Last updated: March 15, 2023

Today, businesses are under increasing pressure to disclose critical sustainability information to obtain vital environmental, social and governance (ESG) investments, improve their brand image in the eyes of consumers, and confirm the results of their sustainability practices to industry regulators.

The ink industry is no exception to this. In talking with industry executives, sustainability is increasingly becoming a point of emphasis with customers and suppliers alike. EcoVadis allows ink manufacturers and their suppliers to showcase their sustainability and ESG efforts.

Why Companies Should Consider Partnering with EcoVadis Assessment/Rating Companies

Since its founding in 2007, EcoVadis has grown to become a trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, creating a global network of more than 90,000 rated companies.

Tens of thousands of companies partner with EcoVadis to collaborate on sustainability with a common platform, universal scorecard, benchmarks and performance improvement tools.

The organization envisions “a global marketplace where sustainability intelligence influences every business decision—improving economies, people’s lives and the planet we all depend on.”

The rating structure is based on four levels: Platinum (top 1%), Gold (top 5%), Silver (top 25%), and Bronze (top 50%).

What is the EcoVadis CSR score?

The EcoVadis sustainability assessment methodology is at the heart of EcoVadis’ Ratings and Scorecards and is an evaluation of how well a company has integrated the principles of Sustainability/CSR into their business and management system. It is based on seven founding principles:

• Assessment by International Experts
• Tailored to Industry Sector, Country and Company Size
• Source Diversification to Ensure Rich Stakeholder Input for Reliable Scoring
• Utilize Technology to Ensure a Secure and Confidential Process and Accelerated Cycle Time
• Traceability and Transparency of Documentation
• Evidence-Based
• Excellence Through Continuous Improvement

The methodology is built on international sustainability standards, including the Global Reporting Initiative, the United Nations Global Compact, and the ISO 26000, covering 200+ spend categories and 160+ countries. The Sustainability Scorecard illustrates performance across 21 indicators in four themes:

1. Environment
2. Labor and Human Rights
3. Ethics
4. Sustainable Procurement

Based on this methodology, a brand that works with an EcoVadis-certified supplier is assured that their manufacturing process has been reviewed and meets the highest standards of sustainability. Companies must go through the rigorous process every year to maintain their ranking or enhance their standing.

By partnering with EcoVadis certified suppliers, brands can strengthen the social, environmental and economic performance of their supply chain, reducing their collective footprints and strengthening their companies as well. EcoVadis’ standards also help companies map their supplier performance to their own responsibility standards, and thereby present a compelling sustainability story to consumers.

EcoVadis and Ink Manufacturers

The following are some of the ink industry leaders that have earned EcoVadis Assessment/Rating status in the past year, in alphabetical order:

Avient Corporation

Avient Corporation achieved a Gold rating from EcoVadis, in recognition of Avient’s commitment to sustainability, ethics, and responsible business practices.

“We are thrilled to receive the Gold EcoVadis Rating this year, which highlights our unwavering commitment to sustainability,” said Walter Ripple, VP, sustainability at Avient. “This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our employees worldwide, who have embraced sustainable practices and taken action accordingly.”

Domino Printing Sciences

Domino Printing Systems received the Silver rating from EcoVadis, acknowledging Domino’s progress in driving sustainability efforts forward.

“We are delighted to have received the Silver EcoVadis Rating,” said Thomas Guerriero, a member of Domino’s CSR team. “The rating is a testament to the hard work we have put in over the last year, but this is just the beginning.”

Doneck Network

Doneck Network was awarded Gold status from EcoVadis in June 2023 for its sustainability platform. 

“The EcoVadis gold medal is a milestone in the successful implementation of our 2Bsustainable! sustainability strategy. Sustainability is one of our strategic fields of action with which we advance our ambitious and measurable goals,” said Arndt Breitbach, CEO of Doneck Euroflex.

Epson

Epson was awarded a Platinum medal from EcoVadis in October 2021, putting it in the top 1% of companies in the industry. It was the second consecutive year that Epson received the Platinum award,

The platinum rating was awarded in recognition of Epson’s global sustainability initiatives. In the four themes assessed by EcoVadis, Epson received high scores for the environment, sustainable procurement, labor and human rights, and ethics.

“It’s a tremendous honor to receive this Platinum rating for the second successive year,” said Epson global president Yasunori Ogawa. “In addition to setting ambitious goals to achieve our Environmental Vision of becoming carbon negative and underground resource free by 2050, we are continuing to implement measures to ensure good governance and social responsibility across our supply chain, including acquiring RBA (Responsible Business Alliance) certification at some of our key manufacturing plants.

“Most of all, however, I believe this Platinum rating communicates that to our customers Epson is a company that can be trusted, is determined to achieve sustainability and will fulfill its responsibility as a good corporate citizen,” added Ogawa.

Flint Group

Flint Group improved its Silver Level rating overall in 2023 to 65 – raising up from 58, marking it as a business making significant sustainability advances. A key driver for the improved score is the considerable rise in the company’s Environmental category score from 50 to 70 points.

