Turning sustainability targets into manufacturing reality

While sustainability pledges make for good headlines, implementation is the real test. Jennifer Spence, ESG Director at Essentra Components, discusses the practical challenges of translating targets into manufacturing reality, exploring the latest UK research to show what others can learn from Essentra’s own sustainability journey. 

Strategic focus and accelerated emission reductions

When Jennifer joined Essentra in 2021, the company operated across three major business divisions. 

"When I first started, Essentra had some ESG targets but it was difficult to nail down because we were three big businesses. After strategic divestments, we can really focus the ESG strategy on what is important to the components business – a plastic and metal manufacturing business," explains Jennifer.

By narrowing its focus, Essentra has reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 49% between 2019 and 2024, nearing its 2030 target of a 50% reduction far ahead of schedule. This mirrors broader industry momentum: 45% of UK manufacturers have integrated sustainability into their core strategies by mid-2024, driven by regulatory pressures and consumer demand for eco-conscious products.

Such rapid progress has created a positive challenge: deciding whether to be even more ambitious.

"We're very close to our 2030 target already," Jennifer notes. "We now need to decide what we want to do. Do we want to be more aggressive? What does that look like?” she asks. 
 

The reality behind science-based targets

For Essentra, having its targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) was a crucial step in establishing credibility. But what exactly makes a target "science-based"?

"The science-based target looks at your decarbonisation target and assesses whether it's enough to limit the world's warming to 1.5 degrees," Jennifer  explains. " If every company was doing what we're doing in terms of decarbonisation, the world should, in theory, stay within 1.5 degrees of warming.”

The SBTi has become a cornerstone of corporate decarbonisation efforts. Essentra's validation process, though lengthy, reflects a rigorous approach shared by peers like RS, Bunzl, who have committed to SBTi-validated targets for net-zero emissions by 2050. Such commitments are gaining momentum, as the UK government's 2024 sustainability report revealed that 75% of manufacturers now prioritise green technology investments to meet net-zero goals.

Of course, the reality is that not every company is on this trajectory, which makes the commitment of those who are even more important. For Essentra, achieving validation was a lengthy process, taking nearly a year from submission to approval, but the wait was worthwhile for the credibility it provides itself and its customers.

“What makes science-based targets valuable is they provide an objective, external validation that your decarbonisation efforts are meaningful," explains Jennifer. "Without this kind of verification, it opens you up to make claims that amount to greenwashing. With SBTi validation, we have real, achievable targets backed by science that have been rigorously tested and publicly declared."

Navigating scope 3 complexities

While Essentra has made significant progress on its direct emissions (scope 1 and 2), addressing supply chain emissions (scope 3) presents more complex challenges - a pattern reflected across the manufacturing sector.

"Scope 1 and 2 is always easier because you have much greater control. What you do on your site such as the electricity you use, the fuel, the processes that your employees are doing directly are in all in your direct control," says Jennifer.

Essentra prioritises collecting comprehensive supplier data, which is a big challenge for the broader industry. 

"Scope 3 is more challenging because it's what your suppliers are doing and becomes a wider question of how you engage with the supply chain. How do you get the data from suppliers in the first place? How do you work with suppliers and assess what they're doing to help you meet your own targets?"

According to University of Cambridge’s Industrial Innovation Policy’s Dr David Leal-Ayala, these indirect emissions, embedded throughout supply chains, can represent up to 90% of total emissions for many manufacturers.

The World Economic Forum highlights "no-excuse" opportunities to tackle Scope 3, such as material efficiency and renewable energy adoption. Essentra’s Centre of Excellence exemplifies material efficiency, trialling low-emission polymers with a target of 50% sustainable polymer use by 2030.

Material innovation and the circular economy

Unlike manufacturers of single-use products, component manufacturers face unique technical challenges when implementing sustainable materials. The products Essentra makes often end up in complex applications with specific performance requirements.

"It's not like a drinks bottle where you use it once and it's thrown away. Many of our parts are durable – they can go into a washing machine or a car and will be there for 10-15 years," explains Spence.

A recent BDO UK Circular Economy report revealed only 26% of UK manufacturing SMEs believe they can transition to circular models without risking business failure. There is a need to counter the misconception that sustainability inevitably means higher costs.

