Rivendell, part of leading European packaging company Coveris, has been recognised as the UK’s most sustainable graphic services provider, earning EcoVadis’ top platinum rating.
Ranking in the top 1% of more than 130,000 companies worldwide, Rivendell is the only major UK graphics service provider among companies rated in the past year to achieve platinum status for sustainable performance.
Based in Leeds, UK, Rivendell operates across two city-based facilities, providing end-to-end packaging services and housing one of Europe’s largest flexographic platemaking facilities. Supporting major retail brands and the wider print industry in delivering more responsible packaging to shelf, sustainability is embedded in every stage of Rivendell’s production.
The EcoVadis rating evaluates businesses on 21 sustainability criteria across four core themes: Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement; in line with international standards such as the UN Global Compact, the International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) standards, ISO 26000, the CERES Roadmap and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. For Rivendell, this top-tier ranking not only underscores its environmental leadership but also provides crucial supply-chain assurance, as well as enhanced brand protection for its customers.
Providing design, photography, artwork, print and brand management services alongside the manufacture of over 60,000 m² of flexographic and corrugate printing plates, Rivendell’s journey to sustainable leader has been driven by both its upstream design for recyclability control, as well as its downstream plate management. Enabling customers to make more responsible packaging choices through expert guidance on materials, weight, inks, print processes and end-of-life use, Rivendell’s capacity to manage sustainability at source is unique to the graphic services sector.
Recent operational upgrades have further strengthened its environmental credentials. A switch from thermal to solvent-based plate manufacturing has cut energy use by 72,800 kWh annually, while a new solvent recycling system now recycles over 95% of solvents, reducing waste and lowering carbon impact.
Mark Brownrigg, Managing Director at Rivendell, commented on the business win saying "achieving the EcoVadis platinum rating is a huge milestone for Rivendell. It reassures our clients and colleagues that they are working with the most sustainable graphics supplier in the industry. Together with Coveris, we’ve made significant advances in environmental, social, and ethical management - and we’re not stopping here. With major plans to expand our creative services platform, we’re now set to drive even more responsible practices to shape the future of sustainable packaging.”