Our employees are one of our most important resources. Without their commitment, expertise and daily efforts, our operations would grind to a halt. We are constantly faced with new challenges that need to be resolved, and this requires people who are willing, able and resilient. Creating the right conditions for all our employees is therefore one of our top sustainability priorities.
Focus on safety
Our primary focus is on ensuring a safe workplace with clear structures in our systematic health and safety management. This includes safety inspections, risk assessments, safety audits, health and safety training, and investigative measures.
Operating a sorting facility for plastic packaging presents unique health and safety challenges to which the industry as a whole has not yet found definitive solutions. Dust is generated during several sorting stages, which can pose health risks. Plastic is accompanied by organic material where microorganisms can grow — risks that not only affect sorting staff but can also contaminate clothing and footwear. This is a new area of health and safety where research and international comparisons are limited and Swedish limit values are lacking.
Since the start, we have therefore collaborated with external experts and drawn inspiration from other industries with established working methods. Ongoing measurements show clear improvements, and staff are noticing a tangible difference. We have found a new way forward and aim to set a new standard for the working environment in plastics recycling, not only in Sweden but also across Europe.
“The food industry proved to be a great source of inspiration. They face exactly the same problems as us, only the other way round: they try to keep dirt and bacteria out of their production processes, whereas we were trying to keep them in.”
Karin Petersson, COO Svensk Plaståtervinning
Diversity, inclusion and equality
At our company, people from different backgrounds and with different skills work together, and we place great emphasis on being an inclusive, safe and pleasant workplace. We are incredibly proud of the diversity we have within the company.
The breakdown among our employees is 20 per cent women and 80 per cent men. Among managers, the proportion is 27 per cent, and in the management team, 67 per cent are women and 33 per cent are men. In recruitment and planning, we work actively to increase diversity, and we carry out an annual pay review to ensure that there are no unjustified pay differences within the organisation.
We also want to be a workplace that opens doors. Through partnerships with the Swedish Public Employment Service and Samhall via local job pathways, we offer people who have been further removed from the labour market the opportunity for work placements and, in many cases, a route into working life.
Our staff
Our employees have joined us for a variety of reasons. For some, our vision and social mission are the driving force, whilst for others it is industrial innovation and technology. For some, we are their first job, and for others we offer an opportunity after a period of being out of work. Whatever the reason, we work actively to foster understanding and commitment to the purpose and mission of our organisation.
