Articles & Case Studies

Case Studies

Sustainability is often perceived as an upfront cost, but below public case studies demonstrate that implementing sustainable solutions delivers significant benefits, including cost reductions, revenue increase and minimized environmental impact. Compliance with ESG regulations not only enhances a company's reputation and market access but also leads to substantial cost savings by improving efficiency and reducing waste. These advantages aren’t limited to large corporations—small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can also reap these rewards. For SMEs exporting to Europe or needing to comply with EU regulations, embracing sustainability is not just a requirement but a strategic move toward long-term growth and success.

Explore the 24 case studies below to learn about sustainability initiatives, their benefits for both large multinational enterprises and SMEs, and the ESG regulations they are adhering to:

Large Enterprises

PUMA

• What They Did: In 2022, PUMA focused on raising awareness through staff training and sponsoring a biodiversity report. They also committed to sustainable sourcing, aiming for 100% certified cotton, leather, viscose, and paper packaging by 2025.

• Cost Savings: Indirect savings via improved sustainability and brand reputation.

• Environmental Impact: Reduced deforestation and land-use change, supporting biodiversity.

• ESG Regulation: Compliant with the Fashion Pact, FSC, and other frameworks.

• Timeline: Actions started in 2022, aiming for full certification by 2025.

LG Chem Ltd.

• What They Did: Implemented ISO 50001 for energy management, optimizing energy usage and improving efficiency across facilities.

• Cost Savings: Saved $13.5 million annually through energy efficiency measures.

• Environmental Impact: Reduced CO2 emissions by 238,000 metric tons annually.

• ESG Regulation: ISO 50001 for energy management.

• Timeline: Results achieved in 3 years.

Panasonic Corporation

• What They Did: Optimized energy use and adopted renewable energy to comply with Japan’s Global Warming Countermeasures.

• Cost Savings: Saved ¥5 billion (USD 45 million) annually through energy efficiency improvements and solar power installations.

• Environmental Impact: Reduced CO2 emissions by 500,000 tons annually.

• ESG Regulation: Complied with Japan’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

• Timeline: Achieved results in 5 years (2015-2020).

UPS ORION

• What They Did: Implemented the ORION AI system, a route optimization tool designed to improve transportation efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.

• Cost Savings: Saved 10 million gallons of fuel annually, reducing transportation costs and operational expenses.

• Environmental Impact: Reduced CO₂ emissions by 100,000 metric tons annually, equivalent to removing over 20,000 cars from the road.

• ESG Regulation: Complied with global sustainability targets and reduced transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions.

• Timeline: Achieved results over 7 years (2012-2019).

Besam North America/Assa Abloy

• What They Did: Besam replaced metal halide lighting with energy-efficient fluorescent fixtures, reduced air compressor pressures, and fixed air leaks to improve energy efficiency.

• Cost Savings: Achieved annual savings of $25,776 and reduced energy consumption by 233,555 kWh.

• Environmental Impact: Reduced energy use, contributing to lower CO2 emissions.

• ESG Regulation: Complied with energy efficiency and sustainability standards.

• Timeline: Likely completed in under one year.

Freescale Semiconductor

• What They Did: Freescale optimized energy-consuming systems, including water pumping and compressed air systems, to reduce energy consumption at their Austin facility.

• Cost Savings: Achieved annual savings of $2 million by reducing electricity use by 28 million kWh and natural gas consumption by 26,000 million Btu.

• Environmental Impact: Significant reduction in energy use, leading to a decrease in emissions.

• ESG Regulation: Complied with energy efficiency and emissions reduction standards.

• Timeline: Completed between 2006 and 2009.

Guardian Automotive

• What They Did: Guardian Automotive implemented a waste reduction program that focused on recycling glass, fiberglass, and PVC scrap material.

• Cost Savings: Saved $360,000 annually by recycling over 13,000 tons of waste.

• Environmental Impact: Reduced waste sent to landfills and promoted material recycling, supporting sustainability goals.

• ESG Regulation: Complied with waste reduction and recycling regulations.

• Timeline: Completed within a year.

