MASHINIi

Univar Solutions Inc..

UNVR.US | Wholesale of waste and scrap and other products n.e.c.

Univar Solutions Inc. is a global distributor of specialty chemicals and ingredients. The company provides a wide range of products and services to various industries, including coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers (CASE), food and beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical, and industrial clea...Show More

Ethical Profile

Mixed.

Univar Solutions Inc. presents a mixed ethical profile. Critics point to a 2022-2023 UK gender pay gap where women earned 94p for every £1 earned by men in median hourly pay, and 80p for every £1 in median bonus pay. Reports also suggest potential safety issues related to handling caustic chemicals and concerns about job security. The company has faced environmental compliance issues, settling with the EPA for hazardous waste violations and chemical-accident prevention requirements. On the positive side, Univar Solutions has reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 26% and water waste by 36% from a baseline year. They've assessed 69.1% of suppliers by spend for sustainability and reported no instances of child or forced labor in Canada in 2023. Efforts are underway to increase renewable energy use and hazardous waste reduction.

Value Scores

Better Health for All-20
-100100
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity0
-100100
Fair Pay & Worker Respect30
-100100
Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing-20
-100100
Honest & Fair Business-40
-100100
Kind to Animals0
-100100
No War, No Weapons0
-100100
Planet-Friendly Business-50
-100100
Respect for Cultures & Communities40
-100100
Safe & Smart Tech0
-100100
Zero Waste & Sustainable Products-40
-100100

Better Health for All

-20

Univar Solutions has demonstrated comprehensive remediation efforts for indirect health effects from its operations. The company reduced Scope 1 and 2 absolute emissions by 26%, total significant releases by 24%, hazardous waste by 10%, and water waste by 36%.

1
As a distributor of ingredients, the company's operations do not involve holding healthcare-related patents or conducting clinical trials, making these KPIs not applicable.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

0

Univar Solutions Inc. is a global distributor of specialty chemicals and ingredients. The ethical value 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity' is designed to assess financial institutions that lend, insure, move, or store money and democratize access to fair financial services for external customers. Based on the company's core business, it does not offer financial products or services to external consumers. Therefore, all KPIs related to consumer financial services, such as underserved client share, pricing fairness, and exploitative fee exposure, are not applicable. While the company engages in general community support, employee benefits (like 401k plans), and internal diversity initiatives, these do not fall under the scope of financial inclusion or economic opportunity for external customers as defined by the rubric's KPIs.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

30

Univar Solutions reported a Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR) of 0.36 in 2024, marking its second-best performance on record and falling below its 2025 target of 0.38.

1
The company also increased its employee engagement Index score to 80.
2
For its UK entity, as of April 5, 2022, women's median hourly pay was 94p for every £1 earned by men, and women's median bonus pay was 80p for every £1 earned by men.
3

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

-20

Univar Solutions has ethical sourcing clauses covering 54.4% of its supplier spend.

1
The company issued its Global Supplier Code of Conduct to all targeted suppliers by the end of 2023.
2
Additionally, 69.1% of suppliers by spend were assessed via EcoVadis.
3

Honest & Fair Business

-40

Univar Solutions has a Compliance and Ethics Alertline, indicating the presence of a policy and a reporting channel

1
. However, there is no evidence provided regarding independent investigation processes for reports made through this alertline.

Kind to Animals

0

While some articles mention that Univar Colour, a subsidiary, does not conduct animal testing on its pigments and dyes, this information is not presented as applicable to the entire global operations or product portfolio of Univar Solutions Inc.

1
The articles primarily focus on general ESG metrics, product catalogs, or specific market trends without providing measurable data on animal welfare, cruelty-free certifications, alternative testing usage, ethical ingredient substitution, or supplier audits related to animal welfare for the company as a whole.

No War, No Weapons

0

No specific, concrete data points were found in the provided articles that are relevant to any of the 'No War, No Weapons' KPIs. The articles discuss general supply chain management and federal contract history without providing details on arms contracts, dual-use technology, sales to embargoed regimes, or any other metrics related to military involvement or peacebuilding initiatives.

1

Planet-Friendly Business

-50

The company recorded multiple environmental compliance violations. In 2021, it settled claims for three hazardous waste law violations at one facility, incurring a $134,386 penalty.

1
Additionally, between 2016 and 2019, the company settled with the EPA for violations of chemical-accident prevention requirements and Toxic Release Inventory recordkeeping at five facilities, resulting in $600,000 in penalties and a $200,000 supplemental environmental project.
2
In 2022, 10.29% of all electricity used was sourced from renewables.
3
By the end of 2024, the non-hazardous waste diversion rate increased to 34%.
4

Respect for Cultures & Communities

40

Univar Solutions has a grievance mechanism accessible to all affected parties, which is aligned with the RSPO's Complaints System.

1
The company requires annual Code Handbook training for all employees, covering diversity, equity, and inclusion.
2
Univar Solutions engages 180 cooperatives for Shea Butter, which are local community groups acting as suppliers.
3
The company also works with three distinct local community groups (Shea Butter women, Argan Oil women, and Coconut Oil farmers) under Fair For Life certification, involving them in decisions regarding the use of Fair Trade funds.
4
There are no reported cultural appropriation incidents.

Safe & Smart Tech

0

Univar Solutions demonstrates a very strong regulatory compliance program, evidenced by its use of Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) and Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) for international data transfers, alongside a commitment to national and international privacy laws.

1
The company also shows good data minimization practices by explicitly stating it does not collect geo-location data
2
and sets cookie retention periods from session-end up to one year.
3
For encryption, Secure Socket Layers (SSL) are used for some password-protected areas of its websites.
4
The company has no documented incidents of unauthorized data use and describes standard data governance practices. Users are provided with industry-standard controls over their personal data, including rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, transfer, and object to processing.
5

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

-40

Univar Solutions increased its general waste recycled rate to 19.21 percent.

1
The company reduced hazardous waste by 16.51 percent
2
and water waste by 34.64 percent,
3
surpassing its 15 percent reduction target for both.
4
It also operates a ChemCare program that reclaims and reuses millions of pounds of spent isopropanol annually.
5
The company has set a target to triple non-hazardous waste recycling rates by 2025
6
and reported no waste disposal violations.
7
Univar Solutions communicates ESG expectations to all product suppliers via a Global Supplier Code of Conduct,
8
with 100 percent of active suppliers agreeing to it by 2023,
9
and aims to assess 80 percent of suppliers on sustainability performance by 2025.
10
Additionally, the company offers comprehensive waste management services to manufacturers, including environmental reporting and data-driven KPIs.
11

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AI-generated analysis based on publicly available data. Not financial advice. Ratings are expressions of opinion derived from automated models and may contain inaccuracies. See our Risk Disclosure for full details.