Starlinger intern, 2024/01 - Issue 36

Issue 36 – Nº 1 | 2024

FIVE DECADES IN CHINA

STARLINGER HAS BEEN SUPPLYING MACHINES AND SYSTEMS TO CHINA FOR 50 YEARS

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Dear Colleagues!

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Five decades in China

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Thinking back to our European Football Championship summer clubbing at the end of June, where Austria beat the Netherlands 3:2 in a thrilling match to finish top of their group and advance to the round of 16, I can’t help but feel excited. Even though we then lost against Turkey 2:1, it showed what can be achieved when the team spirit, strategy, performance and, last but not least, the overall set-up are just right. Our company Starlinger reached a high point in the past financial year: It was the year with the highest turnover in the company’s almost 190-year history. I would like to thank you all for the part you played in this success. It would not have been possible without your dedication. However, it will be difficult to replicate this success, as the economic situation continues to be weak and our customers hold back investments, waiting for the market to recover. Team spirit, strategy, performance – we will continue to need them. The topics and measures defined as part of the strategic realignment of our “textile packaging” division were presented to a strategically selected group of people at the end of January, and some projects are already being implemented. You can read more about this on the following pages. In the course of this, Starlinger India has founded a new subsidiary, STP Machinery India LTD in Ahmedabad. At the company’s site in India we plan to produce tape extrusion systems by mid-2025, at the moment mainly for the large subcontinent market. This measure will safeguard our production sites in Europe and China: In the future, it enables us to gain market shares in countries where our starEX extrusion systems are difficult to sell due to their price, thereby generating follow-up orders for winders, looms, as well as coating, printing and conversion systems. The opening of our production site in Taicang, China, had the same background. Starlinger has been doing business in China for 50 years. It all began in 1974 when we took part in the first Austrian machinery exhibition in the Chinese capital, Beijing: On the cover of this issue, you can see my father Franz Huemer standing in front of the exhibition building. When it became increasingly difficult to compete against Chinese loom producers, we opened our branch in Taicang in 2005, which proved its worth in the years that followed and, among other things, contributed to unprecedented sales of AD*STAR ® bag conversion lines in China between 2019 and 2022. It might not be fifty years, but four of our employees are celebrating their 40 th company anniversary this year. Furthermore, and in keeping with the theme of China: Franz Höpflinger, the Managing Director of our Taicang site, retired at the end of May; he is succeeded by Konstantin Hinterplattner, a young man from Upper Austria who has already gathered relevant experience abroad, particularly in China. The “Fit & X’sund Weissenbach” ("Fit & Healthy Weissenbach") project is also making good progress – the sessions of the employee working groups have finished and we are now working on the catalogue of measures. Certain projects, such as providing fruit baskets to all departments, are already being implemented; more will follow after the company holiday. I hope you enjoy reading the Starlinger Intern magazine and wish you a relaxing summer with your family. Enjoy your holiday!

Plastic – are alternative materials really more environmentally friendly?

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Girls’ Day at Starlinger

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STP Machinery Ltd. India: New production facility in India

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Starlinger canteen in Weissenbach

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Trade show reviews – 1 st half of 2024

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Sustainability at Starlinger – from compulsory to voluntary

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New Starlinger website now online

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Euro 2024 live screening

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CSR newsflash

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The Absolut Starlinger 2028 strategy – textile packaging 17

“Fit & X’sund Weissenbach” project

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Change at the top of the CSR and sustainability team

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Running shoes on – 3, 2, 1 … Go!

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viscoSPORT – Hansbergland Cross Triathlon

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Bus advertising in Schwerin for Starlinger and uniROTA

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Art installation at the Berndorf water tower

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Franz Höpflinger: A retirement farewell

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Konstantin Hinterplattner: New Head of our Taicang Plant

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Personnel matters

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The terms used throughout this magazine to refer to individuals should be understood as being gender-neutral.

Idea/concept/realisation: ED / KEK Starlinger Intern 1/2024 – the following people are responsible for the content: ah, AUT, cg, ED, FRC, HT, JÜ, LK, NMH, WIL, WIR Images used in this issue are the property of © Starlinger, unless otherwise stated. Images in this issue were also provided by ah, gg, HGN, PAL, N. Wirth. Email: mitarbeiterinfo@starlinger.com

Angelika Huemer

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FIVE DECADES IN CHINA STARLINGER HAS BEEN OPERATING IN CHINA SINCE 1974

To create a level playing field and safeguard our market share in Asia, Starlinger founded Starlinger Plastics Machinery (Taicang) Co., Ltd. in 2005 and began producing the omega and RX loom models there at competitive prices. It became clear in the years that followed that this decision was a good one, and that continues to be the case today: Sales markets could be reclaimed and growth was generated for the company’s sites in Europe. After the AD*STAR ® boom in the early 2020s, the installed production capacity in China has now grown to over 8 billion AD*STAR ® bags per year. With a bilateral trade volume between Austria and China of EUR 20.2 billion in 2023, China remains Austria’s third most important trading partner worldwide and the most important in Asia. Around 950 Austrian companies, particularly from high tech sectors such as mechanical and automotive engineering, measuring instruments and medical technology, environmental technology and water management, are currently represented in China, employing thousands of people, and around a quarter of these companies – like Starlinger – have production facilities there.

