In Europe, Packaging Site Takes Flight as a Bird-Friendly Workplace
By: Csilla Szegedi
Starting every May, people who work at Viatris’ facility in Komárom, Hungary, are serenaded by a chorus of chirping sounds from above while walking from the car park to the building. These familiar sounds signal the annual return of the site's winged residents, the birds.
Home to a vibrant and diverse birdlife, the Komárom site is near the Danube River and encompasses an undisturbed area of about 4 hectares (about 9.8 acres). The sandy grassland is interspersed with clumps of trees and intermittent waterlogged areas, making the land a paradise for many species of birds and insects.
In addition to packaging operations, Viatris’ Komárom site is also home to the European Center of Excellence, the company’s largest Quality organization in the region. The location has a long history of commitment to advancing sustainability.
This year, the site’s lush space gained new enhancements when Viatris partnered with the Hungarian Ornithological Society to join its Bird-Friendly Workplace Program. The idea was first suggested by Róbert Klinga, a Quality Control Support Manager at the site, who has been a bird lover since childhood. Growing up on the edge of a forest, watching and later photographing birds became one of his favorite pastimes. His hope is that the initiative will make a positive impact on many colleagues’ interest in nature conservation.
“We are working in an industrial environment where it is particularly important to manage well the natural assets that surround us. At Viatris in Komárom, we do our part to contribute to Viatris’ deep commitment to sustainability and reducing our environmental impact,” Róbert said. (Click here to see video of the site.)
The bird-friendly workplace idea was fully supported by both Raymond Keeling, the former site head, and Mihály Régi, the current site manager. During the preparation and planning phases it became clear that the employee population in Komárom includes several bird lovers, amateur ornithologists, bird photographers and keen conservationists.
In February 2024, the Viatris Komárom team, in collaboration with the Hundred Valley Nature Conservation Society – the local branch of the Hungarian Ornithological Society -- installed 50 bird houses of various types in the area, helping the species already living there to breed and new species to settle in. About 40 different bird species are expected to find a home in this green oasis.
As part of the program, the bird houses will be regularly monitored by experts, with Viatris colleagues joining in. In addition, a breeding wall was established in the spring which has already been taken over by several pairs of birds.
To raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity in providing a sustainable future, the Komárom site organized a Bird-Friendly Family Day for employees at the end of June. About 80 participants took part in bird ringing, burrow checks and a five-station tour where they could solve activities related to environmental protection and knowledge of plants and animals at each station.
"Every day we see the colorful bird life that surrounds us here,” said Róbert. “Preserving and trying to enhance the biodiversity of our green area is a worthy initiative not only for our site, but for Viatris as a whole."