“We are delighted to announce a seven-point increase to our EcoVadis score,” Steve Dryden, CEO of Flint Group, said. “The new score shows that our efforts are making an important difference and provides groundwork and direction for further improvement. As a business that leads the way in high-performance inks and coatings designed for circular economies, our actions must match our intentions for a more sustainable supply chain.”

hubergroup Deutschland

hubergroup Deutschland has been awarded a silver medal by EcoVadis, showing its commitment to sustainability. hubergroup is among the top 20 percent of the more than 100,000 companies rated by EcoVadis so far.

“Our result in the EcoVadis rating shows that we take the issue of sustainability seriously. Our guiding principle is: we take a holistic view of sustainability and continuously drive the circular economy forward. We therefore take many large and small steps to make our actions and our products more ecological,” said Carsten Zölzer, managing director at hubergroup Deutschland.

INX International UK Ltd.

Sakata INX Corporation announces that its subsidiary in the United Kingdom, INX International UK Ltd., was awarded the Silver Medal in the sustainability assessment by EcoVadis.

“We understand the importance of developing a clear CSR strategy as a forward thinking and socially accountable business,” said Elizabeth Smith, QHSE manager for INX International UK. “It provides INX and our stakeholders with independent validation of our achievements and what we have implemented. More importantly, it provides a clear feedback report which identifies areas to drive future improvement.”

Nazdar

Nazdar announced that it has been awarded the 2023 Silver EcoVadis Medal for sustainability.

“We are absolutely delighted to have been recognized for our sustainable efforts,” said Evan Benbow, VP of research and development, at Nazdar. “We are very proud of our various environmental programs and how they have helped both the business and our customers; to have this commitment recognized by a leading global organization such as EcoVadis is a significant endorsement.”

Ricoh

Ricoh Company, Ltd. has been awarded a Gold rating in 2023 in the sustainability assessment conducted by EcoVadis, placing it among the top 5% of companies assessed in its industry.

Ricoh’s commitment in the areas of Environment and Sustainable Procurement  were highly recognized, the latter receiving the highest score of “Outstanding.” Ricoh has received the Gold rating in the assessment for consecutive years since 2014.

Seiko Epson

Seiko Epson Corporation has earned its third successive platinum rating for sustainability from EcoVadis. This is in recognition of the company’s global efforts to uphold the highest standards on the environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. The platinum rating ranks Epson in the top 1% of companies in its industry.

“Our company is focused on achieving sustainability through our products, technologies and operations,” said Yasunori Ogawa, global president at Epson. “This third consecutive platinum accreditation is the result of a lot of hard work, and highlights the steadfast commitment and actions by the entire Epson team as we seek to achieve a sustainable future.”

Siegwerk

Siegwerk was awarded a Silver medal from EcoVadis in June 2022.

The company ranks in the top 15% of companies in the manufacture of paints, varnishes and similar coatings, printing ink and mastics industry, as assessed by EcoVadis. The EcoVadis assessment notes a particular strength in Siegwerk’s environmental performance.

“The Silver Medal is a testimony to the effort and focus we have put on building a leading role in the realm of sustainable business practices in the inks and coatings industry. And we are proud of what the organization has achieved – while still striving for ever-increasing sustainability in our operations and with our up- and downstream value chain partners,” said Alina Marm, Siegwerk’s global head of sustainability and circular economy.

Sun Chemical

Sun Chemical was awarded Silver status from EcoVadis in June 2023 for its sustainability platform.

“Recognition from EcoVadis is an exciting milestone in Sun Chemical’s journey toward sustainability,” said Mike Simoni, global sustainability director, Sun Chemical. “This award is a strong reflection of our dedication to improving eco-efficiency and providing industry advancements in sustainability as we work with DIC Corporation toward our goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.”

EcoVadis and Ink Industry Suppliers

Additional EcoVadis-certified ink industry suppliers include: Barentz, which received a Gold rating for its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) program; Chemours, which received a Gold rating for sustainability; ECKART America has Gold status and its headquarters, ECKART GmbH, has Platinum status; Evonik, which received Platinum status for its sustainability performance; and Ingevity, which received a Gold rating for sustainability; Micro Powders, which received a Silver medal for its sustainability performance; Orion Engineered Carbons received a Gold medal rating from EcoVadis, as the company improved its score from the previous year, moving up from 72 to 77 points – just one point away from receiving a Platinum medal rating; and Shamrock Technologies achieved the Gold EcoVadis Sustainability Rating for its work in the use of recycled PTFE and bio sourced materials. 

EcoVadis and Printers

On the printer side, Diamond Packaging received a Platinum rating for the second year in a row, while Sonoco earned a Gold Medal rating from EcoVadis. Inland Packaging eaerned a Silver Medal in 2023. Berlin Packaging also earned a Silver Medal in 2023.

Ink World will continue to provide updates on ink manufacturers and industry suppliers that have achieved EcoVadis—and other—certifications.