“Prime Minister Zhou receives the President of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Commerce, Rudolf Sallinger” is written on the banner above the entrance to the trade fair pavilion behind Franz X. Starlinger-Huemer on the cover of this issue. For the first Austrian machine exhibition in 1974 – a picture of the trade fair catalogue can be seen below – Franz and Erna Starlinger-Huemer travelled to Beijing together with other Austrian machinery manufacturers to showcase our circular looms. As a result, Starlinger was able to secure its first orders from Chinese customers and establish itself as a supplier of circular looms. In the decades that followed, it was mainly Erna Starlinger-Huemer who represented Starlinger at various business delegations during state visits to China. From the 1980s to the mid-1990s in particular, we supplied numerous woven bag production systems to Chinese customers; an advert in the Austrian supplement of the English-language newspaper China Daily from 1985 (see below) bears witness to this successful period. Known for their ability to accurately replicate technology, however, Chinese companies began to copy Starlinger machines and grew to become serious competitors in the global market.

Angelika and Erna Starlinger-Huemer at the inauguration of our plant in Taicang, 2006. © ah

Starlinger in-house exhibition in Taicang, 2024

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PLASTIC AND ITS ALTERNATIVES ARE THEY REALLY MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY?

priority. We also need functioning collection systems so that the resource plastic can be recycled and used not just once, but several times. The economical use of natural resources is one of the most important ways to ensure that the world will be worth living in for future generations.

Few materials are criticised as harshly in the media as plastic. We see alarming images almost every day: Huge amounts of rubbish are being dumped in landfill sites around the world, dead fish are being washed up on littered beaches. The blame for all this is directed at plastic. Such one-sided reporting results in a distorted perception among the general public. The fact that huge quantities of textiles, glass, metals, construction waste and chemicals also end up in landfill sites, that fish die as a result of toxic wastewater and warming of the oceans, and that many popular holiday destinations do not have a functioning waste management system is much less widely reported. Plastic is not the problem: It is how we deal with it, that is the issue. Plastic is actually a fantastic material. It can be moulded into almost any shape, is unbreakable, lightweight and transparent. Depending on what is required, it can be hard, flexible or brittle and at the same time impervious to heat, light and weathering. This makes plastic the ideal material, not only for packaging, but also for many other areas of application, such as medicine or the automotive industry. By now it is impossible to imagine our modern world without it. Global plastics production has been growing steadily for decades; in the 1950s it was at 1.5 million tonnes per year, today it is 350 million tonnes per year. Around 36 % of this goes into packaging, 16 % into the construction sector, 14 % into textile production and 7 – 8 % into the automotive industry. Plastics account for at least half of the materials used in aeroplanes and cars. 1 A more detailed analysis shows: Plastic has many good properties which, if used correctly, can make it an environmentally friendly alternative. Plastics are neither good nor bad: They have advantages and disadvantages. Obvious benefits of plastics. They are highly flexible and mouldable. They are also lightweight, cost-effective and durable. However, this durability becomes a disadvantage if the material is released into the environment: It can take several hundred years for plastic to decompose completely. Unfortunately, plastic ends up in the environment every day. The world’s biggest rubbish dump is the sea. Many of the plastic fragments end up in the stomachs of sea creatures, bind to algae or decompose into microplastics. Therefore: Preventing plastic from entering the environment must be a top PROS AND CONS OF PLASTICS

PAPER INSTEAD OF PLASTIC? THIS DOESN’T ALWAYS MAKE SENSE

Companies that want to promote themselves as being particularly sustainable and environmentally friendly like to replace plastic packaging with alternative materials such as paper and glass, which, so they claim, are more ecological. In many cases, this is not true. A study 2 conducted by the Germany-based GVM Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung mbH in 2023 found that the material efficiency (the ratio of the packaging weight to the weight of the packaged contents) of plastics is twice as good as that of paper, and even 22 times better than glass (see Figure 1). 3

MATERIAL EFFICIENCY OF DIFFERENT PACKAGING MATERIALS IN g/kg OF PACKAGED PRODUCT IN COMPARISON

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Aluminium Ferrous metals Plastic PPC Glass

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51

572

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100

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400

500

600

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Figure 1: The material efficiency of plastic is twice as good as that of paper. If PET bottles are used instead of glass bottles, the material efficiency is 22 times better. © GVM

Furthermore, the study investigated the effect on material consumption and thus also on the volume of waste if some of the plastic packaging were replaced by glass, paper/ paperboard/cardboard and packaging made of ferrous metals and aluminium. The results show that the amount of packaging generated in households would increase by 18 % if, for example, 10 % of plastic packaging were replaced by glass (share of 15 %), paper/paperboard/cardboard (PPC – share of 45 %), ferrous metals (share of 20 %) and aluminium (share of 20 %) (see Figure 2, Alternative B) 4 .

