People at ALPLA: Interview with Theresia Gollner

Hello Theresia, thank you for your time. You are responsible for sustainability in the AMET region, among other things. When and how did you take on this role?

After a year as Operations Manager in Dubai, I took on the role for Sustainability Dubai and then MENA (Middle East and North Africa), as the topic is generally close to my heart for personal reasons and I think that we can have a major and positive impact as a global producer of plastic packaging. I took up my current position in March 2023 and the topic of sustainability is a key topic for us in the AMET region. I am also responsible for quality, IMS and HSE and support the plants with concepts such as 5S, process implementations and when it comes to ensuring sustainable and functioning systems. Projects such as plant set-ups, expansions, relocations, takeovers, etc. are another part of my remit.

How important is sustainability to you outside of ALPLA? What things do you also do in your private life?

Sustainability is a very important topic for me, even in my private life. As a Vorarlberg native, I never really realized the importance and urgency of it, as I grew up in an environment where we are taught to dispose of waste properly, to separate rubbish and not just throw it in the river or at the side of the road. However, the last 17 years in Asia have shown me that environmental protection is not a matter of course. Before I came back to ALPLA in 2020, I was a technical diving instructor in Indonesia for five years, where I not only saw mountains of waste on land, but also in the sea.

In Dubai, the majority of the population lacks any sense of sustainability; we live in a throwaway society. Waste separation is an additional challenge as there are very few recycling containers available. I therefore bring my recycling waste to the company, where it is properly disposed of and recycled. I also passionately support the traditional World Environment Day every year, which is practiced throughout the ALPLA world, and promote projects that support the concept of sustainability.

How difficult is it, especially in a region like Africa, the Middle East and Turkey, to implement the topic of sustainability and convince local people? What are the biggest challenges?

The lack of environmental awareness is a major challenge, and it takes time to make people in our region aware of the facts and promote sustainable behavior. Another major challenge is certainly the lack of infrastructure to ensure that waste can be disposed of and recycled properly. Many of the countries where we produce have neither collection centers nor recycling facilities and, as a result, the majority of waste ends up in landfill sites in the desert and inland. Even if there are recycling plants, they mainly produce an inferior product as the sorting and cleaning of the waste is not guaranteed. We have a long way to go but with our initiatives and our passion we want to contribute to an improvement step by step.

What do you love most about your job?

As I am responsible for many different topics, every day is a new challenge. I am very passionate about sustainability, but occupational safety and product quality are also very important to me and I am convinced that the combination of my different topics reflects my character very well. No two days are the same and I always look forward to tackling exciting challenges and thinking in a solution-orientated way.

What do you like about life in Dubai? What are the biggest differences to Europe?

Almost 365 days of summer, little rain and very pleasant temperatures. I enjoy being outside all the time, without moon boots and winter coats. Dubai is very multicultural and about 90 per cent of the inhabitants are immigrants. This makes it very easy to get to know people and make friends. I'm not a big city person, so I live outside and enjoy living in a small neighborhood that makes me feel a bit like I'm living in a small village.

Do you miss anything in particular about Austria?

I miss the mountains the most. The best thing is to go hiking or mountain biking on a warm summer or autumn day, enjoy the surroundings, breathe in fresh air and enjoy the contrast between the blue sky and the grass-green alpine meadows. And then cooling off in the clear mountain lake makes the day perfect.

Which superhero power would you like to have?

Definitely teleportation, as I travel a lot between our plants in the region, I wish I didn't have to spend so much time in airplanes and airports.

Finally: Describe ALPLA in three words.

Global, sustainable and innovative.

About the person

Name: Theresia Gollner

Age: 42

From: Bartholomäberg, Austria

Position: Regional Operational Projects & Sustainability Manager AMET