DELAWARE, Ohio (News release) -- Greif, Inc. announced the release of its online 2019 Sustainability Report. The annual report details Greif's commitment to continuous improvement through an integrated approach to environmental and social responsibility. The report provides the company's 2025 sustainability goals and highlights progress and strategies underway to achieve those goals.

"Sustainability is defined in our company's guiding principles, The Greif Way, as using financial, natural and human resources wisely without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs," said Pete Watson, Greif's President and Chief Executive Officer. "As a leader in industrial packaging and manufacturing, we are uniquely positioned to impact sustainability throughout our global supply and value chains through innovating our own products, collaborating with our customers to reduce the impact of their packaging or expanding our end-of-life solutions and capabilities. We saw great advancements in 2019 towards implementing the circular economy principles that are core to our business strategy."

The online 2019 Sustainability Report features comprehensive pages, interactive charts and examples of how Greif colleagues are actively committed to sustainability and The Greif Way. Highlights from the report include:

• Sustainability strategies: delivering superior customer service, reducing our footprint, addressing risk, valuing our people, advancing the circular economy, financial performance and profitable growth
• Greif's value chain and how that relates to stakeholder engagement and materiality
• Goals, performance and highlights

The report is prepared in full accordance with the GRI Standards (core option) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Application Guidance and fulfills the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) annual Communication on Progress (COP).

In addition to the report, Greif announced its North American Greif Packaging Accessories (GPA) team in Carol Stream, Illinois, as the 2019 Michael J. Gasser Sustainability Award winner. The company award celebrates a business or team that creates sustainable benefit across Greif's value chain. The North American GPA team was recognized for its business development priorities in waste reduction, creating circular systems and sustainable innovation by collaborating with Rigid Industrial Packaging & Services North America (RIPS NA) purchasing, RIPS Italy and four RIPS NA plants, to provide 800,000 pounds of recycled plastic resins to produce Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) and corner protectors.

The project created company value and established environmental and financial benefits, while closing two internal loop systems and contributing to our circular economy by diverting waste from landfills and finding a new purpose for them.

"We are proud to share our 2019 progress in our sustainability report," said Ole Rosgaard, Senior Vice President, Rigid Industrial Packaging & Services and Global Sustainability. "Greif is better positioned than ever before to create value for our colleagues, the communities where we operate and live, and our customers through our sustainability initiatives."