Independent sustainability assessments are playing an increasingly important role in supply chain decision-making, with recent EcoVadis recognitions awarded to reusable packaging providers ORBIS Corporation and Tosca highlighting the growing importance of third-party ESG verification.
While sustainability reporting has become commonplace across industries, many procurement teams are now looking beyond corporate commitments and marketing claims toward independently verified performance metrics. Platforms such as EcoVadis have emerged as one way organizations evaluate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance across their supply chains.
Recent announcements from ORBIS and Tosca illustrate how reusable packaging providers are positioning themselves within this evolving landscape.
ORBIS Earns Bronze Rating
ORBIS Corporation announced that it has earned a Bronze Medal rating from EcoVadis, placing the company among the top 35% of organizations assessed globally during the past year.
The company said the recognition reflects progress in sustainability policies, processes, and performance across its operations while providing customers with independent validation of its environmental, social, and governance initiatives.
“Our EcoVadis rating reflects our ongoing commitment to integrating sustainability and circularity into every aspect of our operations which reduces supply chain risk for our customers while helping them meet and exceed their sustainability goals,” said Thomas Estock, Director of Sustainability at ORBIS Corporation.
ORBIS noted that the assessment supports its position as a provider of reusable packaging and services designed to help customers improve sustainability performance while building more resilient supply chains.
Sustainability Performance Moves Beyond Marketing Claims
The growing visibility of EcoVadis ratings reflects a broader shift occurring across supply chains, particularly in Europe but increasingly in North America as well.
Historically, sustainability initiatives often focused on corporate commitments and long-term goals. Today, customers, investors, and regulators are increasingly asking organizations to demonstrate measurable progress and provide evidence supporting environmental claims.
This trend is particularly relevant for reusable transport packaging providers. While reusable pallets, containers, and pooling systems are often promoted for their environmental benefits, customers are increasingly evaluating the sustainability performance of the suppliers themselves.
As a result, third-party assessments are becoming another tool companies use to demonstrate credibility and provide transparency regarding their operations, sourcing practices, ethics programs, labor policies, and environmental performance.
EcoVadis Scores Increasingly Influence Procurement Decisions
Tosca recently announced that it achieved EcoVadis Gold status for 2026, placing the company among the top 5% of organizations evaluated globally.
According to Tosca, the improved rating reflects gains across all assessed categories, including environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement.
“Across Europe, we are seeing sustainability move from ambition to operational reality,” said Laurent Le Mercier, EMEA President of Tosca. “Customers increasingly want clear evidence of performance, whether that is efficiency, compliance, waste reduction or supply chain resilience.”
That perspective aligns with broader changes taking place within procurement departments. Large manufacturers, retailers, and logistics providers increasingly use sustainability scorecards as part of supplier qualification and evaluation processes. In some cases, sustainability performance now carries weight alongside traditional factors such as cost, quality, service, and innovation.
Regulatory developments are also contributing to the trend. New reporting requirements, waste reduction initiatives, traceability expectations, and circular economy legislation are increasing pressure on companies to better understand and document sustainability performance throughout their supply chains.
For reusable packaging providers, these developments may create both opportunities and challenges. Companies with established sustainability programs and independently verified performance may gain an advantage when competing for business, while organizations lacking robust ESG documentation could face increasing scrutiny from customers. For smaller companies, it might make best sense to collaborate through your respective industry association.
The growing use of EcoVadis and similar assessment platforms suggests that sustainability verification is becoming more deeply embedded within procurement and supplier management processes. As customers continue seeking measurable evidence of environmental and operational performance, third-party sustainability ratings may become an increasingly important factor in how supply chain partnerships are evaluated and selected.
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
