Professional Role and Scope
Dr. Gerald Rebitzer holds a senior leadership role in sustainability at Amcor, serving as Vice President of Sustainability Operations and Senior Director of Sustainability and Public Affairs. He is responsible for sustainability initiatives across Amcor Flexibles Europe, Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. His remit includes driving environmental strategy and public affairs related to packaging sustainability at a multinational scale. His work focuses on embedding sustainability across Amcor’s flexible packaging operations and advancing circular economy principles within the company.
Experience and Background
Gerald Rebitzer brings nearly a 30-year track record in embedding sustainability within multinational corporations, underpinning Amcor’s sustainability strategy. He holds an educational background from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and has been a consistent figure in sustainability leadership at Amcor for multiple years, with public recognition dating back at least to 2012. His role encompasses both operational sustainability leadership and external stakeholder engagement related to public affairs.
Key Focus Areas and Initiatives
- Circular Economy Advocacy: Gerald actively promotes the transition to circular packaging systems, emphasizing sustainable consumption and recycling as industry standards.
- Recyclability Leadership: He is prominently involved in Amcor’s research and communication on consumer perceptions of recyclability claims, highlighting that recyclability is now a primary driver of consumer purchasing decisions according to studies led or contributed to by him (e.g., 2023, 2024, and 2025 research reports). These findings show 84% of consumers check on-pack recyclability instructions, elevating recyclability as the most influential sustainability claim.
- Recycling Infrastructure Expansion: He has publicly endorsed and led efforts in upgrading Amcor's recycling facilities, notably in the UK, to scale flexible plastics recycling. This includes facilitating the conversion of various types of plastic waste into recycled polymers to strengthen supply chain resilience and circularity.
- Collaboration with Global Partners: Under his sustainability direction, Amcor has partnered with organizations such as the World Food Programme to leverage packaging innovations for humanitarian impact and has been recognized with awards such as the Johnson & Johnson Sustainability Award (2012).
Sustainability Strategy and Achievements at Amcor
- Pioneering Commitments: Under Gerald’s leadership, Amcor was the first global packaging company to pledge that all products would be recyclable, compostable, or reusable by 2025.
- Recycled Content Targets: He announced a goal to increase recycled content in Amcor’s packaging portfolio to 30% by 2030, aligning with broader corporate sustainability targets.
- Energy and Resource Efficiency: Amcor’s FY22 Sustainability Report credits initiatives under his direction for reducing carbon footprints and improving resource efficiency at global sites, such as the Amcor Flexibles Bangkok site reducing CO2e emissions by 2,700 metric tons in FY22.
- Industry and Regulatory Engagement: Gerald contributes insights on evolving packaging regulations, including the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), to ensure Amcor’s compliance and leadership in sustainability practices.
Public Thought Leadership and Communication
Gerald Rebitzer is visible in multiple professional forums and public platforms:
- Featured speaker in initiatives like SAVE FOOD addressing food sustainability.
- Author and contributor to blogs and thought leadership pieces on packaging sustainability, disputing common sustainability myths, and highlighting Amcor’s role in shaping sustainable packaging futures.
- Active on LinkedIn as a key spokesperson for Amcor’s sustainability progress and partnerships.
- Participated in industry advisory boards focused on sustainability in packaging.
In summary, Dr. Gerald Rebitzer is a seasoned sustainability executive pivotal to Amcor’s strategic positioning as a global leader in sustainable flexible packaging. His leadership integrates operational sustainability improvements, consumer research insights, recycling infrastructure investments, and public affairs advocacy, driving Amcor’s transition towards a circular economy with measurable environmental commitments and industry recognition.