1 N.N. (13.06.2024). Is plastic good after all? How plastic benefits the environment. Werner & Mertz GmbH. https://initiative-frosch.de/ist-plastik-doch-gut-was-kunststoff-der-umwelt-bringt/

2 N .N. (May 2023). Material efficiency of packaging materials in comparison. GVM Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung, on behalf of IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V., Mainz, Germany 3 Ibid., p. 11

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cement from hardening even after long periods of storage in a damp environment. Woven bags can be reused or replace a high proportion of virgin plastic after recycling – our “Circular Packaging” concept offers a closed packaging loop for big bags made of polypropylene and PET. Starlinger endeavours to create awareness among our customers of the need for sustainable use of the packaging produced on our systems and also assists them by providing technical expertise. After all, sustainable packaging starts with the design: if possible, mixed materials or material composites (such as beverage cartons laminated with plastic) should be avoided to facilitate collection and recycling, and as much recycled production material as possible should be used for manufacturing. This saves raw materials as well as energy and thereby aids climate protection. The bottom line: When used carefully and prudently, plastic packaging helps to protect our climate and our environment by minimising the consumption of resources and reducing climate damaging emissions.

ALLOCATION OF SUBSTITUTE MATERIALS USED INSTEAD OF PLASTIC PACKAGING

Alternative A 25 % 25 % 25 % 25 %

Alternative B 15 % 45 % 20 % 20 %

Alternative C 20 % 35 % 10 % 35 %

Glass PPC Ferrous metals Aluminium

Reduction in plastics

-10 %

-10 %

-10 %

Increase in substitute materials

+25 %

+18 %

+21 %

Final consumption – all materials

+17 %

+12 %

+13 %

The study came to the conclusion that the reduction targets set out in the EU Packaging Regulation cannot be achieved if lightweight plastic packaging is replaced by heavier packaging materials to a significant extent. If the market share of plastic packaging is reduced by 10 % by 2030, the volume of packaging will increase under the same conditions. 5 And it is not only the material requirements for packaging that are higher: Glass bottles, for example, produce more climate-damaging emissions than PET bottles due to their relatively high transport weight. 6 In many cases, the woven bags, tarpaulins and carrier bags made of polypropylene and PET, which are produced on Starlinger systems worldwide, are the best packaging solution. Thanks to their low weight, they conserve resources and help to reduce CO 2 emissions during transport. Woven bags are lightweight yet tear-resistant – if a 35 kg bag of rice falls off the supermarket shelf or onto the floor during loading, it won’t burst open. In this case, the rice, and many other foods such as flour or cereals, do not need to be disposed of, but can be used without any concerns. Woven bags are also permeable to air and provide protection against moisture. AD*STAR ® cement bags, for example, prevent WOVEN FABRIC: OPTIMUM PRODUCT PROTECTION, LIGHTWEIGHT, RECYCLABLE Figure 2: This shows how replacing 10 % of plastic packaging with the substitute materials glass, paper/paperboard/cardboard, ferrous metals and aluminium in three different ways affects the amount of packaging waste – it increases in all cases. © GVM

The facts at a glance: From an ecological point of view, plastic packaging is often better than glass, paper or metal packaging.

Plastic conserves natural resources thanks to low material requirements.

Plastic packaging reduces the amount of waste and climate-damaging emissions.

If plastic packaging is used correctly – i.e. not thrown away, but collected, recycled and reused – it becomes a sustainable raw material source and is beneficial for our environment and climate protection.

4 Ibid., p. 24 5 Ibid., p. 25 6 N .N. (20.06.2024). The NABU reusable guide. NABU – Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V.

https://www.nabu.de/umwelt-und-ressourcen/ressourcenschonung/ einzelhandel-und-umwelt/mehrweg/nabumehrwegguide.html

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GIRLS’ DAY AT STARLINGER

Girls’ Day is a campaign day that takes place once a year to encourage girls and women to take up technical and scientific professions. This special event aims to increase the proportion of female employees in so-called “male professions” and to combat a shortage of skilled labour in the industry. Various companies, mainly from the industrial sector, invite girls from the fifth grade upwards to visit and give them the opportunity to familiarise themselves with jobs in technology, natural sciences, skilled crafts and trades, and information technology. To mark Girls’ Day across Lower Austria on Thursday, 25 April 2024, enthusiastic girls from the Weissenbach Music Middle School took up the tools at Starlinger and used the opportunity to ask questions. This allowed them to not only discover the exciting and varied range of training opportunities through active dialogue with employees, but also to gain practical experience. They tested voltage levels, filed and milled metals and gave free rein to their creativity. By trying things out for themselves, the schoolgirls soon overcame their inhibitions and got to know new career options. The visitors also had the opportunity to get hands-on experience in the trainee workshop, where they made small metal elephants. Getting to know our machines was another item on the agenda: Tape production systems, looms and printing machines were presented, and Starlinger employees explained how pellets are turned into fabric. The pupils also put their technical understanding of electrical matters to the test and learnt about the basics of circuits, while our technicians talked about their careers and everyday working lives. The girls quickly put aside their initial reticence and were so enthusiastic at the end that they would have liked to stay with us even longer! The teachers were also impressed and were full

of praise for our efforts. All in all, it was an exciting morning for everyone involved. Girls’ Day is not just a highlight in the calendar for young up and-coming talent, but also an important building block in youth development. Although there is still room for improvement when it comes to the proportion of women in technical professions at our company, initiatives such as Girls’ Day are having an impact: We are delighted that again a number of female apprentices will be starting their technical training with us in 2024!

