Essentra Components has exceeded its 2030 Science Based Targets initiative commitment five years early, after cutting scope one and two emissions by 62% against its 2019 baseline.
The Oxford-based manufacturer and distributor of industrial components said the result had been independently assured and disclosed in its latest annual reporting. Renewable electricity has driven much of the reduction across the company’s global manufacturing footprint, with 71% of electricity now sourced from renewables and 7% generated on site through solar installations.
New solar systems commissioned in 2025 at Essentra’s Ningbo manufacturing facility in China and at its UK head office in Kidlington are expected to generate 1.7 million kWh of electricity each year. The installations give the business more direct control over clean power supply at two operationally important sites, while reducing reliance on grid electricity.
Waste performance has also moved ahead of target. Essentra has achieved zero waste to landfill across 25 operational sites, with 99% of solid waste now diverted from landfill globally. During the same reporting period, the business was recognised on CDP’s A List for the first time and awarded a Gold rating by EcoVadis, placing it in the top 5% of companies assessed globally and the top 1% for environmental performance.
Materials development is now becoming a larger part of the company’s sustainability programme. Essentra has launched its first range of components manufactured using post-consumer recycled material, with caps and plugs produced at its Italian facility using 100% PCR material. The range follows work at the company’s Centre of Excellence in Kidlington, where 68 trials of recycled and biomaterial alternatives were completed during the year.
Packaging changes are following the same direction. Recycled content increased to 48%, up from 29% in 2024, while 65% of packaging is now reusable, recyclable, or compostable, compared with 48% the previous year. Across Essentra’s wider product range, 8,698 products now carry sustainability attributes, including 1,662 introduced during 2025.
Jennifer Spence, ESG Director at Essentra, said: “Achieving what we set out to do by 2030 five years ahead of schedule is something the whole Essentra team should be incredibly proud of. Renewable electricity, zero waste to landfill, CDP A List recognition – each of these represents years of sustained effort and genuine commitment to doing things differently.”
Spence said the next phase would depend on continued material innovation and stronger customer demand for lower-impact components. “But this isn’t a finish line. With new targets on the horizon and a clear pathway to net zero in our direct operations by 2040, the most ambitious chapter of our ESG journey is still ahead of us.”
Essentra’s PCR component range is now available across selected caps and plugs.
