Archroma 30.07.24

Specialty chemicals company Archroma has been awarded a Gold rating by EcoVadis, the global rating agency for sustainability performance.

Archroma says this consolidates its position among the top 5% of over 130,000 companies from 180 countries and 220 industries assessed by EcoVadis against criteria covering environmental performance, ethics, labour and human rights, and sustainable procurement.

“Archroma has a clear sustainability strategy that guides all of our efforts to develop and deliver innovative solutions that enhance people’s lives. This is encapsulated in the environmental operations targets we have announced for 2030,” Mark Garrett, Group CEO of Archroma, said. “By engaging with platforms like EcoVadis, we strengthen our commitment to partnership and transparency while retaining our focus on consumers and the environment.” 

From 2023 to 2030, Archroma states it will work to reduce water intensity by 40%, energy intensity by 15% and waste intensity by 10%, with zero hazardous waste to landfill. It will also aim for a 20% reduction in absolute Scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its own plants and processes, and a 40% reduction in absolute Scope 2 indirect GHG emissions from the energy it consumes.

“We have been tracking our sustainability journey through the EcoVadis assessments since 2017 and it has been so motivating to chart our progress and see how much the standard of sustainability management has improved across industries over this time,” Martina Beitke, Archroma’s group sustainability director, added. 

Back in April, Archroma launched its PFAS-free barrier coating for oil and grease applications, Cartaseal OGB F10, designed for food and non-food paper and board packaging. The barrier is apparently water-based, oil and grease resistant, and enables papermakers to replace fluoro based substances and polyethylene with a recyclable and repulpable coating. 

More recently, independent McDonald’s franchisee Arcos Dorados Holdings announced it was applying J&J Green Paper’s ‘all-natural’ barrier coating to its paper food packaging in a bid to phase out plastics, PFAS chemicals, and consumer waste in the fast food sector. Designed to resist grease, water, and oxygen, J&J Green Paper’s JANUS coating seeks to replace the standard petroleum-derived polyethylene coating and avoid the health and environmental impacts of single-use plastics and PFAS chemicals. 

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