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STPM – STP MACHINERY LTD. INDIA OWN BRAND WITH PRODUCTION SITE IN INDIA

Starlinger India Pvt. Ltd. has founded the Indian subsidiary STP Machinery Ltd. India in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in order to implement the two-brand strategy adopted as part of Absolut Starlinger 2028 – textile packaging. With a population of 5.6 million, Ahmedabad is the fifth largest city in India and the economic centre of the Indian textile and plastics industry. It is planned to manufacture tape extrusion lines for standard woven bags here at low cost in the future. They will complement our existing machine portfolio for price-sensitive markets, thereby safeguarding our production sites in Europe. In this way, follow-up orders for winders, looms, and coating, printing and conversion systems can be generated from Austria and Germany. STPM will be marketed as an independent brand backed by Starlinger technology. Norbert Wirth, who joined the Starlinger Group on 1 October 2023 and is CEO of STP Machinery, is responsible for setting up and managing the new production site, with Martin Horvath supporting him as project manager from Starlinger. Production is scheduled to start and the first extrusion lines are to be completed by the end of the Indian financial year in March 2025.

Martin Horvath (left) and Norbert Wirth on the premises of STPM. © N. Wirth

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WELCOME TO THE STARLINGER CANTEEN IN WEISSENBACH!

Since 9 April 2024, Starlinger employees have been able to drop by our canteen for breakfast, snacks and lunch from 7:30 am to 1:00 pm. Bernhard and Sabine from Weilhartner Snack GmbH serve snacks, three main courses for lunch (traditional fare, healthy and vegetarian) as well as soups, seasonal salads, and desserts and various cakes for those with a sweet tooth. If you don’t manage to eat everything, you can pack up the leftovers and take them home with you; it is also possible to heat up your own food in the microwave ovens provided. The latest weekly menu can be found on the notice board and on the works council website (www.staco-br.at).

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PRS Europe – 19 - 20 June 2024, Amsterdam, Netherlands

F.I.P – 4 - 7 June 2024, Lyon, France

Envirotech – 10 - 13 March 2024, Lisbon, Portugal

TRADE SHOW REVIEW 1 ST HALF OF 2024

PRC USA – 25 - 27 March 2024, Grapevine, Texas, USA

NPE –6 - 10 May 2024, Orlando, Florida

TRADE FAIRS IN THE SECOND HALF OF 2024: 3P Pakistan 5 - 7 September 2024 Lahore, PK PRS Middle East & Africa 10 - 12 September 2024 Dubai, UAE PRW Expo 11 - 12 September 2024 Brussels, BE Fakuma 15 - 19 October 2024 Friedrichshafen, DE Expo Plasticos 5 - 7 November 2024 Guadalajara, MX PRS Asia 13 - 14 November 2024 Singapore Plastics & Rubber Indonesia 20 - 23 November 2024 Jakarta, ID Agro Pack Iraq 25 - 28 November 2024 Erbil, IQ Plast Eurasia 4 - 7 December 2024 Istanbul, TR PRS India 4 - 6 December 2024 Mumbai, IN

Propak Ghana – 23 - 25 April 2024, Accra, Ghana

Plastex Cairo – 9 - 12 January 2024, Cairo, Egypt

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Plastpol – 21 - 24 May 2024, Kielce, Poland

ITM – 4 - 8 June 2024, Istanbul, Turkey

IFAT – 13 - 17 May 2024, Munich, Germany

Plast Alger – 4 - 6 March 2024, Algiers, Algeria

N-EXPO – 22 - 24 May 2024, Tokyo, Japan

Chinaplas – 23 - 26 April 2024, Shanghai, China

Plastfocus – 1 - 5 February 2024, New Delhi, India

Open House – 24 - 25 April 2024, Taicang, China

Propak East Africa – 12 - 14 March 2024, Nairobi, Kenya

Plastics Rubber Vietnam –13 - 15 March 2024, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Plastics Rubber Thailand – 15 - 18 May 2024, Bangkok, Thailand

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SUSTAINABILITY AT STARLINGER– FROM COMPULSORY TO VOLUNTARY

OUR COMPULSORY CONTRIBUTION As we explained in our articles in the winter 2022 issue, Starlinger will be impacted by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) from the 2025/26 financial year on. This new European Commission directive on sustainability reporting requires us to disclose sustainability issues on an annual basis as part of the management report. However, the sustainability landscape is very broad. So, how do we know what to report on? The principle of “double materiality” helps us with this. This concept is used to determine the material topics that need to be reported. To this end, a sustainability survey involving discussions was conducted in the autumn of 2022. Internal and external stakeholders gave their opinions on a total of 18 sustainability topics. Also employees of Starlinger were invited to take part. Subsequently, a workshop was held with the Executive Board in March 2023 to assess the financial aspects of the sustainability topics. To summarise, the following list of significant and therefore reportable topics emerged:

Publication of the relevant indicators for the material topics is planned for the end of 2024 as part of the next sustainability report. This is voluntary, but serves as preparation for the mandatory reporting two years later. In keeping with the key topic of “Occupational Health and Safety”, our CSR department focused heavily on running the “Fit & X’sund Weissenbach” (Fit & Healthy Weissenbach) project last year. You can find a detailed status report on this on pages 18 to 20 of this issue of Starlinger Intern. More interested in the (equally important) topics “Energy Efficiency” and “Waste Management” ? You can find a report on them on page 16. OUR VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION Starlinger, like many other companies and institutions, is currently on a mission to achieve greater CSR and sustainability. Many issues call for networking and collective problem-solving if we are to build a future that is fit for our grandchildren: • As a company, it is important to us that we play an active role in shaping the public discourse. For this reason, our CEO Angelika Huemer took the opportunity at the beginning of the year to express her views on the topics of recycling, innovation and climate protection on the LinkedIn and Facebook pages of the “Packaging for the Future” platform as part of a CEO opinions carousel . This demonstrated that the innovations we develop as a mechanical engineering company are integral to the sustainable solutions of the future that are in demand in many places.

