The birth of Italian industry started on the canals: from the 13th to the 20th century, goods for the burgeoning Milanese industrial region were transported on the Naviglio Grande, a canal that connects to the river Ticino and which forms the border between Lombardy and Piedmont.

By investing in a new flagship facility for the storied Italian market, Vetropack’s aim is for cutting-edge production to commence in Boffalora sopra Ticino near Milan in 2023 – not far from the company’s old site in Trezzano sul Naviglio – at an ergonomic plant that is designed to be future-proof, flexible and sustainable.

Tradition meets modernisation

With nine glassworks and around 4,000 employees, Vetropack delivers high-quality glass packaging to markets in central, eastern and southern Europe, in particular for the food and drinks industry with products ranging from olive oil and preserves to nut nougat spreads and juices, soft drinks and spirits of all kinds. Wine and prosecco are particularly popular with the Italian market.

The subsidiary Vetropack Italia S.r.l. has belonged to the Group since 2015, although the glass making at the Trezzano site dates back to 1960. As Johann Reiter, CEO of Vetropack, points out: “It was already clear from early on that the old site in Trezzano sul Naviglio was not going to meet the company’s long-term objectives. The important Italian market with its rich culinary traditions and many world-famous brands plays a central role in our strategy.” This is in addition to the ambitious quality and sustainability targets which the company has set for itself for the year 2030, including flexible and bespoke production on the one hand and the most efficient usage of resources on the other.

Designing a future-proof facility

Planning for the new site – the investment for which amounts to more than 300 million CHF – has begun, with preparations long in the making. All stakeholders including the Italian authorities, landscape designers, architects, employees in Trezzano and experts from the Vetropack Group were involved in good time in order to draw up a particularly future-proof and sustainable concept. The production facility, which is being built on the site of the former Reno di Medici paper factory and abides by all environmental requirements, is 347,000m2 with approximately 170,000m2 dedicated to production equipment.

Large parts of the site’s structural remains are being reused. A historically important warehouse is being restored and opened to the public as an information centre. Even the SP225 main road will be modified during the construction works, with additional relief provided by parking spaces built for cars and lorries. Part of the area is also envisioned as a 31,000m2 park, which, as a public green space, will strike an attractive contrast with the modern industrial landscape.

All 301 employees at the old Trezzano site will be given the opportunity to transfer to the new Boffalora site approximately 25km away. Even though the output per employee is being significantly increased, the size of the workforce will also grow slightly due to the higher capacity, with both new employees and existing personnel who have been trained since 2020 to use the new production machinery.

Doing more with less

How will production work in the new glassworks? Vetropack is capitalising on the benefits of a smart factory, while leaving space for human expertise and creativity: all glass production processes are based on the Vetropack Group’s expertise and are being brought in line with the latest technology. The Vetropack philosophy of ‘safety first’ has been implemented consistently and the newest developments within ergonomic workplace design have been taken into consideration.

Both white and coloured cuvée glass will be manufactured at the site and the productivity per tonne of glass will increase significantly as a result of the ultra-modern machinery. As in the previous glassworks, there will initially be two furnaces in operation at Boffalora. The complete infrastructure is, however, already designed for an expansion of production capacity as a positive market development is anticipated both in Italy and abroad in the medium term. Even with only two furnaces, an increase in production capacity of around 50% will have been achieved.

“As such, Boffalora will be one of the Vetropack Group’s largest sites,” says Christoph Burgermeister, Project Manager at Vetropack. “We will be able to produce more flexibly at the new glassworks and will therefore be more able to meet the rising demand for high-quality packing, including in smaller batches – so-called semi-specialities.”

A standout feature of the new site is its fully automated warehouse: automated vehicles will transport the finished bottles and glasses from the production facility into the warehouse and from there to the loading ramp safely and without human intervention.

Pioneer in sustainability issues

Environmental sustainability and efficient use of resources are being heavily invested in at Vetropack’s new glassworks. All trees felled in the course of the construction work will be planted anew elsewhere. The glass façades are intended to blend into the landscape harmoniously – not least because of the muted colour palette of greens and browns. In addition to this, the factory roof is being constructed so it is possible to install photovoltaic cells over its entire surface area, a portion of which will be in use [to help power the facility] right from the outset.

Glass is without doubt one of the most sustainable packaging materials as it is 100% and often endlessly recyclable. Vetropack is one of the pioneers of recycling and started collecting used glass in Switzerland as early as 1970. Nowadays, the proportion of recycled glass within the Vetropack Group is approximately 55%, with the aim of surpassing 70% by 2030.

Vetropack’s specific measures for boosting sustainability include:

• Decontaminating the industrial site.
• Re-using materials from the demolition of the original building and facilities.
• Low noise pollution during the day and at night.
• Energy-efficient processes and production equipment and using waste heat.
• Producing green electricity using photovoltaic systems.
• Reducing emissions using the newest filtration systems (dust and NOx).
• Low water consumption using closed-loop systems.

Production of glass packaging will commence at Vetropack’s new Italian site in the first quarter of 2023. Precise planning for how to shift production from the old glassworks to the new one, as well as training at various sites and suppliers’ premises, is already under way.

“As there are back-up solutions for the product lines within the Italian market at other Vetropack glass works, continuity of supply will be guaranteed at all times,” assures Mr Burgermeister. “We are looking forward to the beginning of a new era for our customers and are confident that Boffalora’s success will reflect positively on the entire Vetropack Group.”

Image: Rendering of the new Boffalora plant (inset: Christoph Burgermeister).