When a leading Indian pharmaceutical company encountered serious stability issues with a promising new oral tablet, they turned to LOG Pharma Primary Packaging for a solution.
LOG is a well-known manufacturer of STD and barrier bottles for the pharmaceutical industry. As part of LOG innovation and desire to be "one stop shop" for her customers, we decided to develop suitable CR closures for our bottles. The first one and most popular is 33mm CR closure made from PP and HDPE. The closure successfully passed the CR test. In these days the closure is being tested at stability test by several customers. In the future and as part of LOG's sustainability goals, we plan to improve the closure's recyclability by changing it to be based on mono material. The project is still under development.
The Occupational health and safety managed in Israel under a proactive approach and with the full involvement of senior managers. Beyond immediate reports, when necessary, regular discussions are held 8 times a year as well as a regular annual management discussion.
The organization treats every safety incident severely and therefore, "almost an accident" is reported as an accident as well as, accidents on the way to and from work. We do not separate company employees from contractor employees and treat everyone equally.
All events are documented and investigated, and we do not save budget to implement immediate improvements.
All new employees are required to provide physician permit and to be instructed on the OHS procedures that are accessible in three languages: Hebrew, Arabic, Russian. In addition, field training is held on various topics, such as firefighting training with exercises, first aid, etc.
LOG Israel also manages 20 employees who constitute 'safety trustees'. These workers undergo a dedicated course and help increase attention to the implementation of safety guidelines, possible hazards and ‘negligent’ behaviors. These employees have been carefully selected in accordance with their suitability for a dedicated profile, have an understanding of the field and care for the subject.
A dedicated instruction booklet is currently being produced to be given to every employee and / or visitor to the company as a means of increasing the ways of conveying the OHS messages and awareness of safety.
Employees are invited to make suggestions and submit requests for measures to improve their safety. For example: a unique silicone device was recently purchased for the benefit of an employee who requested it for increased comfort at work; For a worker with a disability who comes twice a week, a dedicated interpreter was brought in to ensure good safety training since he spoke only Arabic.
Safety Climate - Implementing a unique program to promote corporate culture that supports road safety
During 2022, we launched a new program to implement a safety climate in the company accompanied by the 'Green Light' organization.
Studies have shown that the traffic safety climate and practices have a significant impact on
Involvement of the organization's drivers in road accidents. The higher the safety climate and the more traffic safety practices are implemented, the lower the employee involvement rate in car accidents.
LOG promoted a plan to implement a road safety climate in the organization in order to position the issue of road safety in a central place in the culture through a variety of activities, assimilating the organizational methods and procedures in the field and adopting concepts and behaviors of safe conduct on the road among the management and members of the organization. Extra importance was given to creating open communication for receiving employee reports on the subject.
In the first step, a comprehensive mapping of the road safety situation was carried out and a steering committee was established. As part of the process, meetings and questionnaires were used to map risks and find solutions to reduce road accidents with an emphasis on the pedestrian interface, forklifts in warehouses and more. After that, an organizational intervention plan was implemented alongside monitoring the effectiveness of the implementation and recommendations for improving the activity for the future.
The findings of the program showed that the program for promoting the safety climate in the organization should be focused on improving the training program for drivers. During the field inspections, minor infrastructural deficiencies were found that could be improved immediately.
As part of the Steering Committee's deliberations, it was recommended to establish procedures for external parties in order to prevent an accident and almost accident by parties who do not know the "safety language" and may cause an accident.
We also promote healthy lifestyle through participation in local races. Just recently, employees were invited to participate in the Sunrise Race. We also manage a running group of employees and functional training is offered to them. Our employees also participate in various periodic tests such as vision, hearing and more. We conduct these tests in the factory and offices to ensure convenience and engagement of all employees.
LOG values the health of its team and the health of others. Multiple members of the LOG team participated in the Tiberias Marathon last December weekend. We were happy to run on behalf of Sunrise Association, an organization, which, runs free camps and leisure activities for children with cancer alongside their family members from all sectors of society. Cheers to good health and to keeping families healthy and together!
Employee welfare - Employees can apply for advances, bonuses, salary benefits and more. Lunch for the employees is fully subsidized when the employee pays only 5 NIS ($1.5) for a meal from restaurants on a closed list.
Employees participate in annual feedback and are invited to trend talks with managers. From time to time, round tables are held with the VP of Operations and the VP of Human Resources in favor of an open conversation and feedback.
We strive to make our bottles more sustainable. One of our most important projects was to review all the products (bottles, closures, applicators, funnels and more) produced in LOG Israel and check if they are recyclable. After an extensive review, until the end of 2023, the percentage of recyclable products stands on approximately 85%. Our next steps aimed at finding solutions for the un-recyclable products and applying same project on LOG Hungary's products.
We now focus our efforts on the Oxyblock series that doesn’t meet the recyclability requirement. Therefore, we examinate on ways to change it. One of the ideas was to reduce the weight percentage of the barrier layer while maintaining the properties of the barrier layer.
We had several trials. The first one failed due to thinner thickness of the barrier layer. The second trial succeed but, unfortunately, after extensive tests we saw that there is no stability in the process and that it is necessary to go back to the beginning and start new research.
One of the biggest raw material and products company has developed three new grades of polymer for the packaging industry. We engaged to be part of the piloting companies, and we tried it on our machines.
According to the supplier's statement, the grades have several advantages including: good oxygen barrier, short cycle time, high top load and it also can be used for hot filling. Two of the grades designed to IBM technology and the third one is for EBM technology. The grades were received towards the end of 2023. Trials will be made during 2024.