Environment

Waste management Energy efficiency

Company

Occupational health and safety Working atmosphere

Corporate management Procurement Digitisation

Customer satisfaction through innovation Economic performance

If you are interested, you can find the statement by scanning the QR code.

• The annual and publicly accessible reports regarding the UN Global Compact are a further element of our corporate image in terms of CSR and sustainability. Starlinger is one of the signatory companies of the world’s largest voluntary sustainability initiative. Our first progress report was successfully submitted in December 2023. • Moreover, it is essential that we continue to develop our expertise and keep our CSR and sustainability agendas up to date. We meet this requirement by participating in various webinars (for example, on the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai) or face-to-face events, such as the two day “4 th Austrian Sustainability Summit” in Vienna.

Sustainability survey and dialogue with all stakeholders during the 2022 in-house exhibition

This list of topics forms the basis for the first comprehensive compilation of data relating to sustainability. The principle “We can only improve what we measure” is applicable here. To do this, we continually request data from various departments in order to calculate the relevant key figures. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody involved for their patience and co-operation in this matter!

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energy, climate-friendly production of goods, environmental management, etc., through extraordinary innovative achievements. The number of patents granted worldwide in the 2022/23 evaluation period was used as the base figure and a score was calculated taking into account the citation frequency. The top 50 companies with the highest score – including Starlinger – were presented with the “GreenTech Award 2024”. And so, in the end, we have come full circle, because “Customer Satisfaction Through Innovation” is another one of our key priorities.

Ilona Wimmer and Miriam Wirnig at the 4th Austrian Sustainability Summit in Vienna

If you have any suggestions or questions, please contact us at csr@starlinger.com or in person.

Starlinger has already received many awards for innovation, cooperation and dedication. The “GreenTech Award 2024” in the field of environmental and climate protection is a recent addition. It is awarded by the ÖGVS – the Austrian Society for Consumer Studies – and honours companies that have excelled in one of a total of eight fields of technology, including

Clarissa (cg), Ilona (WIL), Miriam (WIR)

OUR NEW WEBSITE IS NOW ONLINE!

www.starlinger.com

Many of you will have visited it by now: Our new website has been available on the World Wide Web in German and English since Tuesday, 16 April 2024. Walter Jüttner and Tim Dreher from the marketing team are responsible for developing the concept

and implementing it. “It was an extensive process that involved the Starlinger management team, the company divisions, tech nology, service and sales alongside the marketing team,” says Head of Marketing Walter Jüttner, summarising the process. “It started with the design. We used the “S” in Starlinger as a template and tried to incorporate its curved lines on the sides in a suitable way. Our website also needs to be compatible with various end devices such as desktops, laptops and mobile phones, so “responsive design” was a particularly important point. Next, we had to decide on the content, write copy text and look for suitable images. We made sure to focus on our key topics of sustainability, technological expertise, comprehensive customer service and global availability.” In addition, the systems on the machine pages are also linked

to the respective packaging products for which they are used. This makes the website even more user-friendly: Customers can see straight away which system can be used to produce which bags, or which recycling system is suitable for which materials. There is now also a separate careers section for employee and apprentice recruitment, which is a particularly important topic at the moment. “I would like to thank everyone involved for their support over the past few months,” says Walter Jüttner. “A big thank you goes to Tim Dreher in particular, who entered most of the content and, as the contact person for the web design agency, ensured that our requirements were implemented accordingly.”

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c

3:2 against the Netherlands – the Austrian national team’s victory in the group stage of the European Championship made for a great atmosphere at the Starlinger European Championship Live Screening on 25 June 2024 at the Glassalon Neuhaus. In glorious weather, almost 300 employees watched the game, which was exciting right to the end, serving up five goals. The catering company Reithofer provided us with culinary delights once again, while the Weissenbach fire brigade took care of the “liquids”. After the final whistle, everyone had a wonderful evening together, and made good use of the EC photo booth and table soccer.

