At Caplugs, we've made the protection of products our business for over 75 years. Most recently, we’ve expanded our protection efforts to focus on the planet and those who live on it, with The Protective Promise. As we celebrate Earth Day, we're excited to share the progress we, along with our parent company Protective Industries, have made in our ongoing commitment to sustainability and social initiatives.
In 2024, we made the decision to switch from manual carbon tracking to an online reporting system, to see where we are at and where we need to go with our sustainability efforts. We're proud to state we’ve successfully created a model to reach a 5% annual reduction in our carbon emissions, a commitment we're not just looking to meet, but exceed in the years ahead.
To help further bolster our sustainability and social efforts, we’re implementing or following several operational systems including Product Carbon Footprint (PCF), European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
When we set our 2024 sustainability goals, we aimed high. We weren’t just looking to make a dent in our carbon footprint, we wanted to make an impact that could be seen throughout our facilities and improve the lives of our employees and neighbors.
Our target goal for the year was a 900 MtCO2e (metric tons of carbon) reduction. Thanks to a mix of facility upgrades, smarter energy use and more efficient waste management, we didn’t just hit that mark, we blew right past it. By the end of the year, we cut 1,118.5 metric tons of carbon, a 5.9% drop in our overall carbon footprint—from 18,787.3 to 17,668.8 metric tons.
A big part of that success came from two standout facilities: Rancho Dominguez, Calif. and Tampere, Finland, who are now running on 100% renewable energy.
Across all operations, scope 1 emissions (direct emissions) are down 1.4%, scope 2 (energy use) are down 5.78% and scope 3 (indirect emissions like disposal & logistics) are down 26.4%.
A closer look at how several of our facilities contributed in 2024 can be seen below:
We saw a strong reduction in emissions across our U.S. operations. As mentioned above, Rancho Dominguez made the switch to 100% renewable energy, which helped bring our U.S. carbon footprint down to 8,061.8 metric tons (from 8,571.5). Scope 1 emissions saw a slight 1.2% decrease, while scope 2 dropped 8.7%.
Our Europe team made one of the biggest leaps. As mentioned previously, our Tampere, Finland facility moved to 100% renewable energy, which nearly eliminated their carbon emissions (from 55.3 down to just 0.4 metric tons). That’s about as close to net zero as it gets, and it helped drop the region’s total footprint from 626.4 to 448.1 metric tons of carbon. Scope 1 emissions decreased by 17.8%, scope 2 were reduced by 32.5% and scope 3 decreased by 3.6% compared to 2023.
In Asia, we’re on the right path. Our total footprint dropped to 4,113.5 metric tons (from 4,251.1). Scope 1 emissions remained at zero (0), scope 2 were down 3.2%, and scope 3 was down a remarkable 65.8%. We’ve got our sights set on sourcing 20% of our Jintan, China facility’s energy from renewables in 2025 to keep that momentum going.
Medbio’s numbers also improved, with carbon emissions reduced to 5,190.8 metric tons (from 5,338.4). While heating demands caused scope 1 emissions to tick up a bit, we made up for it with a 2.1% drop in scope 2 and a huge 40.7% drop in scope 3 emissions. That win came from improving our recycling operations and fine-tuning waste streams.
While all facilities are at zero waste to landfill when it comes to hazardous waste, we’ve highlighted five facilities currently at zero waste to landfill for non-hazardous waste, including:
Data from 2022-2023 identified several facilities to focus on waste reduction activities. With that data, we set a target of 25% reduction for each facility by the end of 2025.
Progress from 2024 can be seen below:
Upgrading our equipment continues to be one of the most effective ways we’re cutting energy use. In 2024, we replaced 6% of our injection molding machines with newer, more efficient models. At our Rancho Dominguez facility, we made another big move, converting a vinyl line from natural gas to electric heat. Since that site now runs on 100% renewable energy, the switch made a direct impact on lowering our footprint.
