BROOMFIELD, Colo., April 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) today announced the five aluminum packaging plants with the most significant operational and social sustainability improvements in 2019, including   progress across the areas with the most significant sustainability impact across our operations (safety, energy, water and waste), as well as the promotion of aluminum packaging's sustainability credentials and engagement in their local communities.

Ball is awarding one plant in each region of its Global Beverage Packaging and one plant in its Aerosol Packaging businesses with the 2019 R. David Hoover Sustainability Award.

The winners of the 2019 R. David Hoover Sustainability Award are:

Global Beverage Packaging

• Kapolei, Hawaii (Beverage Packaging North & Central America): The Kapolei plant set a plant record for electricity and gas efficiency in January 2019 and, during the year, saved Ball more than $1 million through energy efficiency projects. Kapolei also completed 3 water efficiency projects, which resulted in a 30% reduction in normalized water usage between 2018 and 2019.
• Buenos Aires, Argentina (Beverage Packaging South America): Buenos Aires has continued to improve efficiency across Ball's Big 6 categories since 2014. Between 2018 and 2019, Buenos Aires reduced total waste 15%, increased recycling 4% and decreased water usage by more than 3% in 2019. Buenos Aires also demonstrated an "exceptional" willingness to participate in innovative projects, and share best practices and provide assistance to other Ball plants.
• Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Beverage Packaging EMEA): The Gelsenkirchen plant improved across Ball's Big 6 categories, achieving zero total recordable incidents, improving electricity efficiency by nearly 5%, natural gas efficiency by 12% and water efficiency by 6% in 2019. The plant also decreased its waste by 24% and was rated "excellent" for its ongoing improvement and commitment to efficiency projects, as well as dedication supporting others. Gelsenkirchen also excelled in driving BPEMEA's ASI certification (Aluminium Stewardship Initiative).
• Yangon, Myanmar (Beverage Packaging Asia Pacific): The Yangon plant has consistently improved its electricity efficiency since 2016, improving by nearly 23% in 2019 by implementing several energy efficiency projects. The plant also improved its overall safety culture with improved reporting and a greater focus on corrective actions. In addition, they implemented communications campaigns about the sustainability benefits of aluminum cans for local audiences, engaging celebrities, social influencers and NGOs.

Aerosol Packaging

• San Luis Potosí, Mexico: The San Luis Potosí plant attained zero total recordable incidents for the year. As Ball's most electricity efficient aerosol plant in 2018, San Luis Potosí reduced its electricity intensity by another almost 5% in 2019, improving its electricity efficiency by 10.4% since 2016. The plant also launched a campaign to educate the public about aluminum's sustainability credentials and to increase recycling rates.

"In our ongoing efforts to further enhance the sustainability credentials of aluminum packaging, all of our operations are continuously seeking opportunities to achieve zero accidents, minimize environmental impacts, support their local communities, and educate consumers about the importance of beverage and aerosol can recycling," said Bjoern Kulmann, director, global sustainability. "We have seen fantastic results and impacts by each of our plants in 2019 and congratulate these five plants who went above and beyond in their commitment to sustainability."

Ball established the annual R. David Hoover Sustainability Award in 2011 in honor of the company's former chairman, president and chief executive officer, who was a key driver in the development of the company's formal sustainability program.

Ball will release its 2020 sustainability achievements, as well as updated, third-party verified sustainability data, later this year on www.ball.com. For more information about Ball's ongoing sustainability efforts, please visit www.ball.com/sustainability.

About Ball Corporation

Ball Corporation supplies innovative, sustainable aluminum packaging solutions for beverage, personal care and household products customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than 18,300 people worldwide and reported 2019 net sales of $11.5 billion. For more information, visit www.ball.com, or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "believes," "targets," "likely," "positions" and similar expressions typically identify forward-looking statements, which are generally any statements other than statements of historical fact. Such statements are based on current expectations or views of the future and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied. You should therefore not place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements and any such statements should be read in conjunction with, and, qualified in their entirety by, the cautionary statements referenced below. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to be different are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99 in our Form 10-K, which are available on our website and at www.sec.gov. Additional factors that might affect: a) our packaging segments include product capacity, supply, and demand constraints and fluctuations; availability/cost of raw materials and logistics; competitive packaging, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; footprint adjustments and other manufacturing changes, including the startup of new facilities and lines; failure to achieve synergies, productivity improvements or cost reductions; mandatory deposit or other restrictive packaging laws; customer and supplier consolidation; power and supply chain interruptions, including due to virus and disease outbreaks; potential delays and tariffs related to the U.K's departure from the EU; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or a loss of a major customer or supplier; political instability and sanctions; currency controls; changes in foreign exchange or tax rates; and tariffs, trade actions, or other governmental actions, including business restrictions and shelter-in-place orders in any country affecting goods produced by us or in our supply chain, including imported raw materials, such as those related to COVID-19 and those pursuant to Section 232 of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act of 1962 or Section 301 of Trade Act of 1974; b) our aerospace segment include funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts; c) the company as a whole include those listed plus: the extent to which sustainability-related opportunities arise and can be capitalized upon; changes in senior management, succession, and the ability to attract and retain skilled labor; regulatory action or issues including tax, environmental, health and workplace safety, including U.S. FDA and other actions or public concerns affecting products filled in our containers, or chemicals or substances used in raw materials or in the manufacturing process; technological developments and innovations; the ability to manage cyber threats and the success of information technology initiatives; litigation; strikes; disease; pandemic; labor cost changes; rates of return on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; uncertainties surrounding geopolitical events and governmental policies both in the U.S. and in other countries, including policies, orders and actions related to COVID-19, the U.S. government elections, budget, sequestration and debt limit; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and successful or unsuccessful joint ventures, acquisitions and divestitures, and their effects on our operating results and business generally.

SOURCE Ball Corporation