Company Overview
Rhymbal Pvt. Limited manufactures polyurethane prepolymer and master-batch systems for footwear and industrial use, supplying three main products totalling over 800,000 kilograms a year. Its raw materials include monomeric MDI (sourced from Korea, Japan, and China) and polyether polyol (China and Thailand).
A mid-sized operation of 110 permanent and 50 contract staff, Rhymbal consumes around 1.5 million kWh of electricity annually and runs on natural gas and diesel. What distinguishes it from peers of similar size is an unusually mature approach to emissions measurement and sustainable sourcing.
The Challenge
Performance. Proof. Recognition
Rhymbal had genuine, distinctive ESG credentials – quarterly GHG tracking through an external partner since 2022, and recent ISCC certification – but no single rating that packaged them into a form customers could quickly assess. Its strengths were real but scattered across different systems and partners; a benchmarked rating would consolidate them into one credential.
The company also wanted an honest external read on where its genuine strengths ended and its gaps began – particularly around renewable energy and formal targets – to prioritise its next investments.
OUR APPROACH
Evidence. Measure. Benchmark.
Build To Sustain assessed Rhymbal across the SIM framework’s seven pillars, verifying its GHG-tracking arrangement, ISCC certification, and supplier-screening practices against evidence. The two-layer data collection captured both operational figures and scorable practices.
EXECUTION
Validate. Rate. Certify.
Rhymbal completed the assessment, evidencing its quarterly Scope 1 and Scope 2 tracking (conducted with an external group since 2022), its ISCC certification, and its active screening of raw-material suppliers for ISCC compliance. Its hazardous waste — liquid polyol and reactor-cleaning residues — was confirmed as disposed through an authorised incineration vendor with records maintained.
The result was a full scorebook and a Silver-tier certificate.
EXECUTION
The Assessment in Detail
Rhymbal was rated Silver with an overall score of 64/100, fourth in the cohort and the sole supplier in the Silver band. Its scores were notably balanced across environment and social, with governance its strongest dimension.
Pillar scorecard
| Energy & Climate | Water & Effluent | Waste & Circularity | Materials & Product | Health & Safety | Labour & Social | Governance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/15 | 8/10 | 9/12 | 5/13 | 9/15 | 9/15 | 16/20 |
DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS
Environment 60/100
Quarterly Scope 1+2 GHG tracking (with an external partner since 2022), an approximately 80% waste recovery rate, a formal waste policy, water metering with daily monitoring, and recent ISCC certification. Renewable-energy share is not yet quantified and formal energy audits are pending.
Social 60/100
A formalised OHS system with an annual training calendar covering every risk subject, full PPE, annual fire drills, on-site first aid, and a digital grievance mechanism via HRM software. Community engagement includes tree-planting (1,000 trees in three years) and education initiatives.
Governance 80/100
ISO 14001 certification, a Code of Conduct and anti-bribery policy, internal ESG reporting, a designated sustainability lead, and a documented set of 32 organisational policies including data privacy.
STANDOUT STRENGTHS
- Quarterly Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG tracking in partnership with an external group since 2022 — unusual measurement maturity for a mid-sized supplier.
- ISCC certification and active screening of its own raw-material suppliers for ISCC compliance, with R&D underway on bio-based alternatives.
- A high (~80%) waste recovery rate and strong governance documentation (16/20).
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 |
|---|---|
| Energy & Climate (8/15) | Quantify the renewable-energy share, commission formal energy audits, and set science-based (SBTi-aligned) reduction targets to build on the existing GHG-tracking foundation. |
| Health & Safety (9/15) | Move from annual to more frequent safety training and drills, and begin tracking formal safety metrics (LTIFR/TRIR). |
| Materials & Product (5/13) | Progress the bio-based R&D into measurable recycled/bio content and pursue product carbon footprinting. |
Key Takeaways
- Rhymbal earned Silver, distinguished by GHG-tracking maturity and ISCC certification rare at its scale.
- The pathway to Gold runs through renewable-energy quantification, formal energy audits, and SBTi-aligned targets.
- The rating consolidates Rhymbal’s already-strong but scattered credentials into one benchmarked credential.