Company Overview
Evergreen Carton
Evergreen Cartons manufactures corrugated cartons from kraft paper, gum, ink, and strapping – all domestically sourced – supplying 960,000 pieces a year into packaging. Located around 50 km from its customer’s facility, it delivers daily by road.
A compact enterprise of 20 permanent staff, Evergreen is among the smallest suppliers assessed. Its defining characteristic is its material profile: its product is fully recycled and bio-based, giving it a sustainability credential that larger suppliers cannot match — even as its formal governance structure remains minimal.
The Challenge
Performance. Proof. Recognition
Evergreen had an outstanding material-sustainability story – 100% recycled and bio-based product – but almost no formal governance structure or ESG documentation to prove its credentials. For a small packaging supplier, the challenge was to have its genuine environmental advantage recognised and certified, and to understand what governance foundations it needed to build.
OUR APPROACH
Evidence. Measure. Benchmark.
Build To Sustain assessed Evergreen across the seven pillars. The size-agnostic, gated scoring ensured its small scale did not distort the result — its genuine material and safety strengths were credited, and its governance gaps were identified as a roadmap rather than a penalty.
EXECUTION
Validate. Rate. Certify.
Evergreen completed the assessment. Its 100% recycled-content, 100% bio-based product and 100% recycled packaging were recorded, along with energy audits, rainwater harvesting, water-reduction targets, a formalised safety approach, PPE provision, minimum-wage compliance, and on-site first aid. Its main gaps were in formal governance documentation.
The result was a full scorebook and a Committed-tier certificate.
EXECUTION
The Assessment in Detail
Evergreen Cartons was rated Committed with an overall score of 43/100. Its material sustainability and safety were genuine strengths for its size; its governance score – the lowest in the cohort — reflected the minimal formal structure typical of a 20-person enterprise.
Pillar scorecard
| Energy & Climate | Water & Effluent | Waste & Circularity | Materials & Product | Health & Safety | Labour & Social | Governance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/15 | 6/10 | 4/12 | 5/13 | 10/15 | 7/15 | 4/20 |
DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS
Environment 44/100
A defining strength: 100% recycled-content and 100% bio-based product, plus 100% recycled packaging — the highest material profile in the cohort. Energy audits conducted and rainwater harvesting practised. Water metering and formal waste documentation are not yet in place (WC 4/12).
Social 57/100
A formalised safety approach for its size: two lost-time injuries recorded, near-miss tracking, annual training, PPE, and on-site first aid. Minimum-wage compliance, child/forced-labour policies, and a grievance mechanism in place; female representation is low (~4%).
Governance 20/100
The lowest governance score in the cohort — a business-continuity commitment and solar intent exist, but a Code of Conduct, certifications, and sustainability reporting are not yet established.
STANDOUT STRENGTHS
- The highest material-sustainability profile of any assessed supplier: 100% recycled-content and 100% bio-based product, with 100% recycled packaging.
- Energy audits conducted and rainwater harvesting practised, with water-reduction targets set.
- A formalised safety approach for a 20-person enterprise, with PPE, minimum-wage compliance, and on-site first aid.
Improvement Roadmap
The assessment translates into a prioritised set of next steps — the fastest, highest-impact routes to a stronger rating:
| Focus area | Recommended action |
|---|---|
| Governance (4/20) | The clearest constraint: establish a Code of Conduct, pursue basic certifications, and begin sustainability reporting. |
| Waste & Circularity (4/12) | Formalise waste-management documentation and intensity tracking to match the strong material profile. |
| Water metering | Install water metering to complement existing rainwater harvesting and reduction targets. |
Key Takeaways
- Evergreen Cartons earned Committed, built on an exceptional material-sustainability credential.
- Establishing governance foundations is the fastest route to Bronze — the environmental substance is already there.
- The assessment gave a small supplier a certified recognition of a genuine competitive advantage.