During 2023, most countries in United States have announced on prohibition presence of PFAS in packaging. Other countries allow presence of PFAS up to a 100 ppm. This requirement is also expected to be implemented in Europe. Therefore, LOG started to search new liners for the closures of bottles without affecting our liner's function. As of the end of 2023, we are still working on ways to solve this challenge as our suppliers can't offer a solution. This project continues into 2024.
One of the biggest raw materials companies offered us a new grade of HDPE which provides the same moisture barrier with a lower weight – therefore a more environmentally friendly material. LOG, which works to promote sustainability in her products, has made several attempts to use the new raw material. After several trials we received an announcement for the producing company that this grade contains PFAS, which most countries in USA forbidden to use. A similar ban is also expected in Europe. Therefore, the project was put on hold until a new grade without PFAS would be developed.
We received such a material without the prohibited substance and conducted several trials to examinate and compare the following parameters to existing Monoblock bottle in the same weight:
In conclusion, the new grade shows good results but requires operationally adjustments.
The LOG company donated to the small steps association ('Tseadim Ktaneem') by purchasing Purim sweets deliveries for the employees and also for the Kishori Haim association.
LOG donated high-quality plastic bottles that are not suitable for production in order to be used as containers to store oil produced by an agricultural educational farm, Eden Farm, to be distributed to the students working on the farm during the year. In this way, we found suitable solution for our bottles waste through reuse for the needs of the community near our factory.
LOG produces in accordance with the production conditions of GMP, the quality system authorized to control the production and testing system of the pharmaceutical, food and medical device industries, according to ISO 9001 and 15378 standards.
In Israel, the inspection and enforcement of the procedures is done by the inspection unit of the Ministry of Health.
LOG's drug packages are FDA registered, III DMF TYPE numbered 14601
As part of our commitment to promoting children and youth with disabilities, we purchased hearts from children from 'Shaaf School' (for people with a special needs) that they prepared for us to distribute to employees as a gift on Valentine's Day. The children's work on the hearts helps them in developing motor skills and us, in distributing gifts to employees with a social value that matches the company's commitment.
As part of our commitment to promoting a sustainable environment, this year we started an activity of planting pots together with the kibbutz youth in damaged containers (type B) produced by the company as part of a way to re-use them. The pots were distributed to our employees for the 'Kishori-Haim' (Life Skills) association.
This year we also celebrated the Israeli planting day, 'Tu B'Shvat' by distributing flower pots to all our employees accompanied by a holiday blessing.
LOG makes sure to respond to the needs of its community partners. In 2022, we implemented a program that allows people with disabilities from the Alvin association to volunteer in the company as part of a learning and experience program in preparation for the world of employment.
Four LOG employees volunteer on a regular basis in ‘Noladet Lenatxach’ ('Born to win’) - supporting the needs of families dealing with cancer.
'Born to win’ is a voluntary-social organization, established in 2018 to provide community support to families battling cancer. The volunteers bring home-cooked food for the families, in order to facilitate them during the complex period of dealing with the disease and allow them to concentrate their resources and attention on the treatments. Beyond that, the volunteers give the families a supporting hand, love and an understanding that they are not alone and part of a caring and supportive community. The organization operates in 50 cities across the country as well as in the Jordan Valley.
Photos of volunteers’ dishes and pastries:
LOG periodically receives requests from members of the nearby community for supporting various requests and agrees to assist as much as possible. This year came a touching request from an 11-year-old girl suffering from a chronic genetic disease - cystic fibrosis (CF) - treated at Rambam Hospital. As part of her many treatments, the girl is treated with regular and daily physical therapy and needs regular pool care. Ensuring regular treatments for the girl also during the corona period, days when there is a fear of reaching the pool as a focus of infection, could be done by building a private pool at her house. LOG helped funding the private pool that allowed the treatments to continue and help improve her functional ability and respiratory functions.
This year, LOG participated in financing the activities of "Hapoel Emek Hayarden", a water ball association that is a center for sports and competitive activities for children, teenagers and adults from the valley and in recent years also from the Springs, Golan and Galilee valleys. The association has about 60 participants between the ages of 9 and 60 who also enjoy social-educational activities and a daily framework that educates for personal, competitive and self-discipline alongside the assimilation of a healthy and sporty lifestyle. Special emphasis is given to strengthening women's sports and strengthening self-confidence and leadership for girls and boys. The financial contribution helped to establish competitive groups, expand the training hours and expand the accessibility of water sports to the residents of the north.
One of the leading players in the water ball association is an employee of LOG.
Our social activity in Israel focuses on the nearby community and non-profit organizations that work in its vicinity. We advocate secret giving but when we promote employee volunteering then the contribution is known to all. Some of our community projects:
We continued our tradition of hosting the ILAN summer camp with the youth of Kibbutz Ashdot, also in 2022. The youth of the kibbutz run the camp for full 5 days offering 10 children with special needs new experiences and excitement. The camps allows the youth to strengthen the local community while integrating the values of diversity and inclusion that are especially important to us.
ILAN – is an Israeli association for injured and disabled children, which since its establishment in 1952 has cared for thousands of children and adults with physical disabilities who face physical and motor disabilities and various muscle and nerve diseases such as polio, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and more.
LOG also supported this year through a donation to the 'Springs Riders' Club, which is a social framework for tandem and single cycling that combines people with disabilities and volunteers from the Springs Valley communities for both social and sports activities. The Springs Riders Club is an organization in which one of LOGs employees volunteers regularly and strengthens the community near LOG.
The donation was made through the Akim organization - the national organization for people with intellectual disabilities and their families operating in about 88 localities throughout the country. Since its establishment in 1951, the organization has been working to exercise their rights, promote and improve their quality of life and well-being through legal and community advocacy. The organization promotes the assimilation of positive attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities, inclusion in the community, provides them with tools for independent coping and taking personal responsibility and encourages them to make their voices heard.