While these changes may seem small on their own, together they’ve helped us significantly cut energy use and move closer to our long-term carbon reduction targets. Since 2022, we’ve already reduced natural gas use in our vinyl dip operations by 23%.
Water conservation isn’t just good practice, it’s a necessity. This is especially true for our Rancho Dominguez facility, located in a high-risk water region. In 2024, we installed machine-specific recirculating cooling systems on our vinyl dip lines, cutting water withdrawal by 27%.
Looking ahead, we’re rolling out Stage 2 of this initiative in 2025, with a central cooling system planned to support both vinyl dip and molding lines. It’s another step forward in reducing our water footprint across the board.
Across the company, we’ve made it a priority to reduce waste and give materials a second life wherever possible.
Tri-Star Protectors has continued to expand its role in driving product circularity within the oil and gas industry. What started as a recovery and reconditioning program has grown into a full-circle system that keeps materials in use and out of landfills. At rig sites across the U.S., we place dedicated recovery bins to collect discarded protectors directly at the source. Once full, these bins are transported to our New Caney, Tex. facility, where the protectors are carefully sorted by size and condition to determine their next step. From there, protectors follow one of three recycling paths. If they’re still in good shape, they’re cleaned, inspected, and returned to the market as reconditioned products for the oil and gas industry. Protectors that are too damaged for reuse are processed into clean, post-consumer grade regrind material that’s used in molding applications. And for those made from a mix of steel and plastic, we work with secondary scrap dealers to break them down into raw materials, ensuring they’re kept out of the landfill and put back into productive use.
Thanks to this process, 2,121 metric tons of material were kept out of landfills in 2024 alone. And as more protectors are reintroduced as reconditioned or regrind material, we’re seeing a steady decrease in the amount that needs composite recycling—our least preferred path from both a sustainability and economic perspective.
Furthermore, we made major headway in waste reduction across all operations in 2024. Our landfill diversion rate jumped from 77.6% to 84.9%, reflecting a significant shift in how we manage materials across our facilities. In total, we diverted 257.7 metric tons of waste from landfills, while our global landfill waste decreased by 128.9 metric tons—a clear indicator that our efforts to improve recycling and material recovery are paying off.
Another way we’re making progress on sustainability is by bringing manufacturing closer to home. Through onshoring and reshoring initiatives with our customer base, we’re cutting down on the emissions tied to long-distance shipping and overseas freight.
Onshoring also opens the door to greener supply chains overall. With manufacturing operations closer to end users, there’s greater flexibility to produce on demand, which helps minimize overproduction and excess inventory.
Caplugs and Protective Industries completed our third EcoVadis assessment to date in 2024, improving our raw score from 43 to 60, while moving from the 27th to 68th percentile in their assessment, earning Protective Industries a bronze medal rating. Additionally, an initial Climate Disclosure Project (CDP) submission was undertaken with a rating of ‘B’ for climate and ‘B-’ for water security.
At Caplugs, we know that injection molding, vinyl dipping, and extrusion all rely heavily on electricity. That’s why we’re reviewing all current energy systems and exploring cleaner, renewable sources to power our production facilities.
Our goal is clear—a minimum 5% annual reduction in carbon emissions, driven by smarter equipment, electrification, and expanding our renewable energy footprint.
As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability, the Erie facility will secure 75% renewable energy for its next electrical contract in June 2025. This is an important step toward reducing our environmental impact and enhancing our energy efficiency.
We’re also focused on material sustainability. Since 2022, we’ve increased our use of post-consumer content by 42%, and we’ve recently qualified a 40% post-consumer LDPE as a new offering for our customers.
As a company rooted in protection, Earth Day is more than a date on the calendar, it’s a reminder of the responsibility we carry every day. Through The Protective Promise, we’re building a better future for our employees, our customers and the world we all share.
Want to learn more about our sustainability efforts? Contact us today to explore how our environmentally responsible practices can help you meet your sustainability goals while protecting your valuable products.