Retal retains EcoVadis silver rating

Multinational plastic packaging producer Retal has continued its upward scoring trend this year, realising a three-point increase over last year’s EcoVadis score - an achievement largely driven by its Environmental score.

It is the fifth year in succession that the company has improved its score, boosting this from 60% last year to 63% this year and establishing it as a business making significant advances in its sustainability ambitions.

Retal has retained its coveted Silver level position and continues to rank in the top tier of the manufacturing category while working towards further improvement.

Sustainability Director Emmanuel Duffaut explains that ‘maintaining means improving’ in the tightly monitored EcoVadis reporting structure, as quantifiable improvements are required year on year even to keep the same score.

While the three point increase overall has been achieved thanks to continuous improvements across the business, a key driver for the improved score was the 10-point rise in the company’s Environmental category score.

According to Duffaut, this is largely thanks to the company’s ongoing climate change management focus with the submission of Science-Based Targets (SBTi) for greenhouse gas emissions and detailed risk assessment according to TCFD guidelines. Retal produces responsible PET, rPET and HDPE preforms, closures and films across its 12 production sites in nine countries.

“We’ve further boosted our action in the Ethics & Labour category too, which is illustrated by our anti-discrimination policy and company-wide, multi-language video training, as well as the external anti-corruption gap analysis according to ISO 37001,” he said.

This year’s 63% score puts Retal well on track towards reaching its 65% goal to qualify for Gold status by 2025.

“Every percentage increase represents major action and mitigation,” said Duffaut. “It’s ambitious but we are determined; all our plants are dedicated to implementing every possible improvement at plant and group level when it comes to the sustainability of our business and caring for our employees and the environment.”

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