ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL, June 24, 2025 - creative werks is proud to announce the release of our 2024 Responsibility Report. This report conveys all the work completed in the 2024 calendar year to make positive and sustainable impact on all aspects of our business operations. In 2024, we made the decision to revisit and refine our approach to communicating our impact, from a holistic perspective. The result of that work is a new set of realistic objectives, defined metrics, as well as a language and framework that aligns with industry standards. This framework highlights three distinct, yet interconnected pillars of sustainability: People, Planet, and Prosperity.
Prioritization of our employees, their families and our community has remained a core focus and part of creative werks’ ethos since its inception. Last year, CW continued its investment in our network through volunteerism. We encourage philanthropic engagement and offer 24 hours of Volunteer Time Off (VTO) per year to each full-time employee. There were 1,458 volunteer hours reported in 2024 as well as 24 volunteer events sponsored by the company. We are increasing our efforts in 2025, with a goal to host 30 volunteer events for our team. As evidence of our commitment to the wellbeing of our people, we achieved a 1.36 Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) in 2024, which is well above the industry average of 2.8 (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics).
We honor the sentiment that a thriving environment is critical to the health and safety of our business and our people. We are proud to report that in 2024, 81% of all disposed materials were diverted from landfill through robust recycling and repurposing practices, including the use of edible food waste as usable raw material for livestock feed. Additionally, 100% of reusable plastic scrap is reintroduced directly into our manufacturing processes as Post-Industrial Recycled Content (PIR), which reduces the amount of virgin resin use. We continue to seek innovative ways to reduce waste, which extends to an ongoing campaign that will significantly reduce the amount of paper products in our offices by the end of 2025. We are committed to investing in clean energy streams, and for the 14th year in a row were recognized as an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Power Parter by offsetting 100% of our energy usage through Wind Energy Credits.
Operating a prosperous business is essential to our ability to invest in sustainable systems and solutions. By prioritizing business prosperity, we can capture a more holistic view of the impact our growth has, not just on the environment and our community, but also on the broader economy. This includes job creation, market innovation, and long-term economic value. Over the past five years we have experienced 120% job growth. Our attainment rate of 98.3% and retention rate of 95% demonstrate that we are not just creating jobs, but good ones - roles that people are excited to take and proud to keep. These numbers reflect the strength of our culture and the positive, lasting impact we have on our employees. “This report is not just a record of our impact, it’s the foundation of a roadmap for the future we want to build” says Sustainability Manager, Jordan Overeem. “By investing in our people, protecting our planet, and committing to prosperity we are creating lasting value for our rights holders, aspiring to be good stewards of our environment, and acting as strong industry partners – all of which just make good business sense.”
About creative werks:
Founded in 1999, creative werks designs, manufactures, and co-packs for top 100 food brands. Our mission is to be your ultimate packaging partner, to deliver the highest quality products that wins the hearts of consumers. Committed to practicing business the right way, creative werks offsets 100% of its energy consumption through wind energy credit purchases.