Meet Verena

What does it mean to drive sustainability from the very center of a company? For Verena Swanson, Senior Sustainability Manager at Elopak, it means acting as a connector between teams, functions, and partners across the value chain. Or, as she puts it:

– It’s not a one (wo)man show. Sustainability at Elopak is a team effort.

From customer to supplier side
Verena discovered her passion for sustainability at Danone, an Elopak customer and a world-leading food and beverage company present in over 120 countries. During her six years in Danone Germany, first in public affairs and later in sustainability, she gained valuable insight into customer expectations. Today, on the supplier side at Elopak, she finds the two perspectives have more in common than one might expect.

– Whether as a customer or supplier, sustainability is a top priority, and the challenges are often the same. Expectations from consumers and regulators keep the work demanding but dynamic. At Danone, I was part of a large organization with 120,000 employees. Being in such a big company meant working on a smaller part of the puzzle, often far from where decisions were made. I really value how Elopak gives me the opportunity to follow entire processes, being closer to where the change happens.

Coming from Germany has also shaped how she works.

– It’s a demanding market with highly engaged consumers and vocal NGOs. That environment taught me the importance of balance—never to overpromise or underpromise, and to make sure we can back up everything we say.

Collaboration across the value chain
That pragmatic mindset now guides her work at Elopak.

– Close collaboration with partners across the value chain is essential. When we launch something on a smaller scale, we test it together and then scale it up.

Verena shares CEO Thomas Körmendi’s view that the world must limit new plastic production.

– There is simply too much new plastic being made. Cartons are a real alternative—renewable, low-carbon, and recyclable.
Elopak’s aims to accelerate this shift by helping customers replace plastic with low-carbon carton solutions across both food and non-food categories.

A team at the heart of Elopak
The sustainability team brings together different expertise to coordinate ESG governance and reporting, CO2 and recycling roadmaps, product certifications, and customer expectations.

One of the many challenges Verena and her colleagues face is understanding how to reduce impact for a company that continues to grow while keeping up with constantly evolving regulations.

– But that’s also what makes the role so interesting. You need to be on your toes and one step ahead.

She works closely with teams across Elopak, from product development and sales to logistics, procurement, and communications. Through this kind of cross-functional collaboration, Elopak turns long-term goals into progress, contributing to its CO2 and recycling mid-term targets and the overarching ambition of reaching Net-Zero by 2050.

– It’s a big goal, but we’re turning it into everyday actions, Verena says.

That mindset extends across the company.

– What sets Elopak apart is its inclusive culture. You don’t need to knock on doors here. People naturally think about sustainability in what they do. There’s a real sense of being in it together.

Looking ahead
Reflecting on her first year, Verena is proud of the progress that has been made, of how much they have achieved together, and of being part of key discussions.