One of our important ventures to promote diverse recruitment and support social causes is to promote the employment of rehabilitated prisoners and we have success stories when such an employee received the Outstanding Employee Medal and even brought his son to work in a factory. We recently recruited a combat soldier that suffers from battle shock who has chosen his field of work in cleaning and is showing great satisfaction.
One of our important ventures to promote diverse recruitment and support social causes is to promote the employment of rehabilitated prisoners and we have success stories when such an employee received the Outstanding Employee Medal and even brought his son to work in a factory. We recently recruited a combat soldier that suffers from battle shock who has chosen his field of work in cleaning and is showing great satisfaction.
In 2023 we had several amazing successes:
LOG donated high-quality plastic bottles that are not suitable for production to be used as containers to store oil produced by an agricultural educational farm, Eden Farm, to be distributed to the students working on the farm during the year. In this way, we found suitable solution for our bottles waste through reuse for the needs of the community near our factory.
LOG donated high-quality plastic bottles that are not suitable for production to be used as containers to store oil produced by an agricultural educational farm, Eden Farm, to be distributed to the students working on the farm during the year. In this way, we found suitable solution for our bottles waste through reuse for the needs of the community near our factory.
The 'Angels on Wheels' Association received in 2023 a donation of 14 desktop computers and two laptops from the company. The non-profit uses computer equipment donated by companies and individuals for children, lone soldiers, low-income families, etc.
The LOG company donated to the small steps association ('Tseadim Ktaneem') by purchasing Purim sweets deliveries for the employees and also for the Kishori Haim association.
In Hanukkah we Purchased gifts for the factory workers from the association 'Shades of Sweet' that employs at-risk youth.
Our social activity in Israel focuses on the nearby community and non-profit organizations that work in its vicinity. We advocate secret giving but when we promote employee volunteering then the contribution is known to all. Some of our community projects:
During 2023 we also donated to the Poria Medical Center for the Oncology Department and funded food support for the Israeli soldiers.
We continued our tradition of hosting the ILAN summer camp with the youth of Kibbutz Ashdot and supporting it, also in 2023. The youth of the kibbutz run the camp for a full 5 days offering 9 children with special needs new experiences and excitement. The camps allow the youth to strengthen the local community while integrating the values of diversity and inclusion that are especially important to us.
ILAN – is an Israeli association for injured and disabled children, which since its establishment in 1952 has cared for thousands of children and adults with physical disabilities who face physical and motor disabilities and various muscle and nerve diseases such as polio, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and more.
During 2022, we launched a new program to implement a safety climate in the company accompanied by the 'Green Light' organization.
Studies have shown that the traffic safety climate and practices have a significant impact on Involvement of the organization's drivers in road accidents. The higher the safety climate and the more traffic safety practices are implemented, the lower the employee involvement rate in car accidents.
LOG promoted a plan to implement a road safety climate in the organization in order to position the issue of road safety in a central place in the culture through a variety of activities, assimilating the organizational methods and procedures in the field and adopting concepts and behaviors of safe conduct on the road among the management and members of the organization. Extra importance was given to creating open communication for receiving employee reports on the subject.
In the first step, a comprehensive mapping of the road safety situation was carried out and a steering committee was established. As part of the process, meetings and questionnaires were used to map risks and find solutions to reduce road accidents with an emphasis on the pedestrian interface, forklifts in warehouses and more. After that, an organizational intervention plan was implemented alongside monitoring the effectiveness of the implementation and recommendations for improving the activity for the future.
The findings of the program showed that the program for promoting the safety climate in the organization should be focused on improving the training program for drivers. During the field inspections, minor infrastructural deficiencies were found that could be improved immediately.
As part of the Steering Committee's deliberations, it was recommended to establish procedures for external parties in order to prevent an accident and 'almost accident' by parties who do not know the "safety language" and may cause an accident.
We will continue to be careful and encourage employees to report any accident, minor or serious, so that we can take corrective action. At every management meeting we will continue to raise the issue of safety and ensure transparency, raising awareness and proactivity to prevent accidents from occurring, as much as possible.
The Occupational health and safety managed in Israel under a proactive approach and with the full involvement of senior managers. Beyond immediate reports, when necessary, regular discussions are held 8 times a year as well as a regular annual management discussion.
The composition of our safety committee changes every year in order to give an opportunity to as many employees as possible to be part of safety thinking.
The organization treats every safety incident severely and therefore, "near accidents" is reported as an accident as well as, accidents on the way to and from work. We do not separate company employees from contractor employees and treat everyone equally.
All events are documented and investigated, and we do not save budget to implement immediate improvements.
All new employees are required to provide physician permit and to be instructed on the OHS procedures that are accessible in three languages: Hebrew, Arabic, Russian. In addition, field training is held on various topics, such as firefighting training with exercises, first aid, etc.
LOG Israel also manages 20 employees who constitute 'safety trustees'. These workers undergo a dedicated course and help increase attention to the implementation of safety guidelines, possible hazards and ‘negligent’ behaviors. These employees have been carefully selected in accordance with their suitability for a dedicated profile, have an understanding of the field and care for the subject.
A dedicated instruction booklet is currently being produced to be given to every employee and / or visitor to the company as a means of increasing the ways of conveying the OHS messages and awareness of safety.
The Occupational health and safety managed in Israel under a proactive approach and with the full involvement of senior managers. Beyond immediate reports, when necessary, regular discussions are held 8 times a year as well as a regular annual management discussion.
The composition of our safety committee changes every year in order to give an opportunity to as many employees as possible to be part of safety thinking.
The organization treats every safety incident severely and therefore, "near accidents" is reported as an accident as well as, accidents on the way to and from work. We do not separate company employees from contractor employees and treat everyone equally.
All events are documented and investigated, and we do not save budget to implement immediate improvements.
