Russia’s leading producer of polymers and rubbers, SIBUR, has wrapped up its previous five-year sustainability plan and revealed fresh targets for the period from 2025 to 2029.
Looking ahead to 2030, the company is determined to recycle a minimum of 600,000 tonnes of plastic waste. This will be achieved through a combination of its own projects and partnerships, including expanding contract manufacturing to handle a variety of plastic types. Notably, SIBUR surpassed its 2024 recycling goal by processing 111,000 tonnes of polymer waste, exceeding the target of 100,000 tonnes.
SIBUR also intends to boost its annual production of sustainable products—those created with lower greenhouse gas emissions or incorporating recycled or bio-based materials—to 400,000 tonnes over the next five years. For context, the company produced 287,000 tonnes of such products in 2024.
“Polymers are becoming an essential element in the global energy transition and green economy; their role in reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency is only growing,” said Nadezhda Galaktionova, Head of Sustainability and Climate Solutions at SIBUR. “That’s why we were the first company in Russia to make increasing revenue from sustainable product sales a specific financial target in our ESG strategy.”
Among the company’s bold plans is the advancement and scaling of chemical recycling technologies for mixed plastics, known as thermolysis. This cutting-edge method is expected to make a significant difference in how plastic waste is managed across Russia.
SIBUR is also aiming to reach carbon neutrality at two additional sites within the next five years. This will be achieved through enhanced energy efficiency, the purchase of green electricity, and the use of carbon units. Under the previous strategy, the company’s SIBUR-PETF plant in the Tver region became the country’s first carbon-neutral production facility.
By 2030, the firm plans to cut its greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of product by 10% compared with 2024 figures and to support at least two climate projects based on natural ecosystems. During the last strategy period, SIBUR verified over three million carbon units from climate initiatives at its facilities and planted upwards of five million trees.
The new plan also sets a target to reduce water consumption for operational needs by 10%. Additionally, SIBUR aims to raise the proportion of women in engineering and production roles to at least 30% by 2030, alongside providing extra support for working mothers.
With these goals, SIBUR is positioning itself at the forefront of sustainable industry practices in Russia, continuing its efforts to balance industrial growth with environmental responsibility.