"A lot of people automatically assume sustainability means higher prices," Jennifer  explains. "This creates a whole additional layer of engagement where we need to demonstrate the business case with real examples. The numbers often tell a different story, especially when you consider total lifecycle costs rather than just upfront investment."

Companies successfully overcoming this perception barrier typically focus on tangible examples of sustainable alternatives – like post-consumer recycled materials – that maintain or even enhance performance specifications while delivering long-term cost benefits.

In 2024, 26% of manufacturers increased recycled plastic usage, supported by policies like the UK Plastics Pact, which mandates 100% reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by 2025. Such measures are vital, as flexible plastics – constituting nearly 25% of UK plastic packaging – currently see only 7% recycling rates.

This year will see the European rollout of Essentra products using post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic – materials that have completed a full consumer lifecycle before being reprocessed.

"Beyond just using materials with higher recycled content, we're exploring biomaterials being tested in our Centre of Excellence. This gives us the capability to measure and reduce carbon emissions for every polymer we purchase, while also gaining a much better understanding of end-of-life impacts on our overall emissions profile."

The circular economy is gaining traction across the UK, with 49% of manufacturers now embedding circular principles into their strategies according to BDO. Essentra's ambition to publish carbon data for all of its products responds to surging customer demand – 80 requests in 2024 versus just six in 2023 – thirteen times more requests in just one year. This mirrors broader trends: 72% of manufacturers report customer prioritisation of sustainability, up from 62% in 2023.

With progress on Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) plastic already underway, Essentra’s team is now tackling its next major material challenge: finding sustainable alternatives for nylon, which represents another significant volume of Essentra's plastic usage. The team will continue to develop this at its Centre of Excellence in the middle part of 2025.

Regulatory dynamics and customer expectations

The regulatory landscape for sustainability reporting continues to evolve, creating an "alphabet soup” of reporting for different businesses.

"Whether it's CSRD or TNFD or CBAM, there are lots of different acronyms," she notes. "The EU just announced that they're scaling back their reporting and simplifying it, which I welcome. It was really complicated and not adding much value."

While the EU's recent simplification of reporting frameworks eases compliance burdens, manufacturers must still balance transparency with operational execution.

"You have to balance between being actually able to implement the changes, rather than spending all your time looking backwards and reporting on what's happened."

Despite some major political shifts around the world, Spence still believes sustainability will increase in importance.

"If businesses want to remain competitive and continue to operate in places like Europe, they will have to maintain some elements of their sustainability agenda anyway. Many big companies are already quite committed to their targets.”

Essentra's proactive stance, , addresses the increasingly diverse customer demands, from carbon footprints to precise specifications like packaging thickness. This customer-driven approach is reshaping R&D priorities across the manufacturing sector.

Customer requests for sustainability information are increasingly diverse and specific, reflecting both regulatory requirements and companies' own ESG goals.

"Product carbon footprints, information on packaging, recycled content, recyclability of products, REACH and RoHS declarations about hazardous chemicals – it's really wide-ranging," Jennifer  explains.

In response, Essentra is not just reacting to these requests but proactively helping customers achieve their own sustainability goals.

"Some of the products we provide have lower carbon footprints, so it's about having those sustainable alternatives that technically function exactly the same but have the benefits of a lower carbon footprint or improved recyclability."

For more specific needs, Essentra's custom solutions team works directly with customers.

"If a customer has a specific need to do something with recycled content, our solutions team are happy to work with them to design a product that meets their goals."

Innovation driving progress

Essentra's Centre of Excellence underscores the company's commitment to sustainability innovation. The Centre helps reduce material use, promotes circularity, and reduces emissions, as circular plastic has a much lower carbon footprint than virgin plastic.

"It's a testament to how serious we are taking our ESG strategy that we've made this investment," says Jennifer. "Innovation can be expensive and not always successful immediately, but it is important for us to keep progressing. This way, we are able to provide customers with different options to tangibly reach their own targets.”

As manufacturers worldwide grapple with similar challenges, Essentra's focused approach offers valuable lessons in making sustainability a practical, achievable reality rather than just an aspirational target.