All new employees are required to provide physician permit and to be instructed on the OHS procedures that are accessible in three languages: Hebrew, Arabic, Russian. In addition, field training is held on various topics, such as firefighting training with exercises, first aid, etc.
LOG Israel also manages 20 employees who constitute 'safety trustees'. These workers undergo a dedicated course and help increase attention to the implementation of safety guidelines, possible hazards and ‘negligent’ behaviors. These employees have been carefully selected in accordance with their suitability for a dedicated profile, have an understanding of the field and care for the subject.
A dedicated instruction booklet is currently being produced to be given to every employee and / or visitor to the company as a means of increasing the ways of conveying the OHS messages and awareness of safety.
Today LOG has CR 33mm closure that consists of two parts from different polymers.
We learned that there is a need for a larger recyclable closure - size 38mm. Development and design began based on CR33 mechanism. After several failed trials it became clear that the CR33 mechanism is not applicable for a larger diameter closure. Therefore, we initiated a project to develop a new mechanism suitable for larger closure and only when achieving it, adjusting it the recycling infrastructure.
We are now proud to declare that the new development mechanism passed the CR test with children, and we plan to promote the next step of making sure it becomes recyclable.
The project is still under development.
We encourage excellence and make sure to praise employees who show initiative, responsibility and professionalism. We give special recognition to employees who have brought about an improvement in the quality of production in detection and warning devices for potential problems or malfunctions, possible improvement in activity, and more. In addition to commending these employees, in 2023 one of our employees won an honorable recognition on behalf of the leading media body in Israel - Yedioth Ahronoth's 'the Minister' Award. The award was given to LOG's employee by the Minister of Economy.
In 2023 we launched in Hungary an initiative to use glass cups in the kitchenette.
The purpose of the project is to reduce the use of disposables and reduce our environmental impact.
We raise awareness to the environment through the creation of an organizational culture that supports sustainability, promoting green offices and more. In 2023 we purchased branded glass cups for employees also in Israel in order to encourage the cessation of single-use cups.
At the Site's offices there are dedicated facilities for collecting waste for recycling such as a paper recycling bin in Israel and containers for collecting used water bottles for recycling in Hungary.
LOG participates once every three years in the Industrial Environment Survey of the Central Bureau of Statistics. The survey gathers information on the quantities of waste and sewage, how they are treated, energy consumption and investments in initiatives aimed to protect the environment. The results of the survey are used to compile statistics and will assist decision-makers in the economy in determining policies and procedures for protecting the environment as well as comparing activities to other OECD countries.
As part of our ongoing activity to find opportunities for recycling and/or reuse of factory waste, we have found a significant solution for rags that, not long ago, were thrown into the trash. At the end of 2023, we located a company that collects the used rags from us for washing and return it for reuse. The payment agreement with the company is based on the rental of the rags, which leads to cost reduction of Savings of about 88% in monthly expenses. We now save on the purchase of new rags, investment in special disposal and most importantly - we improve our environmental impact on the world.
In 2023, a significant decrease in the depreciation of raw materials was measured at the factory in Hungary, which results from the addition of an online shredding process to the machines in a way that reduces the technological depreciation. In addition, making sure to maintain machines at a high-level standard lead to an increase in the functioning of the machines and the reduction of operational depreciation.
Below are the rates of raw material consumption from the recycling and shredding process at the plant in
Hungary:
| Year | 2022 | 2023 |
| % consumption from recycled
shredded waste |
65% | 50% |
Photos of the electrician who installed a sleeve control system into three machines:
Over the past few years, the company has built recycling mechanisms for the various types of waste that exist in the plant.
In the production hall, there is a waste separation process in place and the waste is transferred to designated bins - for plastic, paper, metal parts, rags and an outdoor container that collects aluminum and nylon. Colored PET debris is shredded on the spot. Next to the chip hall is a dedicated container for collecting rodent products. In addition, fluorescent lighting is collected for recycling (in the few places that have not been transferred to LED lighting).
The cumulative materials are sold to various recycling suppliers who collect the waste from the plant.
The company is currently considering the establishment of an indoor collection and recycling area for the management of some of the waste residues that cannot remain outside. In addition, ways of reusing plastic waste that is currently being shredded and sold are being examined (there are isolated cases where there is an immediate closed process that takes the plastic waste for re-production on-site).
The company is in contact with customers and suppliers and is trying to find recycling opportunities for example: recently the company took pallets from one of the customers who wanted to recycle and at the same time, moved wooden pallets for use by a recycling supplier. The company also recycled supplier large crates in favor of collecting shredded PET.
For the past three years, LOG has been making extensive use of the ecological cleaning materials, produced by eOx Israel, and puts into use any new product that comes to replace the products containing solvents.
Following these initiatives and waste management practices - from 10 containers of plastic waste per month in 2006 - we dropped to 4 containers per year in 2020!!!
During 2023 we had only 2 containers with 12,460 Kg of waste for landfill.
The main recycling suppliers are:
Ecommunity - a social corporation for recycling electronic waste while integrating people with special needs into the work circle. The partners of Ecommunity are the businesses, 76 authorities that are located all over the country and the authorized treatment and recycling sites. Every year, thousands of tons of e-waste are recycled by a population with special needs.
Tabib - offers a wide range of professional, high-quality, available, effective and, after all, waste treatment solutions. Tabib strives to promote environmental protection in Israel and for over 25 years has stood to the right of companies, businesses, organizations and entities facing challenges related to hazardous waste treatment, industrial effluents, contaminated soils, hazardous materials incidents and more.
Gadot Ecology Services Company - offers waste removal, treatment and destruction services and specializes in the field of industrial waste recycling in Israel. The company uses state-of-the-art technologies developed by the plant engineers to process all types of waste destined for recycling. The company recycles electronic waste, plastic scrap, metal and other waste.
