Sustainability, corporate responsibility earn M. Holland bronze

NORTHBROOK, Ill.—Materials supplier M. Holland Co. has received a bronze rating for its business sustainability programs from EcoVadis.

The Northbrook-based company improved its rating from 2020 as a result of progress in its diversity and inclusion program, wellness benefits, career development and other areas.

"We managed (the review) as an important project and worked with our internal stakeholders," Debbie Prenatt, sustainability market manager, said in a recent interview with Plastics News. "Our employees are mindful about sustainability."

EcoVadis of Paris reviews more than 85,000 companies and evaluates how an organization has integrated the principles of sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) into its business and management system.

The EcoVadis platform and sustainability scorecards cover more than 200 purchasing categories in 190 countries. Its methodology assesses more than 20 priority issues and provides rankings across four themes: environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.

In 2021, M. Holland formed a Women's Employee Resource Group. Officials said the group brings together female employees and male allies across the company to cultivate an inclusive environment.

Prenatt said the firm also has added more sustainable materials to the product mix available to its customers. In a news release, she added that M. Holland "will continue to share our (CSR) and sustainability program progress as we introduce new sustainable product offerings and formalize and refine goals."

The EcoVadis program "has helped us identify areas for improvement," Prenatt said to Plastics News. "It's allowed us to take a deeper look at our organization."

M. Holland is one of North America's largest resin distributors, selling more than $1 billion in materials to more than 4,000 customers annually.