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AUT ‒ NL 3:2

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CSR NEWSFLASH – NEWS FROM THE CSR AND SUSTAINA BILITY DEPARTMENT

EXPANSION OF THE PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM AT VISCOTEC The first photovoltaic system with 199 kWp was put into operation at our viscotec division in Upper Austria at the end of September 2020. This generated over 630,000 kWh of solar power by the end of 2023. A second system was connected to the grid in January 2024, meaning that a total of 483 kWp is now available. New waste separation regulations have been in place in the Vienna offices since 1 January 2023. All packaging, with the exception of glass and paper packaging, is now being disposed of in the yellow bin or yellow bag. The “old blue container” in Vienna’s office kitchens, which had become obsolete, has been repurposed and is now being used to collect clear and coloured glass since the beginning of 2024. Good to know: Used plastic and metal packaging (yellow bin) does not need to be cleaned as it is washed during the recycling process. New stickers with the key information on waste separation have been affixed to the rubbish bins. Many thanks to our cleaning ladies Mira and Biljana for their assistance and the smooth changeover! Let’s all do our bit for the circular economy by separating our waste correctly in keeping with the motto “small steps, big impact”! ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY STANDARD PRINT SETTINGS IN VIENNA AND WEISSENBACH The standard print settings in the Vienna offices were adjusted in March 2024 and in Weissenbach in June 2024: black and white and double-sided printing are the preferred settings. If single-sided and/or colour printing is required, this can of course still be set in the printer properties for the respective document. The aim is to improve sustainability without complicating work processes. “Ö” CLIMATE TICKET FOR OUR APPRENTICES One ticket for everything – access to all public transport in Austria with a single ticket. Starlinger has been providing apprentices with the Ö Climate Ticket since 2022. This allows them to commute to work or vocational school easily and cheaply (and without any parking issues). What’s more, by handing out these annual travel cards, young people are not only given individual support, but also enabled and encouraged to make a conscious switch to environmentally friendly modes of transport. NEW WASTE SEPARATION SYSTEM FOR THE OFFICE KITCHENS IN VIENNA

Solar power from the roof – the PV system on the roof of the Starlinger viscotec plant in St. Martin after the first expansion stage in autumn 2020. © Starlinger viscotec

Mira Vasic and Biljana Jankovic from the Vienna office

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THE ABSOLUT STARLINGER 2028 STRATEGY – TEXTILE PACKAGING SUMMARY OF THE CURRENT IMPLEMENTATION STATUS OF THE PROJECTS

ORGANISATION Projects on the topics of process management and HR management (training concepts, job descriptions, succession planning and employer branding) are currently ongoing. Other key topics are internal communication and information sharing as well as the implementation of our sustainability strategy. TECHNOLOGY Innovation forums have been set up for (r)PET big bags and for new AD*STAR ® bags. These forums are responsible for compiling, evaluating and working on new ideas, initiating systematic planning, and overseeing the implementation of approved projects. In addition, there are regular product group meetings relating to the areas of (r)PET, gripTEC and lamiTEC, which take place at least twice a year to define development tasks. The first meetings were held at the beginning of the year. AFTER-SALES SERVICE Work has already begun on optimising the structural and operational organisation, improving the article master and the associated processes, designing the online customer portal and optimising internal processes. PRODUCT RANGE Growth projects such as STPM, rPET tapes and PP*STAR ® have been defined and roadmaps drawn up. There are various other projects in the pipeline which, depending on their evaluation, will either not be started or be tackled in due course once the necessary resources are available. We will report on further progress in the December issue of Starlinger Intern.

On 12 February 2024, the first interim results of the strategic planning for the future direction of Starlinger’s textile packaging division were presented at the Glasalon in Neuhaus. The respective editors presented the findings and contributions from the areas of Operations, Sales Policy, Organisation, Technology, After-Sales Service and Product Range to the representatives of the individual departments. Some of the projects approved in winter 2023/24 are already underway: SALES POLICY In this area, Starlinger Market Intelligence (SMI) has been launched. The SMI team collates various market data relating to the woven plastic packaging sector and makes it available to the sales team. Starlinger also pursues a two-brand strategy in sales. This is primarily intended to appeal to new, price-sensitive customers. At our plant in India (STP Machinery Ltd. India – more on this on page 7), a separate, technically simplified version of our starEX tape extrusion lines will be produced and sold under the STPM brand. Due to the lower material and production costs in India, we can use this extrusion line to expand our machine portfolio in countries where our extrusion systems manufactured in Austria would be too expensive, gain market share and then sell additional machines from Austria on that market. In addition, targeted PR campaigns are being used to improve the image of plastic, and woven plastic packaging in particular. Not all plastic products are bad – some ensure that waste of resources in other areas, such as food, is significantly reduced. With the “circular packaging” concept, Starlinger wants to ensure that attention is paid to making woven plastic packaging suitable for recycling as early as the packaging design stage and that used packaging is not perceived as waste but as a raw material for something new: In other words, “old” plastic instead of plastic waste.

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NEWS FROM THE “FIT & X’SUND WEISSENBACH” PROJECT

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Name of the project phases Status

Description

Preliminary project Completed

• March to May 2023: Conceptualisation of the project in coordination with the management • April to May 2023: Formation of the project team (operational implementation) and the steering group (decision-making body, incl. management and works councils) • June 2023: Project kick-off with managers • September 2023: Project kick-off for the employees in Weissenbach • September to October 2023: 1 st survey of employees to determine the status quo regarding “Health and well-being at work” é More details in this article • February 2024: Signing of the BGF Charter as renewed confirmation of commitment of management • February to March 2024: Development of solutions and suggestions for improvement in small groups (= health working groups) é More details in this article • Since May 2024: Planning of measures (= catalogue of measures) and coordination with management • Since February 2024: Implementation of minor measures (Biodot ® Biofeedback stickers and fruit baskets) é More details in this article • From summer 2024: Implementation of major measures (launch planned for after the company holiday)

Diagnosis

Completed

The BGF Charter of the Austrian Network for

the Planning

In progress

Workplace Health Promotion (ÖNBGF) is a declaration of intent to align workplace health promotion with the basic quality criteria of the ÖNBGF.

