Top 40 distributor Cimpress (asi/162149) has published its second environmental, social and governance (ESG) report, sharing the progress it’s made in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, responsible forestry, reducing plastic use, charitable giving and other milestones.

The publicly traded Dundalk, Ireland-based firm, whose businesses include Vistaprint and former Top 40 distributor National Pen, said the ESG report gives a comprehensive view of its work across a range of sustainability concerns, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion, workplace safety and risk management.

Robert Keane, Cimpress

“We are proud of the work we have done over three decades of building Cimpress in concert with ESG objectives,” Cimpress CEO Robert Keane wrote in the report’s opening letter. “We focus on the long term, seeking to build a transformational and enduring business for the benefit of all our stakeholders.”

He added that “more work lies ahead of us to achieve our long-term environmental sustainability goals and to keep pace with an ever-changing regulatory backdrop for all types of ESG topics. But we are on the right path.”

Cimpress noted in the report that the company has reduced its Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 22.1% since its FY2019 baseline year and is on track to meet its targeted 53% reduction by FY2030.

However, Scope 3 emissions – the result of activities from assets not controlled by Cimpress, but that it indirectly affects in its value chain – make up around 97% of the distributor’s emissions. Upstream transportation and distribution as well as purchased goods and services account for the bulk of Cimpress’ Scope 3 emissions.

“In alignment with our commitment to decarbonize across our entire value chain, Cimpress calculates emissions across all applicable Scope 3 categories,” Cimpress noted in the report.

In FY2023, Cimpress reported an overall Scope 3 reduction of 7% against its FY2019 baseline, but a 2% increase between FY2022 and FY2023. The company attributed the uptick in part to improvements in its calculation methodology and data accuracy.

Cimpress has a goal of making 100% of its wood fiber products made from FSC-certified materials by the end of FY2025, and 95% of its wood fiber-based packaging made from either FSC-certified materials or contain the highest feasible amount of post-consumer waste material.

At the close of FY2023, 83% of wood fiber products produced at its facilities were FSC-certified, while 44% of wood fiber packaging was made from FSC-certified materials. The distributor noted that it saw minor setbacks in progress toward its targets in this area, due to “the introduction of new products and changes in mix.”

Cimpress is also working toward reducing and transitioning its plastic use. The distributor has set goals to eliminate 100% of problematic plastics (which it defines as PVC and polystyrene) in packaging and products, transition 100% of nonreusable packaging to recyclable and/or compostable materials, increase the recycled content in plastic products by 20% against a FY2020 baseline (to a minimum of 20% recycled content) and decrease the use of virgin, fossil-fuel based plastic content in packaging by at least 20% through a combination of plastic elimination and increased recycled content by the end of FY2025.

The distributor noted in its report that all of its businesses have completely eliminated PVC and polystyrene from packaging designs since the FY2020 baseline year. Since FY2020, Cimpress says it’s reduced the total amount of fossil fuel-derived plastic in its packaging by 3% (by weight), through a combination of overall plastic reduction and shifts to home compostable bio-plastics.

Also of note in the report: Cimpress said it made over $500,000 in cash donations and more than $160,000 in in-kind donations to worthy causes in FY2023. Among the donations were National Pen’s contributions of pens, notepads, flashlights and other promo products to schools across Africa, through an ongoing partnership with Spring Global Delivery Solutions. National Pen has donated 1,544 pallets, which equates to around 5.5 million products, according to Cimpress.

Cimpress ranked 10^th in Counselor’s most recent list of the top distributors in the industry, with 2022 North American promotional products revenue of $283 million.

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