Better Health for All

Synthomer's product portfolio demonstrates a strategic focus on health-positive impact, with more than 80% of its products being water-based, which eliminates VOCs.

The company is a leading supplier of NBR latex for medical gloves, and 69% of new products in 2024 had sustainability benefits. It actively eliminates harmful substances, such as alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEO) from fibre bonding binders by the end of 2024, reformulating 17 products. Products containing substances of very high concern (SVHC) represented 1.29% of sales volume in 2024. The company maintains an excellent safety record, with a total recordable injury case rate (RCR) of 0.14 per 100,000 hours in 2024, and zero fatalities from 2019 to 2024. It exhibits strong risk transparency through detailed public reporting of safety performance, including RCR, process safety event rate (PSER), and lost-time injury rates. A whistleblowing hotline is available to third parties, and product descriptions specify chemical compositions. , While the company has significant mitigation efforts, including a 41% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions in 2023 compared to 2019, and a 7% reduction in 2024 versus 2023, it incurred a $2.4 million penalty for environmental violations at a facility it now owns in 2023. The company also provides substantial mental health support for employees and their families through a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Synthomer PLC is a specialty chemicals company, and its core business activities do not involve lending, insuring, moving, or storing money for consumers. Therefore, the company does not offer financial products or services that would be assessed by the KPIs under the 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity' value. All KPIs, such as underserved_client_share, pricing_fairness, exploitative_fee_exposure, inclusion_initiatives, data_accessibility, fair_lending_compliance, wealth_building_outcome, profit_reinvestment, financial_literacy_initiatives, debt_burden_ratio, geographic_inclusion, and product_simplicity, are designed for financial institutions and are not applicable to Synthomer's operations. While the company engages in general community support through donations (e.g., $1.3 million in 2024 via its Foundation

) and has internal diversity initiatives, these do not align with the specific financial services definitions of the KPIs.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Synthomer reported a recordable injury case rate (RCR) of 0.14 per 100,000 hours worked in 2024

, which translates to 0.28 per 200,000 hours, and has maintained zero fatalities from 2019 to 2024 . In 2024, 61% of employees were covered by collective bargaining agreements . The CEO to median employee pay ratio was 24:1 in 2024 . The company's voluntary employee turnover rate was 6.1% in 2024 . For the same year, 3.4% of the workforce was on temporary contracts . The 2024 employee engagement score was 7.0 out of 10 , based on an 80% participation rate in the "Your Voice" survey .

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

In 2024, 93% of Synthomer's targeted and highest-risk suppliers agreed to adhere to the company's Supplier Code of Conduct or equivalent standards.

The company has reported zero substantiated forced or child labour incidents in the last three years, supported by ongoing proactive risk assessments, a Human Rights Working Group, and 87% of its procurement team completing modern slavery training in 2024.

Honest & Fair Business

Synthomer PLC incurred an EC fine of £39.1 million (approximately $48.875 million) in 2022, which was paid in the first half of 2024.

The company operates a dedicated, independent, and confidential whistleblowing hotline. Audit procedures cover 77% of the company's revenue. The board comprises 30% independent non-executive directors. Synthomer has a comprehensive Code of Conduct and anti-bribery and corruption (ABC) training modules. In 2024, 93% of targeted suppliers agreed to the Supplier Code of Conduct, and 43% underwent Ecovadis assessments. The whistleblowing hotline reported zero corruption cases in 2023 and 2024. The company demonstrates extensive third-party verification, including external assurance on financial statements, ISO management systems, and limited assurance on Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions. Its 2030 decarbonisation targets are approved by the Science Based Targets initiative, and its product lifecycle assessment methodology is externally verified.

Kind to Animals

Synthomer has an animal testing policy, dated February 2025, stating the company will not use animal testing on its products unless specifically required by regulatory authorities.

This policy further restricts testing to cases where no approved or accepted alternative testing procedure exists, or where no established information is available for an adequate hazard or risk assessment. The company also advocates, through industry associations and professional societies, for the regulatory acceptance of validated alternative methods that reduce or replace the use of animal models.