Implementation In progress

• Following the implementation of measures: 2 nd survey of employees to assess

Evaluation

Start planned for end of 2024

progress regarding “Health and well-being at work” • Comprehensive project report (= health report) planned

Establishment

Start planned for end of 2024

• Final documentation

• Transition to a permanent process • Application for the BGF Seal of Approval

DETAILS OF THE FIRST EMPLOYEE SURVEY

•Job satisfaction: 80 % are (very) satisfied with their work overall (see Figure 3), with “nature and content of my work” and “job security” being the positive frontrunners (83 % each). On the other hand, for example, a need for improvement is seen in “information and communication” (32 %). • Teleworking: Viewed positively overall, but there is a desire for changes (e.g. greater flexibility in arrangements). •Additional questions: 59 % would recommend Starlinger as an employer to their friends. 56 % can identify with Starlinger’s values. •Burdens & resources: There were some major differences in how these two aspects were perceived based on department, age and gender. It is beneficial to be able to draw on resources (e.g. support from colleagues) in order to cope successfully with the stresses and strains of everyday working life (e.g. deadline stress). More attention was paid to achieving this balance in the next stage of the project, the health working groups. •Opportunity to share opinions: There was an opportunity to make written comments at two points in the survey. On the one hand, there was criticism of the fact that hardly anything has been organised on the subject of health to date. On the other hand, employees think the project is good and are hoping to see health-promoting and workplace-improving measures.

The first survey of all employees in Weissenbach and surroundings was launched as part of the kick-off event of our "Fit & Healthy Weissenbach" project in September 2023. The participants had around two weeks to share their views on health and well-being at work both online and in traditional ways (but always anonymously!). The surveys were evaluated by the external Institute for Health Promotion and Prevention. An overview of the results is provided below: • Participation: We are delighted with the response rate of just under 57 % (370 people), which was spread evenly across the various age groups and genders. •Health and ability to work: The general state of one’s own health (see Figure 1) and ability to work were rated positively across the board (70 % and 83 % respectively gave themselves at least 7 out of 10 points). Nevertheless, various physical and psychological complaints were mentioned, such as back and lower back pain (58 %) and sleep disorders (32 %). •Lifestyle factors: A large proportion of respondents are mindful of issues such as diet (see Figure 2), exercise, tobacco and alcohol consumption in their everyday lives. There is a desire for more detailed information on healthy eating (67 %) and for more exercise in everyday life (75 %).

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FIGURE 1 | SUBJECTIVE HEALTH STATUS (in percent)

29

30

27

20

n = 363 people

12

10

9

10

The majority of respondents rated their own state of health as positive.

5

4

3

1

0

0 points

1 points

2 points

3 points

4 points

5 points

6 points

7 points

8 points

9 points

10 points

0 = worst conceivable to 10 = best conceivable health status

FIGURE 2 | A VARIED, LOW-FAT DIET (proportions in percent)

40

36

36

30

20

15

10

8

n = 370 people

An important lifestyle factor for many people: A balanced diet.

4

1

0

never

rarely

sometimes

often

always

I am not in a position to judge

FIGURE 3 | JOB SATISFACTION (JS) / IMPORTANCE FOR JS (proportions in percent)

83 92 83 94 82 94

The majority of respondents are satisfied with their job – the nature and content of the work as well as job security scored particularly well. Also the topic of information and communication is considered very important, but only 32 % of respondents are satisfied with this.

Nature and content of my work Job security (assurance that the company will continue to employ me)

Colleagues

67

Manager (direct superior)

94

67 91

Working time arrangements

63

Working atmosphere

96

59

Income

98

45

Organisation and leadership

92

36

Training and development opportunities

86

32

Information and communication Promotion and career opportunities within this company

96

31

77

80

All in all, my job satisfaction level is…

0

20

40

60

80

100

Job satisfaction (JS): n = 365 to 370 people Importance for JS: n = 358 to 365 people

(very) satisfied

(very) important

(continued on page 20)

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Healthy snacks and a presentation on the progress of the project were provided at the European Championship Live Screening in June 2024 – here is a picture of the project team at the fruit stand during the event.

INSIGHT INTO THE HEALTH WORKING GROUPS AND INITIAL MEASURES

help themselves for free to fruits as snacks from baskets placed at various locations since the end of March 2024. We also want to mention a few of the health measures in place at the company site in Weissenbach that are not related to the project: Provision of hot and cold meals in the canteen, various running events, and regular consultations with the company doctor on site, including a range of vaccination programmes. But now back to the health working groups. In May 2024, the proposed solutions were presented to the project steering group. The high number of suggestions for measures underlined how committed the participants in the health working groups were – we would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks for this! The results painted a similar picture to the first employee survey. Prevalent topics included ergonomics in the workplace, as well as interest in nutrition and various types of stress, including heat and cold. Internal communication and teleworking were also frequently addressed. The project team then collated the input from the first survey and the health working groups into a catalogue of measures. At the time this issue of Starlinger Intern went to press (July 2024), the catalogue was in the process of being agreed upon with the management. The coming months will be dedicated to implementing the measures. Relevant information will be provided on site in good time. A second employee survey will then be conducted in December 2024. This serves to evaluate the progress made in “health and well-being at work” in Weissenbach and the surrounding area. Another update on the project will be published in the next issue of Starlinger Intern in December 2024. OUTLOOK