Kennecott Utah Copper Refinery

• What They Did: Installed a combined heat and power (CHP) system to generate electricity and recycle waste heat for process steam at their copper refinery.

• Cost Savings: Reduced energy costs by producing more than half of the refinery’s electricity on-site.

• Environmental Impact: Reduced CO2 emissions by 36,000 tons annually, and NOx and SO2 emissions by 90% and 99%, respectively.

• ESG Regulation: Complied with emissions reduction and energy efficiency standards.

• Timeline: Completed in 2010.

Patagonia

• What They Did: Launched the Common Threads Initiative to promote clothing recycling, repair, and reuse, alongside bold marketing campaigns like "Don’t Buy This Jacket."

• Sales Increase: Achieved a 30% increase in sales, reaching $540 million the following year, despite actively discouraging unnecessary purchases.

• Environmental Impact: Recycled 45 tons of clothing and converted 34 tons into new garments. Repaired over 30,000 items in 18 months, reducing waste and extending product lifespans.

• ESG Regulation: Aligned with sustainability certifications such as LEED and FSC, and contributed to environmental initiatives like 1% for the Planet.

• Timeline: Initiatives launched in 2011, with significant progress and measurable results within 18 months.

Unilever

• What They Did: Shifted to sustainably sourced palm oil and reduced waste in production.

• Cost Savings: Saved €1.2 billion over a decade by optimizing resource use.

• Environmental Impact: Reduced CO₂ emissions significantly and achieved zero-waste-to-landfill across factories.

• ESG Regulation: Compliance with RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) and EU Waste Framework Directive.

• Timeline: Sustainability program launched in 2010, with results measured by 2020.

Advanced Composite Structures

• What They Did: ACS streamlined production by reducing excess movement, materials, and tooling.

• Cost Savings: 65% cost reduction, production increase from 20 to 45 units per shift, and facility size cut by 73%.

• Environmental Impact: Scrap rate reduced from 24% to 1.8%.

• ESG Regulation: Complied with sustainability standards.

• Timeline: Completed in less than a year.

Siam Cement Group

• What They Did: In 2023, Siam Cement Group (SCG) focused on enhancing sustainability through better resource management, waste reduction, and environmental initiatives across their operations.

• Cost Savings: SCG saved USD 72.18 million in 2023 through: Improved waste management and resource efficiency. Energy and water savings. Tax incentives and cost avoidance from compliance with environmental regulations

• Environmental Impact: Reduced 7,159,343 tons of CO2 emissions (a 20.91% reduction from 2020).. Increasing water recycling (18.5 million cubic meters, 13.4% of total water usage)

• ESG Regulation: ISO 14001 and European Union Due Diligence Regulation (EUDR) compliance ensured global sustainability standards were met.

• Timeline: Results achieved in 3 years.

Small & Medium Sized Enterprises

Vinatex

• What They Did: Introduced energy-efficient machinery, solar power, and recycled fabric production in textile manufacturing.

• Cost Savings: Reduced water usage and treatment costs, and partially transitioned to renewable energy, lowering energy demand.

• Environmental Impact: Cut wastewater discharge by 30%, reused 30% of treated water, and reduced CO₂ emissions by 1,600 tons annually. Produced 4,000 tonnes of recycled fabric for the EU market.

• ESG Regulation Compliance: Complied with EU eco-regulations, meeting the demand for green production and preparing for stricter future rules on sustainability.

• Timeline: Milestones achieved in alignment with EU regulations, with ongoing projects toward 2050.

Fabric Supplier for Puma (Vietnam)

• What They Did: Reused cooling water for dyeing, saving energy and water.

• Cost Savings: USD 19,000 annually in energy and water costs.

• Environmental Impact: Saved 3,800 m³ of water annually.

• ESG Regulation: Aligns with Puma's sustainability goals.

• Timeline: 2022

Ecoalf

• What They Did: Spanish fashion brand using recycled materials like plastic bottles, fishing nets, and tires to create sustainable products.

• Cost Savings: Reduces raw material sourcing costs and benefits from eco-conscious consumer demand.

