www.botta.it

Company profile  

BOTTA EcoPackaging has been manufacturing corrugated cardboard packaging since 1947. It is well-established in the industry as a sustainability expert and has received numerous international prizes, including the Packaging Excellence Award (2020) and the Road to Green Award (2022). 

 
Context and objectives  

BOTTA EcoPackaging rises to the challenge of ethnic discrimination and under-representation of women with its “inclusive and sustainable packaging” scheme. It promotes gender equality, supports foreign women from different backgrounds and places value on diverse teams, which are more capable of responding to the market and innovating. The company has opened up opportunities for discussion to drive the necessary cultural change and demonstrate the resulting added value. 

Description of activities and results 

The inclusive and sustainable packaging scheme by BOTTA EcoPackaging implemented several measures to foster inclusion and diversity. First and foremost, recruitment and hiring were geared towards looking for candidates from diverse backgrounds, in particular foreign women, with the Invest Your Talent in Italy scholarship programme by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mentoring and training programmes were launched to support the career development of new hires. 

Discussions on unconscious biases and gender stereotypes stimulated the personal and professional growth of all employees, through the experience of working in teams with a mix of genders, ages and ethnicities, and the recognition of different cultures, traditions and capabilities. Internships specifically for international female students led to those with excellent performance being offered full-time jobs, as proven by the case of a Vietnamese intern who is now a key figure in the marketing department. 

The scheme turned the work environment around: women in senior roles offered fresh perspectives, steering the company into the future. The inclusive culture improved satisfaction and the sense of belonging among employees, inspiring mutual respect. Language and technology skills also improved due to the need to communicate with the new staff, including through the use of simultaneous translation.  

Tip 

Looking for people from different cultures was essential in order to appreciate the benefits of diverse teams and nurture open-mindedness about new cultures and capabilities.

  

www.gruppoa2a.it

Company profile  

A2A is a Life Company, because it puts life at the centre of everything it does. It deals with energy, water and the environment. Its technology serves people and helps protect nature, and the company works every day to regenerate the potential of every resource. 

Context and objectives  

As a Life Company, we also put the lives of our people at the centre of everything we do, through concrete actions. These include: A2A Life Caring, a parenting support plan for employees with dedicated initiatives and tools; Multicultural Ambassadors, to foster intercultural dialogue and respect for the environment; the Transition Policy, to encourage recognition of self-perceived gender identity within the company. 

Description of activities and results 

With A2A Life Caring, A2A aims to help parents by providing a series of cross-cutting initiatives and tools to support new births. The plan focuses on three main areas: “Time”, “Financial support” and “Culture”, for example by supplementing maternity and paternity leave with one month of full pay and the opportunity to reimburse expenses incurred for schooling, education and work-family reconciliation, differentiated by age group, up to 18 years. 

The Multicultural Ambassadors project provided training on recycling and the circular economy for employees of Arab origin so that they could go and speak about these issues at schools in Milan. Using their knowledge of Arabic and the skills they acquired by attending a public speaking course, they also acted as cultural mediators, engaging and raising awareness among various stakeholders across the region. The Transition Policy paved the way for recognising the self-perceived gender identity of every person in the Group, so that all individuals can express themselves and affirm their identity freely. This was done by promoting initiatives such as introducing chosen name and pronouns, gender-neutral toilets, and specific education and awareness-raising on gender transition. 

Tip 

We strive every day to create value for our stakeholders and especially for our people, and to make A2A an increasingly inclusive company. Because for us, “diversity is a fact, but inclusion is an action”.