Sustainable rubber: from plantation challenges to certified solutions

Sustainability

Natural rubber is considered a renewable resource. In many supply chains, however, a crucial question arises: Is it possible to verify where it comes from and under what conditions it was grown and produced?

For global companies, traceability is the biggest challenge. That is why, in 2025, tesa placed greater emphasis on responsible sourcing, mapped its entire natural rubber supply chain, and increased the proportion of PEFC-certified partners.

With more than 800 suppliers worldwide for all materials and components, tesa operates within a complex international network that connects raw material producers, processors, and manufacturers. This scale presents both challenges and opportunities: While it can be difficult to track the sourcing and processing of materials across regions and regulatory frameworks, it also enables us to enforce higher sustainability standards in the industries in which we operate. In 2025, we took decisive steps to strengthen the supply of more sustainable, PEFC-certified natural rubber for our adhesive tapes.

Renewable and flexible – but sometimes problematic

By 2030,

we aim to allocate 80 percent of our direct spending to suppliers who meet our sustainability standards – that is, who have an EcoVadis score of at least 45 points.

Natural rubber has clear advantages. It is renewable, flexible, and, thanks to its long polymer chains, very durable. However, its cultivation and processing are also associated with risks such as deforestation, loss of biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, and poor working conditions.

At tesa, responsible sourcing is a priority for all raw materials. Our goal is clear: We strive for more responsible and sustainable sourcing. To achieve this, our teams work closely with suppliers around the world to ensure fair working conditions, respect for human rights, and environmental protection.

Certification as a tool for responsible sourcing

Ein Arbeiter gewinnt flüssigen Kautschuk für tesa-Klebeband aus einem Baum, dargestellt innerhalb der großen Ziffern 95 %. — More than 95% of the natural rubber we purchase now comes from PEFC-certified partners.

Certifications play an important role in making these efforts measurable. They help create transparency and identify suppliers who share our commitment to responsible business practices.

Natural rubber is an example of an area where this approach is already yielding tangible results. By the end of 2025, we will have successfully mapped the entire direct supply chain for this raw material, and more than 95% of the natural rubber we purchase now comes from PEFC-certified partners.

PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is one of the world’s leading systems for verifying responsible forestry and procurement practices. Its criteria include traceability, social responsibility, working conditions, human rights, environmental protection, and sustainable forest management. To obtain certification, suppliers must provide transparent documentation and undergo audits by accredited, independent third-party organizations.

Collaborating on improvements on the ground

To accelerate the transition to more sustainable natural rubber, tesa has established close partnerships with suppliers. Close collaboration and regular contact with our partners help create transparency throughout the supply chain and address challenges early on. This approach also helps us monitor compliance with guidelines on the ground and strengthen our collaboration with farmers and processors. Striving toward a common goal creates a win-win situation: We ensure responsible sourcing while supporting continuous improvements across the entire industry.

Close collaboration with our suppliers is key to ensuring that more responsible sourcing becomes the standard across our entire value chain.

Paulo de Andrade Ruiz,

Team Lead Sustainable Procurement

These joint efforts are at the heart of our approach to supply chain responsibility for all raw materials, products, and services we source globally. The progress made with natural rubber in 2025 now serves as a blueprint for our approach in other material categories.

Natural Rubber Extrusion (NRE)

tesa® NRE is our patented natural rubber extrusion technology, which enables us to manufacture high-performance natural rubber adhesive tapes without using solvents in the coating process. Compared to conventional solvent-based technologies, NRE can reduce energy consumption in production by up to 55%.

Learn more here (opens in a new window or tab) about tesa® NRE and its benefits.

We do: Source responsibly

We want to ensure that fair working conditions, human rights and environmental protection are upheld along the supply chain. To this end, we plan to use certifications, get involved in associations and assess suppliers. In the long term, we aim to achieve 100% responsible and sustainable sourcing for all of our raw materials. We want to ensure that fair working conditions, human rights and environmental protection are upheld along the supply chain. To this end, we plan to use certifications, get involved in associations and assess suppliers. In the long term, we aim to achieve 100% responsible and sustainable sourcing for all of our raw materials.

Last updated on Oct 21, 2026