The new ECO line series is yet another project born from our desire to produce and change LOG's bottle to be more sustainable. Today our Oxyblock series bottles don't meet the recyclability requirement. Therefore, we examined ways for change. We started by reducing the weight percentage of the barrier layer while maintaining its properties by using unique technologies. In addition, we explored using innovative Pharma grade HDPE resin with superior gas barrier properties that will allow us to reduce bottle weight by up to 30% with high barrier properties.
We partnered with BASF in efforts to bring to realization a new material that will be a good barrier for Oxygen and Moisture in one layer- Mono-material product. The new polymer is designed to be easy to recycle and with a possibility for feedstock that will allow us to act according to the biomass balance approach.
We see each improvement and reduction of bottle weight as a way to reduce waste, energy consumption, etc. leads to an improved and more sustainable product as part of a better circular economy approach.
The development of OxyBlock ECO bottles, by reducing and optimizing the bottle weight and removing the adhesive layer, still has challenges ahead. Mainly the need to make it fully recyclable. To that end, we keep daily communication with "RecyClass" company to find a solution which will allow us to recycle it in addition to internal brainstorming and learning.
Furthermore, and although our MonoBlock bottle is sustainable and can be recycled, we want to continue investing it in reducing up to 30% bottle weight. This reduction can also be achieved thanks to the use of a new Pharma grade HDPE resin that allows maintaining good barrier properties while reducing weight.
LOG’s salary and remuneration policy serves as a tool for locating and retaining professional and quality personnel, while addressing the needs of the organization and its strategic plan. The policy supports development and promotion of employees based on their performance while supporting the organization's values of promoting professionalism, fairness, long-term human capital capacity building and encouraging a sense of respect, trust and appreciation for all levels of work in the company.
Employee benefits include a training fund according to years of seniority and managerial level. All employees enjoy days of vacation, illness (in accordance with the law), and payment of convalescence and clothing allowances. In addition, the company subsidizes lunch for all employees in a closed list of restaurants, regardless of the number of working hours per day (the employee has only payment of NIS 5 per meal).
Intermediate-tiered employees and above receive an extension of vacation days beyond what is required by law. Employees whose job allows it can enjoy flexibility and work from home. All employees receive 24 hours rest within a time frame of 7 consecutive days.
Vehicle is provided to employees according to job needs and management levels as well as payment for telephone use.
It is important to emphasize that there are no employees who are paid below the minimum wage set by law in the company.
Every two years on a regular basis, uniform wage discussions are held for all employees in which the employee's contribution to the organization, his professional and organizational progress is examined, all under the values of fairness and uniformity and in accordance with defined criteria.
These days, we have initiated a process for the formation of similar and adapted salary and remuneration policy for LOG Hungary.
9.1 Develop quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all
9.4 By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes
9.5 Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors
Link to relevant progress update in LOG's 2021 report – Our planet
13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
13.2 Integrate climate change measures into policies, strategies and planning
13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
Link to relevant progress update in LOG's 2021 report – Our planet
12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
12.4 By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment
12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse
12.6 Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle
12.7 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities
Link to relevant progress update in LOG's 2021 report – Our planet
This year, LOG participated in financing the activities of "Hapoel Emek Hayarden", a water ball association that is a center for sports and competitive activities for children, teenagers and adults from the valley and in recent years also from the Springs, Golan and Galilee valleys. The association has about 60 participants between the ages of 9 and 60 who also enjoy social-educational activities and a daily framework that educates for personal, competitive and self-discipline alongside the assimilation of a healthy and sporty lifestyle. Special emphasis is given to strengthening women's sports and strengthening self-confidence and leadership for girls and boys. The financial contribution helped to establish competitive groups, expand the training hours and expand the accessibility of water sports to the residents of the north.
One of the leading players in the water ball association is an employee of LOG.
Our social activity in Israel focuses on the nearby community and non-profit organizations that work in its vicinity. We advocate secret giving but when we promote employee volunteering then the contribution is known to all. Some of our community projects:
In the summer of 2021, we re-established the tradition of hosting the ILAN summer camp with the youth of Kibbutz Ashdot, after last summer the Corona crisis prevented us from doing so. The youth of the kibbutz run the camp and thus strengthen the local community while integrating the values of diversity and inclusion that are especially important to us.
ILAN – is an Israeli association for injured children, which since its establishment in 1952 has cared for thousands of children and adults with physical disabilities who face physical and motor disabilities and various muscle and nerve diseases such as polio, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and more.
LOG also supported this year through a donation to the 'Springs Riders' Club, which is a social framework for tandem and single cycling that combines people with disabilities and volunteers from the Springs Valley communities for both social and sports activities. The Springs Riders Club is an organization in which one of LOGs employees volunteers regularly and strengthens the community near LOG.
The donation was made through the Akim organization - the national organization for people with intellectual disabilities and their families operating in about 88 localities throughout the country. Since its establishment in 1951, the organization has been working to exercise their rights, promote and improve their quality of life and well-being through legal and community advocacy. The organization promotes the assimilation of positive attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities, inclusion in the community, provides them with tools for independent coping and taking personal responsibility and encourages them to make their voices heard.
Due to this policy and investment in employees' health and safety, we have succeeded to reduce accidents in Israel in 30% between 2020 and 2021. No women had to miss working days due to injuries, in comparison to 12 days missed in 2020.
We also promote healthy lifestyle through participation in local races. Just recently, employees were invited to participate in the Sunrise Race. We also manage a running group of employees and functional training is offered to them. Our employees also participate in various periodic tests such as vision, hearing and more. We conduct these tests in the factory and offices to ensure convenience and engagement of all employees.
