HEXPOL TPE has released its 2020 Impact Report. It is the first report of its kind from HEXPOL TPE, part of the global polymer group HEXPOL, who publish an annual Sustainability Report according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standard. HEXPOL TPE publishes inaugural impact report Kirsty Wood, Sustainability Lead at HEXPOL TPE, said: “We’ve put this report together to show the environmental impact of HEXPOL TPE’s European operations in terms of the energy and water we consume and the waste we produce. It’s a zoomed-in version of the HEXPOL Group Sustainability Report. The scope isn’t as wide, but it focusses on how we’re doing at our companies in Sweden, the UK and Germany.” Energy usage is one of the areas HEXPOL TPE is tackling. Work involving surveys and measures to increase efficiency continued in 2020 as well as investment in energy efficient equipment and infrastructure. The report includes performance over a three-year period. There was a reduction in energy consumption of 4,345 MWh from 2019 to 2020, despite an increase in total volume produced. The HEXPOL TPE companies work within the ISO 14001 and/or ISO 50001 frameworks and from 2021 all European sites are using 100 per cent renewable electricity. Water consumption and waste generation also showed a downward trend for 2020. Recycling rates have increased by more than 70 per cent from 2018 to 2020. Material and technology developments are also covered in the report. Applications using biobased, bio-composites and TPEs with recycled content are included, highlighting possibilities with renewable and non-virgin polymer materials. Jill Bradford, Group Marketing and PR Manager, HEXPOL TPE, added: “We believe in open and straightforward communications around our sustainability strategy and impacts. Our hope is that anyone that reads this report will take away a good understanding of how we’re working today and how we’re hoping to improve in the future.”