No War, No Weapons

Synthomer plc explicitly states it does not engage in arms manufacturing or military contracts, and its product portfolio does not include such activities.

The company's R&D initiatives, such as the partnership with the University of York for sustainable bio-based polymers, are explicitly stated as not supporting military applications. Synthomer's policy is to be free of conflict minerals in all business activities, conducting due diligence based on OECD guidance and requiring annual Conflict Minerals Reporting Template (CMRT) reports from suppliers. The company also develops robust processes to ensure raw materials do not come from conflict-affected regions, aiming for zero procurement from such areas. As a specialty chemicals company, it has no defense business to oversee, no AI systems used militarily, and is not subject to the Arms Trade Treaty.

Planet-Friendly Business

Total Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions for 2024 were 2.93 million tCO2e, with full Scope 1-3 published annually.

The company's near-term GHG emissions reduction targets, approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), include a 46.2% reduction for Scope 1 and 2 (aligned with a 1.5°C trajectory) and a 27.5% reduction for Scope 3 (aligned with a <2°C trajectory) by 2030 from a 2019 baseline. In 2024, 18% of total operational energy was sourced from renewables, while 80% of electricity came from renewable sources. Water withdrawal per £1 million revenue was 3,584 m³ in 2023, with 20.36% of total water withdrawal sourced from water-stressed basins in 2022. The company achieved a 71.4% waste diversion rate in 2022, and 10 manufacturing sites operate with zero direct waste to landfill. Approximately 60% of products had Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) in 2023. For supply chain climate transparency, 46% of procurement spend was covered by sustainability ratings in 2023. Synthomer continues to deepen its understanding of climate-related risks and opportunities in line with TCFD recommendations, having conducted comprehensive scenario analysis for 1.5°C, 2°C, and 3°C pathways in 2021 and 2022, with plans to expand this analysis by 2025.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Synthomer provides a dedicated, independent, and multi-lingual whistleblowing hotline (EthicsPoint) that is available 24/7 to employees, external parties, and all stakeholders, indicating comprehensive coverage for community concerns.

The company has four formal partnership agreements with local community groups, including Replay for Kids, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, local schools and universities in Sokolov, Czech Republic, and Akron Children’s Hospital. In 2024, 6.12% of the Synthomer Foundation's total donations were allocated to arts and culture programs.

Safe & Smart Tech

Synthomer has not reported any data breaches in the provided articles covering 2024 activities and 2025 plans. The company maintains a strong security program with a preventative focus, including weekly steering committee meetings, regular mandatory enterprise-wide cyber security awareness training, cyber incident response simulations, and the implementation of SIEM and MDR solutions.

They also conducted penetration testing with no material issues identified, a successful disaster recovery failover test, and standardized firewall infrastructure across 38 global locations. For regulatory compliance, Synthomer is taking proactive steps to adhere to new legislation, such as implementing improvements for the NIS2 Directive, preparing for the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, conducting a double materiality assessment for CSRD, and updating data protection training modules. The company provides regular, mandatory, enterprise-wide cyber security awareness training for employees, though specific completion rates or effectiveness metrics are not detailed. There are no documented incidents of unauthorized data use, and a Privacy Policy outlines data collection, use, and safeguarding. Regarding AI ethics governance, Synthomer is using AI for product development, monitoring its use, and has a stated commitment to responsible integration, but no formal AI ethics policy or dedicated oversight body is explicitly mentioned.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Synthomer achieved a waste diversion rate of 75.54% in 2024.

For hazardous waste, 93.49% was diverted from landfill in 2024, with 1,876 tonnes disposed of by landfill. The company has implemented at least six waste reduction initiatives, including process optimization and baseload energy reduction, which contributed to a 19% reduction in total absolute waste and a 10% reduction in total specific waste versus 2022. A short-term objective for 2025 is to reduce total waste per tonne by 5% compared to 2022 levels. Internal audits against SHEMS standards are expected at least once every three years. Furthermore, the company has a Sustainable Procurement Policy and Supplier Code of Conduct, with 93% of targeted suppliers agreeing to the Code of Conduct in 2024, and supplier site audits are conducted.