Sidel site in Atlanta passes Sedex audit

Sidel’s site in Atlanta, Georgia has successfully met the Sedex’s SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) four-pillar framework which covers labor standards, health & safety, the environment and business ethics.  The audit conducted by the Bureau Veritas, revealed 100% compliance.

Sedex (Supplier Ethical Data Exchange) is a non-profit organization and the largest collaborative platform for sharing ethical supply chain data. 

The US site is the fifth of the Sidel facilities to meet its requirements. The other four being in Parma, Italy and Beijing, China in 2013;  Octeville in France in 2014 and Mantova in Italy earlier this year.

According to Sidel, emphasis on sustainability improvement is key to achieving full Sedex compliance. It remains committed to contributing to sustainable partnerships with transparent exchange of information throughout the supply chain.

“From raw materials to recycling and at every stage in between, we constantly look for opportunities to continue improving sustainability practices at Sidel to benefit our world, our customers and ourselves.  Through initiatives such as Sedex, we are able to share information easily with our partners in the supply chain to help develop a more sustainable approach to beverage production,” said Nicholas Bloch, Executive Vice President for Communications at Sidel.

The company aims to create shared value through sustainable partnerships with its customers, suppliers, other external partners and the communities in which it does business.

The industry partnership, BioHub® program is an example of how the company achieves shared value. Sidel consulted with its PET packaging expertise on a research project in plant-based polymer chemistry.  Sidel has also created a neutral platform to encourage industry dialogue: KNOWLEDGEshare™ gives senior beverage industry players and thought leaders an event at which they can discuss common aims, challenges and the direction in which the market is heading. 

Recently, Sidel’s commitment to sustainability was independently evaluated in terms of its Corporate Social Responsibility. The company placed within the top 30% of the 20,000 businesses assessed in 2015.  Eco Vadis - the sustainability rating platform used to understand, track and improve environmental, ethical and social performance worldwide - awarded Sidel a silver rating for its good sustainability practices.