Women in packaging: Circular economy at REWE Group

Success in business, responsible use of resources and protecting the climate do not have to be mutually exclusive, but instead have hidden potential – of that Pia Schnück is convinced. The economist and environmental scientist is responsible for the area sustainability, packaging and circular economy within the REWE Group and she and her team are currently working on doubling the range of products with reusable or no packaging by the end of 2025 compared to the 2021 figure.

As Head of Sustainability, Climate & Circularity, Pia Schnück is responsible for the REWE Group’s sustainability strategy regarding their range of products and their supply chains. Issues like supply chain management, circular economy, packaging and climate protection are an important focus of her work. “The important thing is, for example, to ensure that the corporation uses resources efficiently and that the same happens along the supply chain. Our goal is to move away from a linear and towards a true circular economy”, says the economist and environmental scientist who has been working at the REWE Group since the spring of 2020. “Beyond this, I work out how sustainability requirements can be integrated into purchasing and operational business processes, and how to implement the growing number of regulations. In practice, this means: We develop requirements for our suppliers and our product ranges, enable our organisation to put the strategy into practice, create transparency and drive innovation projects and industry initiatives forward.”

Pia Schnück studied economics and environmental sciences in Germany, Italy and Sweden, was employed at the Wuppertal Institute for climate, environment and energy as a graduate student and later as a project manager in the recycling sector. “I was certain very quickly that I wanted to actively shape sustainability within companies and wanted to prove that business success, responsible use of resources and protecting the climate are not mutually exclusive, but in fact have hidden potentials”, she says. “I am convinced that we need real changes to protect both our resources and the climate efficiently. And that is exactly what fascinates me. Because in my field, we work precisely on identifying and implementing these changes within the supply chains and product ranges.”

Currently, projects for innovative returnable container systems are part of the agenda of the expert for sustainability, along with initiatives to implement sustainability more efficiently within the industry through introducing standards, and of course the PPWR and other regulations in the context of sustainability are an issue, too. “We also started the support programme for protecting the climate at the beginning of the year, in order to work with the suppliers for our proprietary brands to drive projects that reduce climate emissions forward together.” The reason for this is that the majority of emissions caused by REWE and PENNY stem from the upstream added value chains – for example from cultivation or harvesting of food, transport or raising livestock. The support programme for protecting the climate is supposed to help partners in the supply chain, for example local farmers, to implement climate-friendly measures. 

“I like to refer to myself as a sustainability nerd. Because sustainability runs through my entire professional journey like a thread. I first discovered the topic of sustainability during my studies of economics. To be more precise, I found it in a book about climate change which I read while I was a student. I was rather shocked at the scientific facts and even more when I, more or less by chance, found out how our consumption of resources affects the environment and the climate, and thus our lives in the medium term. From then on, I did everything to make the protection of the environment and the climate the central focus of my actions. For example, I first worked in a more operational capacity in the recycling and circular economy sector, while studying environmental sciences parallel to holding a job, and then as a consultant with PWC for almost ten years, where I advised corporations on sustainability issues and also audited them. And now, I've been in this exciting position at REWE for four years, where I can actively implement sustainability in our range of products and our supply chains.”

Commerce is the link between producing or supplying goods and consumers. And in both directions, it has influence to exert, says Pia Schnück. “Sustainability in the supply chain can be supported by defining requirements for suppliers for better environmental, social and animal welfare conditions and by designing our range of products accordingly.”

Since the end of 2023, REWE has been testing unpackaged food stations for dry products like rice, pasta and cereals and, as the first food retailer in Germany, is using the digital, especially user-friendly and hygienic stations by start-up MIWA from Czechia. The unpackaged food stations also close the multiple-use circle, as customers can either borrow the available reusable cups and reusable trays for a deposit of EUR 1.50 or 2.50 or use their own shatter-proof containers.

“Reusable and unpackaged are exciting concepts to us, because they have the potential to change the world of packaging in Germany and to significantly reduce the use or resources and the impact on the climate caused by packaging. But to do this, reusable containers must gain a stronger market presence – beyond the beverages segment. And in order to be successful as a food retailer, you need efficiency and scalability, along with industry standards instead of individual solutions. We are sadly still miles away. But this is exactly why we test solutions that go in this direction and why we actively support standardisation of reusable containers and unpackaged foods.”

Women in management positions often face added difficulties. “This is unfortunately still often the case. It probably wasn’t much different for me than for many other women working in management positions. I, too, was asked again and again about how I would manage both work and family responsibilities. I, too, worried about finding childcare for my children and how to resume my career after taking time off as a new parent. Fortunately, REWE Group is offering me a lot of flexibility. Looking back, though, I would not call my career journey difficult – you need to be clear about what you want and you probably also need persistence and good organisational skills.”

What advice does Pia Schnück have for young women who want to further their career? “Assertiveness, perseverance and courage. At least that is what always helped me. Sustainability has many facets, and in terms of concrete solutions, things quickly become complex. But you mustn’t give up. You have to stay at it, try again and again, actively develop yourself as a person and find ways to reach your goals. And of course you mustn’t forget to have fun. I am convinced that you can achieve outstanding things if you do what you love and follow through with it with joy in your heart and passion.”