Sustainability Progress Update: Reducing Our Environmental Impact

Ian Farquhar, Head of Sustainability at Rosti Group, provides an update on the progress made so far in 2024 to reduce our impact on the environment.

I am proud to share the significant progress we’ve made in reducing our environmental impact across our plastic injection moulding facilities to date in 2024. In an industry that traditionally relies on resource-intensive processes, sustainability is both a challenge and an opportunity. Rosti’s mission is clear: reduce our carbon footprint of the products we manufacture as well as our own operations, while delivering the high-quality products our customers expect. I’m excited to outline the strides we’ve made and highlight the initiatives that are positioning us as a leader in sustainable plastics manufacturing.

Top Achievements in 2024

Partnering with Global Drinks brand on Emissions Reduction:

One of our most significant achievements this year has been our collaboration with a long-standing customer, which selected us to implement our Sustainability Proposition for emissions reduction. This includes initiatives around product lightweighting and renewable energy usage. The project is a powerful example of how we can work collaboratively with our customers to integrate sustainability into their products, making meaningful reductions in emissions.

Increasing Renewable & Clean Energy Usage:

In 2023, we achieved 41% renewable and clean energy usage across our global sites, and we’re set to increase this to 55% by the end of 2024. This significant shift not only reduces our reliance on fossil fuels but also contributes to broader global efforts to decarbonise industry. By prioritising renewable energy sources, we are making tangible progress toward our goal of lowering our carbon emissions.

Improving Energy Efficiency:

Energy efficiency is another area where we have seen considerable progress. Our “Site Energy Champions” have formed a Community of Practice that is driving best practices across our sites globally. Through their efforts, we are on track to achieve a 6% improvement in energy efficiency in 2024 compared to the previous year. With a range of projects underway, we are confident that these improvements will continue, reinforcing the importance of grassroots efforts in reducing our environmental impact.

Collaborating with Position Green on Carbon Emissions

In 2024, we completed a standardised global Carbon Emissions Inventory in collaboration with Position Green, covering all 12 of our production sites and global offices. This baseline data has given us a clearer understanding of our carbon footprint and allowed us to identify where the greatest improvements can be made.

Our analysis shows that 68% of our overall emissions come from materials and bought-out parts. As such, we are focusing our efforts on working with customers to redesign products that incorporate renewable or recycled materials, reduce product weight, and simplify complexity. Meanwhile, 16% of our emissions come from fossil-based energy usage. By continuing to purchase cleaner and more renewable energy while improving energy efficiency, we are well-positioned to reduce this further.

Focus for the rest of 2024

The next few months will see us continue to build on the recent successes by launching Product Emissions Reduction initiatives with additional customers on a global scale. These projects will focus on product redesign and material selection to further reduce carbon emissions. Our Innovation Centres will play a crucial role in advancing and accelerating these initiatives, and we are engaging with our customers throughout Q3 to identify the best opportunities for collaboration.

Changing Customer Conversations on Sustainability

One of the most exciting shifts we’ve noticed is the growing interest in sustainability across our customer base. The urgency to meet new legislation and climate change goals is driving customers to seek verifiable, credible sustainability information from their suppliers. Many customers now have dedicated teams focused on driving sustainability improvements, and this aligns perfectly with our ambition to be the benchmark provider of sustainable plastic solutions.

Bio-Resins and Material Innovation

We are seeing increased interest in bio-resins from our customers. These renewable materials offer a promising avenue for reducing the environmental impact of plastic products, and several of our customers are already exploring their use. Our development teams are working closely with these customers to integrate bio-resins into their product lines, providing another example of how material innovation can contribute to a lower-carbon future.

In summary, 2024 has been a year of significant progress, and we are committed to maintaining this momentum. Whether through energy efficiency, renewable energy usage, or product and material innovation, we are making strides towards our sustainability goals. As customer interest in sustainability continues to grow, we are confident that our proactive approach will position us as a leader in delivering sustainable plastic solutions. The road ahead will require collaboration, innovation, and determination, but we are ready to meet the challenge head-on.