Our Comprehensive Approach to Sustainability

Sun Chemical Incorporates Sustainability into Every Decision

EcoVadis-Silver-Rating-2025-SunChemicalAt Sun Chemical, sustainability is not a separate initiative, it is a strategic foundation for how we operate, innovate, and partner with customers. Our approach is guided by a belief that responsible operations and product development can drive meaningful environmental progress while enabling performance across the entire value chain in every market we serve.

Our framework connects three core elements: eco-efficiency, circularity through the 5Rs, and a forward-looking 2030 Sustainability Agenda. Together, they shape how we reduce our footprint, support customers’ sustainability goals, and build a more resilient, circular future.

We work with EcoVadis to provide us with third-party business sustainability ratings, intelligence and collaborative performance improvement tools for our global supply chain. The EcoVadis platform ranks Sun Chemical’s corporate social responsibility using a variety of categories, such as environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement.

Improving Performance Through Data, Responsibility, and Continuous Improvement

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Eco-efficiency is the backbone of Sun Chemical’s sustainability strategy. We use data-driven measurement, disciplined operational practices, and a commitment to the development of responsible solutions designed to reduce our environmental impact.

Through ongoing monitoring of energy consumption, water use, waste generation, and greenhouse gas emissions, we continuously identify opportunities to optimize operations and reduce environmental intensity. Our product stewardship efforts ensure that every material we produce is evaluated with safety, compliance, and lifecycle impact in mind.

This philosophy extends across our global network from raw material selection and manufacturing to logistics, distribution, and end-of-life considerations. Eco-efficiency enables us to deliver safe, high-quality, high-performance products while minimizing environmental impact and supporting customer sustainability requirements.

Driving Circularity Through the "5Rs"

Sun Chemical advances a circular economy by applying the 5Rs—Redesign, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Renew—as a practical, measurable method for improving sustainability throughout the value chain.

  • 5Rs-logo-Renew-Recycle-Reuse-Redesign-Redesign: We develop innovative inks, coatings, and pigments that use fewer resources, enable recyclability, and improve functionality. Our focus on material efficiency and performance helps reduce waste at every stage of a product’s lifecycle.
  • Reduce: We continually work to lower the environmental intensity of our own operations and help customers reduce emissions, minimize waste, and achieve lighter-weight or less resource-intensive packaging with the solutions we provide.
  • Reuse: Where possible, we design solutions that extend material life or support reuse systems. Our technologies help maintain substrate quality and integrity, enabling multiple-use cycles.
  • Recycle: Sun Chemical plays a key role in improving packaging recyclability. Our de-inking, barrier-coating, and compostability-enabling technologies help brand owners and converters meet fast-evolving recycling standards worldwide.
  • Renew: We invest in bio-renewable materials and sustainable feedstocks that reduce dependence on fossil resources, support regenerative practices, and align with customer and regulatory expectations around renewable content.

We apply the 5Rs throughout our operations, product solutions, and collaborations to help customers move toward more circular packaging systems while meeting performance, safety, and brand requirements.

How We’re Applying the 5Rs in our Operations, Product Solutions and Collaborations

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Operations

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Product Solutions

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Collaborations

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See how we put the 5Rs into action by downloading your copy of “Sustainable Growth: How to Grow Your Packaging Production Sustainably”

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A Long-Term Vision for Measurable, Transparent Progress

Our 2030 Sustainability Agenda outlines the long-term commitments that guide our path forward. It aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and integrates sustainability into every aspect of our business—from responsible sourcing and manufacturing to product development and partnerships.

This agenda sets clear priorities for:

  • Lowering greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency
  • Reducing water use and waste generation across global operations
  • Increasing adoption of bio-renewable and recyclable materials
  • Ensuring safe, compliant, and transparent chemical management
  • Supporting customers with solutions that meet emerging sustainability and regulatory requirements

The result is a roadmap that directs our investments, shapes our innovation portfolio, and strengthens collaboration with customers, suppliers, and industry partners. As we progress toward our ambitious 2030 and 2050 carbon neutrality goals, we remain committed to transparently sharing our performance through sustainability reporting and data-driven disclosures.

Learn how we are making serious inroads in a way that aligns with the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the following markets:

Bringing Strategy, Innovation, and Responsibility Together

SunChemical-Sustainability-Report-Cover-2025-Frog-Lily-PadsEco-efficiency, circularity through the 5Rs, and our 2030 Agenda form an integrated approach that drives sustainable progress at Sun Chemical.

This unified framework ensures that every product we develop, every process we improve, and every partnership we build moves us closer to a lower-impact, more circular future.

To learn more about our performance and progress, explore our Sustainability Report, which provides detailed metrics and updates on key initiatives. We also have a deep library of resources to help you on your sustainability journey.

Download Our Latest Sustainability Report

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