The Occupational health and safety managed in Israel under a proactive approach and with the full involvement of senior managers. Beyond immediate reports, when necessary, regular discussions are held 8 times a year as well as a regular annual management discussion.
The organization treats every safety incident severely and therefore, "almost an accident" is reported as an accident as well as, accidents on the way to and from work. We do not separate company employees from contractor employees and treat everyone equally.
All events are documented and investigated and we do not save budget to implement immediate improvements.
All new employees are required to provide physician permit and to be instructed on the OHS procedures that are accessible in three languages: Hebrew, Arabic, Russian. In addition, field training is held on various topics, such as firefighting training with exercises, first aid, etc.
LOG Israel also manages 20 employees who constitute 'safety trustees'. These workers undergo a dedicated course and help increase attention to the implementation of safety guidelines, possible hazards and ‘negligent’ behaviors. These employees have been carefully selected in accordance with their suitability for a dedicated profile, have an understanding of the field and care for the subject.
A dedicated instruction booklet is currently being produced to be given to every employee and / or visitor to the company as a means of increasing the ways of conveying the OHS messages and awareness of safety.
Employees are invited to make suggestions and submit requests for measures to improve their safety. For example: a unique silicone device was recently purchased for the benefit of an employee who requested it for increased comfort at work; For a worker with a disability who comes twice a week, a dedicated interpreter was brought in to ensure good safety training since he spoke only Arabic.
Due to this policy and investment in employees' health and safety, we have succeeded to reduce accidents in Israel in 30% between 2020 and 2021. No women had to miss working days due to injuries, in comparison to 12 days missed in 2020.
We also promote healthy lifestyle through participation in local races. Just recently, employees were invited to participate in the Sunrise Race. We also manage a running group of employees and functional training is offered to them. Our employees also participate in various periodic tests such as vision, hearing and more. We conduct these tests in the factory and offices to ensure convenience and engagement of all employees.
LOG values the health of its team and the health of others. Multiple members of the LOG team participated in the Tiberias Marathon last December weekend. We were happy to run on behalf of Sunrise Association, an organization, which, runs free camps and leisure activities for children with cancer alongside their family members from all sectors of society. Cheers to good health and to keeping families healthy and together!
Employee welfare - Employees can apply for advances, bonuses, salary benefits and more. Lunch for the employees is fully subsidized when the employee pays only 5 NIS ($1.5) for a meal from restaurants on a closed list.
Employees participate in annual feedback and are invited to trend talks with managers. From time to time, round tables are held with the VP of Operations and the VP of Human Resources in favor of an open conversation and feedback.
We promote the employment of workers over the age of 55 and strive to recruit new workers from underemployed populations - Arabs, Israelis from Ethiopia and more. In 2021 42% of new hires are employees age 50 and up. Our workforce is composed of 13% employees from minorities, 6% of People with disabilities, 37% employees over age 50 and 43% women,.
We are proud to have 60% women in senior management and overall 40% women in management roles.
One of our important ventures is to promote the employment of rehabilitated prisoners and we have success stories when such an employee received the Outstanding Employee Medal and even brought his son to work in a factory. We recently recruited a combat soldier that suffers from battle shock who has chosen his field of work in cleaning and is showing great satisfaction.
Being a fair employer is one of our core values and that is why we make sure all our employees receive fair pay and benefits. In Hungary, we have a series of benefit such as:
8.2 Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation
8.3 Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises
8.4 Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavor to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation
8.5 By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
8.8 Protect labor rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers
Link to relevant progress update in LOG's 2021 report – Our people
We encourage our employees to travel to work using public transportation by paying almost full ticket price (86% of commuting cost). In addition, when an employee travel by private car takes other colleagues that live on the same route with him to work, he receives extra compensation.
LOG participates once every three years in the Industrial Environment Survey of the Central Bureau of Statistics. The survey gathers information on the quantities of waste and sewage, how they are treated, energy consumption and investments in initiatives aimed to protect the environment. The results of the survey are used to compile statistics and will assist decision-makers in the economy in determining policies and procedures for protecting the environment as well as comparing activities to other OECD countries.
This year, LOG production site in Hungary won a certificate of appreciation for its initiative to recycle packaging pallets. The company promotes a series of initiatives to recycle waste from its factories.
All kitchens in offices and production sites use reusable utensils. We also promote awareness of the environment among our employees. For example, we held a dedicated meeting for employees that dealt with 'the challenges facing the human race in the orbit of collision with Earth' and what actions need and can be taken to correct this. The lecture was delivered by Amiad Lapidot, who was defined by the environmental organizations in 2010 as the person who most positively influenced the preservation of the environment in Israel. In addition, activities were held to plant trees together with youth in the kibbutz.
In the production hall, there is a waste separation process in place and the waste is transferred to designated bins - for plastic, paper, metal parts, rags and an outdoor container that collects aluminum and nylon. Colored PET debris is shredded on the spot. Next to the chip hall is a dedicated container for collecting rodent products. In addition, fluorescent lighting is collected for recycling (in the few places that have not been transferred to LED lighting).
The cumulative materials are sold to various recycling suppliers who collect the waste from the plant.
The company is currently considering the establishment of an indoor collection and recycling area for the management of some of the waste residues that cannot remain outside. In addition, ways of reusing plastic waste that is currently being shredded and sold are being examined (there are isolated cases where there is an immediate closed process that takes the plastic waste for re-production on-site).
The company is in contact with customers and suppliers and is trying to find recycling opportunities for example: recently the company took pallets from one of the customers who wanted to recycle and at the same time, moved wooden pallets for use by a recycling supplier. The company also recycled supplier large crates in favor of collecting shredded PET.
Following these initiatives and waste management practices - from 10 containers of plastic waste per month in 2006 - we dropped to 4 containers per year in 2020!!!
