Sustainability in the Industry

Plastics and Rubber Industry

Discover sustainability leaders, best practices and solutions in the industry with score4more explore.

Impacts, Risks and Opportunities

Sustainability in Plastics and Rubber Industry

From PET bottles to tires – plastic and rubber production provides a wide range of raw materials for other industries. Paths to a future without environmentally harmful plastic lie in the cycle: Instead of using granules made from fossil raw materials, it is important to switch to material alternatives that come from recycled plastic waste or sustainable, bio-based sources.


Ultimately, plastic products and applications should be designed in such a way that they are completely returned to the cycle after use and do not end up incinerated or in the ocean. The key here is the choice of the appropriate recycling technology or the use of biopolymers, which enables the raw material cycle to be closed. The rubber industry is also advancing sustainability: Because natural rubber is mainly produced in monocultures and its synthetic replacement is based on fossil petroleum, the industry is increasingly working on recycling options to reprocess the material. Rubber waste from further processing should also be made usable in order to return the materials to production in an energy and resource efficient manner. 

As the starting point of many value chains, the industry increasingly has to be measured by the environmental compatibility and CO2 footprint of its products. Recycled materials are becoming increasingly interesting as an alternative to virgin materials. From a global perspective, the industry is faced with the responsibility not to flood countries in the global south without adequate waste recycling systems with plastic waste and not to excessively pollute rivers and seas. Unfortunately, plastic waste from Germany still ends up in Asia as exported waste in non-transparent ways. It is important to start responsible initiatives and develop new solutions to transform plastic from a pollutant into a useful material. For companies in the industry, sorting technologies, recycling systems as well as sustainable raw materials and resource-saving processes are key levers for greater sustainability.


The industry includes, for example, the production of plastic goods as well as tires and rubber goods.

Industry Materiality

Key Fields in the Industry

Resources

Climate

Nature

Learn more about industry materiality with fields, topics and criteria on score4more explore.

EU NACE Classification 

Industry NACE Classes

Unsure if the industry is the right one? A comparison with the EU’s granular NACE classification provides clarity.

Included NACE classes in the industry

22.11 – Manufacturing and retreading of tires

22.2 – Manufacture of plastic goods

Still not sure, if the industry matches your business? Check other companies, which are classified. Register for free to check which sustainability frontrunner are included in the industry.

In Collaboration with trusted Partners