The next phase of the project, namely the health working groups, was dedicated specifically to health-promoting and workplace-improving measures. These internal working groups focused on the experience of the employees which gave them the opportunity to reorganise stressful and entrenched work situations themselves. All the employees in Weissenbach and the surrounding area were able to sign up for this voluntarily. As has been customary in the project to date, the call for this was made by means of an article in Starlinger Intern and by displaying posters. The project management (cg) and members of the works councils (RJO, MT) also went on a tour of the factory premises to provide information. In the end, the number of people who signed up far exceeded expectations. The health working groups met in February and March 2024. The small groups (approx. 10 people in each group) met for three hours each on two days. To facilitate open dialogue, care was taken to ensure a private environment and the meetings were moderated externally by ÖGK (Austrian State Health Insurance). While the health working groups took place in spring 2024, the first minor measures were already being implemented in certain areas. For example, the participants in the health working groups were given what are known as Biodots ® . These are small round stickers that are attached to the back of the hand. They indicate your stress level by changing colour, similar to mood rings (in case you remember them). These little gimmicks provide a low threshold approach to the omnipresent topic of stress. Similarly, and now in relation to the topic of healthy eating, all employees in Weissenbach and the surrounding area have been able to

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Clarissa Graf (centre) – pictured here with Miriam Wirnig (left) and Ilona Wimmer – will leave the CSR team at the end of July 2024.

CHANGE AT THE TOP OF THE CSR AND SUSTAINABILITY TEAM

Clarissa Graf, who set up the CSR department at Starlinger in 2019, will be leaving the company at the end of July to pursue new challenges. In her place, Ilona Wimmer will take over as Head of CSR/Sustainability at the beginning of August and is going to relinquish all of her duties in controlling in the process. After more than 20 years at the company, she knows Starlinger inside out and will be able to contribute her expertise in data management to meet future reporting obligations relating to sustainability. Over the past five years, a lot has happened under Clarissa Graf’s stewardship to make the topics of sustainability and social responsibility tangible for employees at the company: The first sustainability report was produced and the next one prepared, a company-wide CSR strategy was developed and various projects, such as our current “Fit & X’sund Weissenbach” initiative, were launched. Starlinger adheres

to the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, and is a member of respACT, Austria’s leading platform for supporting companies with responsible and sustainable business practices. “I would like to thank Clarissa from the bottom of my heart for addressing the important issue of sustainability at Starlinger and setting a lot of things in motion,” said Ilona Wimmer at Clarissa Graf’s farewell in the Vienna office. Encouraging words came from Clarissa Graf: “I hope that the CSR team – Ilona Wimmer and Miriam Wirnig, who will soon be joined by Emma Palecek – continues their work with joy, and wish them courage, drive, patience and confidence. I am convinced that you will rise to the new challenges and I am counting on the support of all other colleagues at Starlinger. Let’s not polarise things, but instead work together to take meaningful action and implement projects that benefit everybody.”

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3,2,1 … GO! A command that the keen athletes in the Starlinger team are already familiar with. Four running events are on the agenda again this year, three of which have already taken place. The “Wings for Life World Run” kicked things off on 5 May, with 15 runners working up a sweat for a good cause. 100 % of the entry fees and donations raised from this event go to spinal cord research. As in the previous year, the run was organised with the help of the dedicated app, so everyone could choose their own individual route and pace. Those who preferred to have company could join other runners on the circular route between Factory 1 and Factory 2 in Weissenbach, where the works council had once again set up a refreshment station. Team Starlinger covered an impressive distance of 242 kilometres in total. After a short breather, the starting gun sounded for another 15 Starlinger runners at the Sunset Run in Berndorf on 17 May. Lukas Strutzenberger was able to secure victory in the M30 age group on the 5.8 km course. In the M40 class, three of our colleagues made it into the top 10: Bernhard Reiß (4 th ), Markus Hambammer (8 th ) and Jürgen Bilek (9 th ). In the Pottenstein classification, Christoph Ebner came in an excellent 2 nd place. For the long distance of 8.7 km, we were represented by Rene Weiss and Paul Niedl, who fought their way in poor weather conditions through the pouring rain together with a strong field of runners. Next up was the nigh on traditional Sparkassen Company Run in Wiener Neustadt on 13 June. Team “Starlinger 4” with Florian Mitterecker, Josef Pürmayr and Noah Poberschnigg came 26 th out of a total of 375 teams of three with an excellent time of 01:02:34. Team “Starlinger 1” with Bernhard Reiß, Philipp Nierer and Rene Weiss finished in a fantastic 36 th place. The event was rounded off with an after-race party at the main square with food and drink and live music: This gave us a chance to toast the achievements of all the teams once again. This year’s running season ends with the Anningerlauf, which takes place on 21 September. If you want to get a taste of the world of trail and mountain running, this is THE IDEAL opportunity for you. In this race, you can pit yourself against other trail runners over a distance of 6.1 km and 380 metres in altitude or 16.5 km and 800 metres in altitude. You are welcome to sign up for this by 9 September by sending your registration to Corinna Franz, at recycling.frc@starlinger.com, ext. 3130. As we do every year, we would like to thank the works councils of Starlinger and unistrap, who pay the entry fee for all Starlinger runners taking part in the events and also sponsor the running shirts!

Wings for Life World Run

Sunset Run

Sparkassen Company Run in Wiener Neustadt

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