care & laundry market is starting to recognize that consumers are willing to pay more for brands that have a sustainable message.”

Dr. Craig Bushman, Vice President Research & Development

Q: What do you think MCC has to offer the home care & laundry market in terms of sustainability?

DP: MCC has an extensive offering of sustainable products to service the home care & laundry market that help brands achieve goals around material reduction, recyclability and reusability, regardless of the current label technology in use.

Darren Priebe

Executive Vice President of Global Sales - Consumer Products Goods

CB: We think in terms of labels provided on particular container types, so the labels we provide are designed to meet sustainability requirements. PET containers today are well understood within the home care & laundry segment, and have high adoption for recycling compatibility under our RecycLABEL™ brand. The home care & laundry markets are adopting those recyclable compatible solutions for PET containers. In addition, recently, the home care & laundry market, which uses significant amounts of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers, has been seeking more recyclable label options. MCC has specifically developed and introduced labels designed to meet APR recognition for pressure-sensitive labels, shrink sleeve labels, inmold labels and heat-transfer labels on high-density polyethylene containers.

Our focus is now changing to include the ability to incorporate post-consumer recycle (PCR) into the label materials. This has been an important priority because of increasing PCR use within the packaging of customers, it’s an important next step for us in our development process.