Sustainability and owning our impact is a core value at O-I. We take a holistic approach, balancing our people and processes to support a sustainable future. Supporting biodiversity projects in our communities is another way we contribute beyond our stated corporate sustainability commitments.
Collaborating to Support Biodiversity with the Toledo Zoo
In 2016, O-I partnered with Wild Toledo®, an organization at the Toledo Zoo that works to restore wildlife habitat with native plants. Together we installed a prairie garden that added beauty and ecological benefits to our world headquarters in Perrysburg, Ohio.
According to research performed on local Wild Toledo® prairies, our prairie has supported local biodiversity by increasing the number of butterfly species by 26 times, the number of bee species by six times, and general invertebrate biodiversity by over four times. The prairie has over 45 species of native plants, including host plants for many butterfly species including the monarch butterfly.
Biodiversity Protection and Restoration in Vayres, France
In France, O-I engaged in biodiversity protection and restoration as part of the regulatory obligations to control the environmental impact of a recent expansion project at the Vayres plant.
To compensate for the project’s impacts on wetlands O-I France took on a project to rebuild a damaged wetland nearby with the same watershed, restoration capacity, and with ecological gain. This project was under ecological supervision throughout the work phase.
A wetland in nearby Izon, France had been damaged by waste and invasive species. O-I’s work, which focused on an area of about 3.5 acres (1.4 ha), aimed to restore these environments and to offer local species ideal conditions for the realization of their life cycle.
We worked with experts to remove invasive species and plant native plants. Between 2022 and 2023 restoration work was carried out, consisting of the creation of 2 ponds, the planting of waterfront belt vegetation, and a first step in the fight against invasive alien species. Restoration work was completed in February 2023. However, restoration was merely the first stage of a 30-year management plan.
Initial evaluations between 2022 to 2023 have seen positive trends in plant and animal life. Two regionally protected species have settled on the site since the restoration work was initiated. The restoration work allowed the creation of 0.4 acres (1512 m2) of wetlands, increasing their relative occupation within the study area from 72% to 80%. We will continue to monitor this land and the species of plants and animals it hosts while controlling invasive species. The site will be analyzed by subject matter experts twice a year during this 30-year period.
To reduce the environmental impacts of the expansion O-I built a separator between the expansion and remaining habitat to protect plant and animal life. We also built nesting boxes for birds and carried out habitat rework maintenance. Our efforts also included monthly inspections. Multi-annual ecological monitoring will be carried out at the plant expansion site and the compensatory wetland.
Managing Our Impact on Biodiversity
At O-I, sustainability is about achieving balance between our operations and the products we make. Managing our impact on biodiversity is another way we can support the needs of our communities, our value chain, and the planet to promote a sustainable future.
In 2023, we conducted a TNFD-informed assessment of our operations and supply chain, which we plan to use to inform our sustainability reporting, enterprise risk management, and environmental management strategy.
Learn more about our commitment and strategy on our website and by downloading our sustainability report.
