RDM Group on Track to Meet 2030 Sustainability Targets

European cartonboard producer reports uneven progress on 2030 targets

RDM Group, a European cartonboard manufacturer, says it is on track to meet or exceed several of its 2030 sustainability targets. The company’s latest performance data shows particularly strong gains in waste recovery and wastewater management. However, carbon intensity has improved more modestly, and total waste generation has moved in the wrong direction.

The results illustrate how industrial packaging companies are using quantified roadmaps to demonstrate progress on environmental metrics. For UK businesses that buy packaging or compete in tenders requiring supply chain transparency, these data points matter. Procurement teams increasingly need suppliers who can evidence specific reductions, not just broad commitments.

RDM Group’s 2020 to 2030 Sustainability Plan was formally established in 2021. The plan sets measurable targets on emissions, water, waste, and workforce diversity. All progress is reported against a 2020 baseline. The company has linked its performance to a Sustainability-Linked Bond framework, which appears to have sharpened attention on annual delivery against specific environmental targets.

Scope 1 and 2 carbon intensity down 9% since 2020

Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity fell to 0.449 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per tonne of product in 2024. That compares with a 2020 baseline of 0.495 tonnes. Consequently, the reduction stands at 9% against a target of 30% by 2030.

The improvement is verified and published in the company’s sustainability data. Nevertheless, it leaves a significant gap to close over the next six years. Moreover, emissions intensity is the metric most likely to be scrutinized by procurement teams assessing supply chain carbon performance.

For context, 42% of RDM Group’s purchased electricity now comes from renewable sources. The company has not disclosed whether it plans to increase that proportion materially before 2030. Renewable electricity procurement is one of the most direct levers for reducing Scope 2 emissions in energy-intensive manufacturing.

Waste recovery rate approaches 90% threshold

The share of waste sent for recovery rose to 89.7% in 2024, up from 73% in 2020. The company’s 2030 target is 90%. Therefore, RDM Group is very close to achieving this goal well ahead of schedule.

Industry reports noted that the company had already surpassed its interim waste recovery target for 2025. This is one of the clearest success stories in the data set. Waste recovery rates are increasingly relevant to UK businesses tendering for public sector contracts, where circular economy credentials are often scored explicitly.

However, total waste generated per tonne of product rose to 224 kilograms per tonne in 2024, compared with 181 kilograms per tonne in 2020. This represents an increase of approximately 24%. The company’s target was to reduce waste generation by 20% by 2030. Consequently, this indicator has moved sharply in the wrong direction.

The divergence between waste recovery and waste generation is important. Recovering waste is valuable, but reducing waste at source is generally preferable from both a cost and environmental perspective. For businesses evaluating suppliers, the distinction matters. A high recovery rate does not offset rising total waste if efficiency is the primary concern.

Wastewater discharge intensity falls 16.8%

Wastewater discharge intensity dropped to 9.20 cubic metres per tonne of product in 2024. The 2020 baseline was 11.06 cubic metres per tonne. Therefore, the reduction is 16.8%, leaving the company close to its 20% by 2030 target.

Water management is a material issue for paper and packaging manufacturers, particularly in regions facing water stress. For UK businesses, supplier water performance may be less visible than carbon data, but it can be a significant operational risk in supply chains that span multiple jurisdictions.

RDM Group has not published detailed information on water sourcing or stress assessments in the data available. Nevertheless, the wastewater intensity reduction suggests operational improvements in water use efficiency.

Summary of verified performance against 2030 targets

• Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity reduced by 9% against a 30% target, leaving a substantial gap to close by 2030.
• Waste recovery rate reached 89.7%, very close to the 90% target and already exceeding the 2025 interim goal.
• Wastewater discharge intensity fell by 16.8%, approaching the 20% reduction target with six years remaining.
• Total waste generated per tonne increased by approximately 24%, moving away from the 20% reduction target.
• Women employed increased to 11.2% of the workforce from 9.5%, toward a 30% increase by 2030.

Sustainability-Linked Bond framework drives annual scrutiny

RDM Group’s reporting is tied to a Sustainability-Linked Bond framework. This financial instrument links borrowing costs to the achievement of specific environmental targets. Consequently, the company faces regular external scrutiny of its performance data.

One report described the company as having delivered remarkable progress against its Sustainability-Linked Bond targets. Another highlighted that the waste recovery goal had been surpassed ahead of schedule. However, the bond framework does not appear to penalize uneven progress across different indicators, provided headline targets are met.

For UK businesses considering their own sustainability financing or supplier evaluation criteria, the structure is instructive. Sustainability-Linked Bonds create a clear incentive to report transparently and to prioritize metrics that investors and lenders can verify. However, they also create an incentive to set targets selectively, focusing on areas where progress is most achievable.

Circular economy credentials supported by recycled content and fibre recovery

In 2024, RDM Group said it recycled over 1,100 kilotonnes of paper. Additionally, 96% of its fibre-based materials are made from recycled paper. These figures position the company strongly on circular economy criteria, which are increasingly weighted in public and private procurement decisions.

For UK manufacturers and distributors, the proportion of recycled content in packaging materials is often a scored element in tenders. Therefore, suppliers who can evidence high recycled content percentages and credible collection infrastructure offer a competitive advantage.

However, recycled content alone does not address Scope 1 and 2 emissions from manufacturing processes. The two issues are related but distinct. Consequently, businesses evaluating packaging suppliers need to assess both recycled content and production-phase carbon intensity.

What UK businesses should consider when evaluating packaging suppliers

RDM Group’s performance data provides a useful case study in how to read supplier sustainability reports critically. Not all targets are created equal, and not all indicators move in the same direction. For UK businesses, this matters in three main areas.

First, procurement teams should ask suppliers for intensity metrics, not just absolute totals. A company can reduce total emissions while production volumes fall, or increase total waste while expanding output. Intensity metrics per unit of product or revenue are more informative.

Second, businesses should distinguish between process improvements and purchasing decisions. Buying renewable electricity is valuable, but it is not the same as improving energy efficiency or reducing process emissions. Both matter, but they represent different types of commitment and different levels of operational integration.

Third, uneven progress across targets is normal, but the pattern of that unevenness is revealing. If a supplier is close to achieving waste recovery targets but moving away from waste reduction targets, it suggests that recovery infrastructure is strong but process efficiency is weak. That trade-off may or may not align with your own priorities.

For businesses tendering for public sector work under PPN 06/21, supplier carbon data is now a scored requirement. Consequently, understanding how your suppliers measure and report Scope 1 and 2 emissions is not optional. Our net-zero program helps businesses meet carbon reporting requirements and evaluate supply chain emissions in line with public procurement standards.

Additionally, businesses subject to mandatory climate reporting under the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting framework or the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures may need to account for Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods. In that context, supplier-specific emissions data becomes part of your own compliance obligation, not just a procurement consideration.

Where to find further information on supply chain sustainability

The UK government’s Procurement Policy Notes set out how carbon reduction plans are assessed in public sector contracts. Businesses selling to government or large private buyers should review PPN 06/21 in detail.

For guidance on Scope 3 emissions accounting, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 3 Standard remains the most widely recognized framework. It includes specific categories for purchased goods and services, which cover packaging materials.

The UK government’s environmental reporting guidance explains the legal requirements for Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting. It also covers how to report Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions for companies above the reporting thresholds.

Businesses looking to understand circular economy principles in procurement can refer to CIPS guidance on circular procurement, which explains how to evaluate suppliers on waste reduction, material efficiency, and recycled content.