The main recycling suppliers are:
Ecommunity - a social corporation for recycling electronic waste while integrating people with special needs into the work circle. The partners of Ecommunity are the businesses, 76 authorities that are located all over the country and the authorized treatment and recycling sites. Every year, thousands of tons of e-waste are recycled by a population with special needs.
Tabib - offers a wide range of professional, high-quality, available, effective and, after all, waste treatment solutions. Tabib strives to promote environmental protection in Israel and for over 25 years has stood to the right of companies, businesses, organizations and entities facing challenges related to hazardous waste treatment, industrial effluents, contaminated soils, hazardous materials incidents and more.
Gadot Ecology Services Company - offers waste removal, treatment and destruction services and specializes in the field of industrial waste recycling in Israel. The company uses state-of-the-art technologies developed by the plant engineers to process all types of waste destined for recycling. The company recycles electronic waste, plastic scrap, metal and other waste.
LOG periodically receives requests from members of the nearby community for supporting various requests and agrees to assist as much as possible. This year came a touching request from an 11-year-old girl suffering from a chronic genetic disease - cystic fibrosis (CF) - treated at Rambam Hospital. As part of her many treatments, the girl is treated with regular and daily physical therapy and needs regular pool care. Ensuring regular treatments for the girl also during the corona period, days when there is a fear of reaching the pool as a focus of infection, could be done by building a private pool at her house. LOG helped funding the private pool that allowed the treatments to continue and help improve her functional ability and respiratory functions.
Over the past few years the company has built recycling mechanisms for the various types of waste that exist in the plant.
In the production hall, there is a waste separation process in place and the waste is transferred to designated bins - for plastic, paper, metal parts, rags and an outdoor container that collects aluminum and nylon. Colored PET debris is shredded on the spot. Next to the chip hall is a dedicated container for collecting rodent products. In addition, fluorescent lighting is collected for recycling (in the few places that have not been transferred to LED lighting).
The cumulative materials are sold to various recycling suppliers who collect the waste from the plant.
The company is currently considering the establishment of an indoor collection and recycling area for the management of some of the waste residues that cannot remain outside. In addition, ways of reusing plastic waste that is currently being shredded and sold are being examined (there are isolated cases where there is an immediate closed process that takes the plastic waste for re-production on-site).
The company is in contact with customers and suppliers and is trying to find recycling opportunities for example: recently the company took pallets from one of the customers who wanted to recycle and at the same time, moved wooden pallets for use by a recycling supplier. The company also recycled supplier large crates in favor of collecting shredded PET.
For the past three years, LOG has been making extensive use of the ecological cleaning materials, produced by eOx Israel, and puts into use any new product that comes to replace the products containing solvents.
Following these initiatives and waste management practices - from 10 containers of plastic waste per month in 2006 - we dropped to 4 containers per year in 2020!!!
During 2022 we had only 2 containers with 12,320 Kg of waste for landfill.
The main recycling suppliers are:
Ecommunity - a social corporation for recycling electronic waste while integrating people with special needs into the work circle. The partners of Ecommunity are the businesses, 76 authorities that are located all over the country and the authorized treatment and recycling sites. Every year, thousands of tons of e-waste are recycled by a population with special needs.
Tabib - offers a wide range of professional, high-quality, available, effective and, after all, waste treatment solutions. Tabib strives to promote environmental protection in Israel and for over 25 years has stood to the right of companies, businesses, organizations and entities facing challenges related to hazardous waste treatment, industrial effluents, contaminated soils, hazardous materials incidents and more.
Gadot Ecology Services Company - offers waste removal, treatment and destruction services and specializes in the field of industrial waste recycling in Israel. The company uses state-of-the-art technologies developed by the plant engineers to process all types of waste destined for recycling. The company recycles electronic waste, plastic scrap, metal and other waste.
Being a fair employer is one of our core values and that is why we make sure all our employees receive fair pay and benefits. In Hungary, we have a series of benefit such as:
LOG’s salary and remuneration policy serves as a tool for locating and retaining professional and quality personnel, while addressing the needs of the organization and its strategic plan. The policy supports development and promotion of employees based on their performance while supporting the organization's values of promoting professionalism, fairness, long-term human capital capacity building and encouraging a sense of respect, trust and appreciation for all levels of work in the company.
Employee benefits include a training fund according to years of seniority and managerial level. All employees enjoy days of vacation, illness (in accordance with the law) and payment of convalescence and clothing allowances. In addition, the company subsidizes lunch for all employees in a closed list of restaurants, regardless of the number of working hours per day (the employee has only a payment of NIS 5 per meal).
The production workers receive a grant for the purchase of clothing twice a year in total amount of NIS 500. In addition, LOG makes provisions for employees to a continuing education fund (for production workers, the provision begins after 4 years of work).
Intermediate-tiered employees and above receive an extension of vacation days beyond what is required by law. Employees whose job allows it can enjoy flexibility and work from home. All employees receive 24 hours rest within a time frame of 7 consecutive days.
Vehicle is provided to employees according to job needs and management levels as well as payment for telephone use.
It is important to emphasize that there are no employees who are paid below the minimum wage set by law in the company.
Every two years on a regular basis, uniform wage discussions are held for all employees in which the employee's contribution to the organization, his professional and organizational progress is examined, all under the values of fairness and uniformity and in accordance with defined criteria. In 2023, the production workers received two bonuses: a quarterly bonus of NIS 800 for attendance, quality work and good human relations and a monthly bonus for attendance.
During 2022 we had to face many challenges in hiring employees. In order to retain our employees while recruiting new employees, we formulated an attractive salary plan for production employees and supporting departments with compensation levels as well as quarterly bonuses based on quality, attendance and direct manager evaluation (motivation, teamwork and human relations).
