Milton Keynes-based Essentra Plc, a leading provider of essential components and solutions, has been awarded a silver medal by EcoVadis, the global provider of business sustainability ratings, as confirmation of the organisation’s ongoing journey towards a more sustainable future. The latest rating puts Essentra in the top 12% overall of companies rated by EcoVadis for the manufacture of plastics products, and in the top 4% when it comes specifically to its performance in relation to the environment.

Jennifer Spence, head of sustainability strategy, says the business continues to make great progress: “Our aim is to reduce not only our own environmental footprint but also support our customers in delivering their own sustainability targets. Our latest silver rating shows the progress we have made, but also the journey we are on, with a clear roadmap to becoming a genuine leader for sustainability in our industry.”

The EcoVadis rating takes into account seven key management indicators across 21 sustainability criteria in four themes including the environment and sustainable procurement. It rates performance by assessing a company’s policies, actions and results, as well as inputs from third-party professionals and external stakeholders.

The news follows the publication in the summer of Essentra’s 2022 Annual Report which revealed that the business has exceeded its 2030 Scope 1 and 2 emissions targets, reducing direct emissions by 27% and emissions intensity by 35% since 2019. Essentra aims to reach ‘net zero’ in its operations by 2040 and along its value chain by 2050. In 2022, 12 component sites, double that of the previous year, achieved zero waste to landfill.

Essentra also recently opened a new centre of excellence at its manufacturing and distribution site in the UK to test and develop new materials that will in turn enable it to offer even more sustainable products for its global customers.