• Environmental Impact: Minimizes waste by reusing materials, lowering environmental footprint.

• ESG Regulations Compliance: Follows EU sustainability and circular economy regulations.

• Timeline: Founded in 2009, with growing sustainability efforts.

Toast Ale:

• What They Did: Brewed beer using surplus bread, reducing waste and sourcing locally.

• Cost Savings: Lowered ingredient and transportation costs.

• Environmental Impact: Reduced food waste, emissions, and carbon footprint.

• ESG Regulation: Complied with waste reduction and green certifications.

• Timeline: Implemented over several years.

Canyon Creek Cabinet Company

• What They Did: Implemented process improvements to cut waste, energy use, and wastewater.

• Cost Savings: Saved $1,189,550 annually and increased production from 900 to 1,000 cabinets per day.

• Environmental Impact: Reduced hazardous waste and energy consumption.

• ESG Regulation: Complied with waste reduction and energy efficiency standards.

• Timeline: Implemented in under a year.

Chrome Deposit Corporation

• What They Did: Improved energy efficiency by adjusting boilers and installing chillers with a closed-loop system.

• Cost Savings: 12% reduction in natural gas use and significant savings on water costs.

• Environmental Impact: 85% reduction in water usage.

• ESG Regulation: Complied with energy and sustainability standards.

• Timeline: Completed in less than a year.

Custom Print

• What They Did: Reduced chemical inventory by 70% and improved ventilation and ink usage.

• Cost Savings: Saved $5,000 annually and reduced electricity costs by 40% ($2,000/month).

• Environmental Impact: Lowered air conditioning needs and reduced ink waste.

• ESG Regulation: Complied with pollution prevention and chemical usage regulations.

• Timeline: Implemented in under a year.

Paccari

• What They Did: Paccari Chocolate transitioned to using 100% certified organic ingredients and implemented sustainable practices in the supply chain, including direct trade with farmers, and adopted 100% compostable and recyclable packaging.

• Cost Savings: Packaging cost reduced through the use of compostable and recyclable packaging materials.

• Environmental Impact: Promoted sustainable farming practices over 2,000 hectares of land. Prevented deforestation by sourcing cacao from agroforestry projects, contributing to biodiversity conservation in the Amazon rainforest.

• ESG Regulation: Complied with EU Organic Regulation (Reg. 2018/848) for organic products. Achieved Fair Trade and B Corporation certifications, aligning with global sustainability and ethical standards.

• Timeline: Certification achieved and market penetration within three years (2019-2022).

Shenzhou Group

• What They Did: Shenzhou Group installed 8MW rooftop solar panels at its Worldon factory in Vietnam to reduce carbon emissions.

• Cost Savings: Lower energy costs through solar energy.

• Environmental Impact: Reduces GHG emissions by 9,649 tCO₂e annually.

• ESG Regulation: Complied with SBTi Criteria 4.2.

• Timeline: 2022

The Happy Pear

• What They Did: Focused on sourcing local, organic produce and reducing food waste.

• Cost Savings: Reduced transportation and waste disposal costs.

• Environmental Impact: Lowered carbon footprint and waste sent to landfills.

• ESG Regulations Compliance: Compliant with EU organic farming regulations.

• Timeline: Established in 2004, with sustainability growing from the 2010s.

Cork Supply

• What They Did: Implemented sustainable cork harvesting and eco-friendly production methods.

• Cost Savings: Avoided costs from deforestation and unsustainable practices.

• Environmental Impact: Preserved cork oak forests and promoted biodiversity.

• ESG Regulations Compliance: Adheres to FSC certification and sustainable forestry regulations.

• Timeline: Increased sustainability efforts since the 2010s.

UBQ Materials

• What They Did: Converts unsorted household waste into sustainable thermoplastics.

• Cost Savings: Reduced waste disposal costs and generated revenue from sustainable materials.

• Environmental Impact: Diverts waste from landfills, reduces emissions, and supports a circular economy.

• ESG Regulations Compliance: Complies with Israeli environmental laws and international waste standards.

• Timeline: Founded in 2012, scaling operations in the 2020s.

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