During 2023, we conducted additional thinking, within the framework of a dedicated team established for the benefit of the issue together with the employee representatives, following which improvements were made in the recruitment process. Among the improvements, it was decided to connect an accompanying mentor to each new employee. one who was trained to ensure a better initiation process. We also set a monthly index that tracks the employee turnover rate with an emphasis on employees who leave during the first two weeks after being hired. These changes showed a significant improvement in employee retention.
Following the success of the move, we are initiating a similar implementation in Hungary as well.
During 2022 we continued our employees' development program in Israel. We invested in 5 employees who underwent training in order to promote and/or change positions. 4 of them received a salary increase of between 10% and 20% due to the promotion.
In Hungary, three significant development plans were made in which the salary accountant was promoted and became a finance manager, a quality manager who was promoted and a department manager who now manages all production departments. All had a 30%-70% salary increase.
We encourage our employees to travel to work using public transportation by paying almost full ticket price (86% of commuting cost). In addition, when an employee travel by private car takes other colleagues that live on the same route with him to work, he receives extra compensation.
LOG participates once every three years in the Industrial Environment Survey of the Central Bureau of Statistics. The survey gathers information on the quantities of waste and sewage, how they are treated, energy consumption and investments in initiatives aimed to protect the environment. The results of the survey are used to compile statistics and will assist decision-makers in the economy in determining policies and procedures for protecting the environment as well as comparing activities to other OECD countries.
As part of our waste management strategy, we have been able to expand the scope of our activity and, accordingly, the quantities treated both in Israel and in Hungary. One of our success stories is the sale of our grinded raw material in Hungary. Starting in 2020 we launched an initiative to transfer the raw materials that cannot be used for pharma products to those who can re-use it. In 2021 we have brought about a significant increase in the use of these residues while receiving a respectable business profit.
During the year 2022, a new initiative was promoted to reduce the number of printers in the organization (where possible) and the number of pages printed.
By 2021, there were over 30 printers deployed throughout LOG in the various departments, which resulted in an average amount of printing of approximately 25,000 pages per month. In 2021, all the printers resulted in the printing of about 290,000 pages.
As part of a work plan to reduce the number of printers and also the number of printed pages, an accurate mapping of the needs was carried out, the necessary printers were defined and their adaptation to the required amount of printing. After the change, we were left with 24 printers which resulted in an average amount of printing of about 19,500 pages per month. In 2022, we printed approximately 230,000 pages on all printers.
The initiative achieved a total reduction of about 21% in the total amount of prints. We will continue to optimize the number of printers and prints during the coming year.
Four LOG employees volunteer on a regular basis in ‘Noladet Lenatxach’ ('Born to win’) - supporting the needs of families dealing with cancer.
'Born to win’ is a voluntary-social organization, established in 2018 to provide community support to families battling cancer. The volunteers bring home-cooked food for the families, in order to facilitate them during the complex period of dealing with the disease and allow them to concentrate their resources and attention on the treatments. Beyond that, the volunteers give the families a supporting hand, love and an understanding that they are not alone and part of a caring and supportive community. The organization operates in 50 cities across the country as well as in the Jordan Valley.
Photos of volunteers’ dishes and pastries:
LOG partnered with Sacmi (SACMI produces machines and plants for the ceramic, packaging, beverage, metals and food industries | SACMI) in efforts to find a technical solution to plastic reduction with high barrier products, Sacmi supported LOG with a case study that proved possibility to reduce the weight of 3 products by 10-20 %.
LOG partnered with BASF in efforts to bring to realization a new material that will be a good barrier for Oxygen and Moisture in one layer- Mono-material product, the new polymer is designed to be easy to recycle and with a possibility for feedstock that will allow us to act according to the biomass balance approach.
LOG will trail the material in 2023 but this is a long-term project.
Today LOG's CR38 cork consists of 2 parts, one of which is made of HDPE and the other made of PP. As part of the commitment to promote sustainable packaging, LOG has promoted an innovative venture to develop a new cork whose two parts (outer and inner cork) will be of the same material so that the cork can be recycled more easily. In light of the success of the development of the CR38 cork in the HDPE/PP composition, we are rethinking the development of the CR38 cork in the PP/PP composition.
In 2022, we conducted a pilot with a shampoo bottle 700 (brand: Pinuk) to reduce the weight of the bottle while maintaining the required features with an emphasis on testing the maximum load that can be applied to the bottle until it collapses. The project was a success when we managed to reduce the weight from 46 grams to 42 grams.
As part of our commitment to promote sustainability and innovation in our product line, LOG is looking for HDPE with improved properties - maintaining or improving moisture barrier properties while reducing weight. The DOW company offered materials which in combination with an additive from the Milliken company, UltraGuard 10036, can achieve this goal. The pilot showed that we can receive HDPE with improved moisture barriers and a lightweight product. The project was stopped due to the announcement of the European regulator on the prohibition of the use of materials containing PAFS, while waiting for a new development by the DOW company.
At the same time, the Milliken company offered an alternative additive to be combined with HDPE BIMODAL (HE2581PH) of the Borealis company which does not contain the prohibited flow improver. The pilot shows good results with the possibility of weight reduction.
These successful results led to its implementation in our 75 ml bottle and the new ECO during 2023.
The rPET project is our most significant pilot for the use of recycled material that we conducted at LOG and which is regulatory approved for use in the European market. The pilot included a feasibility test to create bottles in different volumes from recycled raw material rPET - GR in combination with PET in different concentrations (100%, 30% and 25% rPET). The quality of the products received, the shelf life, the pricing of the final product and more were checked. As of today, we paused the project due to high pricing, but we anticipate that with the expansion of raw material sources, production at competitive prices will be possible.
17.6 Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries
17.7 Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships Data, monitoring and accountability
Work in progress
