kp’s ambitious sustainability targets receive external validation

Sustainability has been a priority at kp for many years, but we’re committed to moving the dial faster – for the sake of our business and stakeholders, and because it’s imperative we address the impending climate crisis and play our part in creating a more just and equitable society.

To formalise our ambitions, February saw us launch a new sustainability strategy–Investing in Better. It includes ten targets to spur us to make rapid progress across a broader range of issues, grouped under three key objectives:

Close the Loop: which commits us to using more recycled material, closing the packaging loop and taking every opportunity to make packaging recyclable.
Work Smarter: which encompasses targets that focus on using less energy, cutting carbon emissions and ending landfill.
Act Responsibly: which builds on the cornerstone of kp culture of continuous improvement in the areas of employee engagement, safety, and will enable kp to become a more diverse and inclusive company.

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Our goals are time-bound, measurable and ambitious, and we will be reporting on them regularly and transparently.
Despite disruptions of Covid 19, we’ve already started to make progress – our operational CO2 emissions fell 14% year on year and last year we also incorporated more than 120,000 tonnes of recycled PET (rPET) into our products.

Whilst we know there is still much more to be done, we were delighted to have our efforts acknowledged by:

The Science Based Targets initiative, which seeks to drive ambitious climate action by enabling companies to set science-based emission reduction targets.
EcoVadis, an independent provider of global sustainability ratings for environmental, social, and ethical performance. Our Gold award puts us in the top 3% of plastic product manufacturers assessed.

We’ve worked hard to ensure that sustainability is firmly embedded in how we do business and in our commercial strategy. For example, earlier this year we refinanced the business and incorporated an ESG-Ratchet Linked Term loan which was the first of its kind in the US. We are also strategically investing to expand our ability to handle recycled material across various geographies, ensuring we can continue to make a significant contribution to the circular economy and cut carbon emissions.

Innovation is also key to driving progress and to supporting our customers goals. A demonstration of this is our recent launch of kpNext, the only PET film designed to be a recyclable blister package, which doesn’t come at the expense of the manufacturing process. Pharmaceutical companies and converters can utilise kpNext on their existing form, fill and seal lines with no loss of line speed or a need to retool. It truly is the best of both worlds, a sustainable yet functional solution.

As we continue to strive to deliver against the targets set out in the sustainability strategy, we know we need to focus on collaboration. The kind of industry-scale change that is needed can only be achieved by working with others. By forging strategic partnerships with key suppliers, signing voluntary agreements and being active members of industry associations around the world, we’ll be able to move faster.

“We were extremely proud to be awarded an EcoVadis gold rating in June, and it is brilliant news that our ambitious carbon reductions target has been externally validated by SBTi. This reflects our on-going efforts and the strength of our sustainability strategy “Investing in Better”.
“Every day we are stimulating investment, driving innovation and helping to shape future legislation. As a purpose-led organisation we’re taking great strides and I’m excited that we’re pressing forward with the changes necessary to reach our ambitious targets.
“We don’t have all the answers yet, but we’re confident that there are plenty of further opportunities to close the loop, work smarter and act responsibly.’

Adam Elman

kp Group Director of Sustainability