Papeterie Le Bourray: from Silver to Gold EcoVadis, with an expert outside perspective

Papeterie Le Bourray, papermaking expertise for tableware since 1844

Founded in 1844, Papeterie Le Bourray produces paper for a wide range of applications: tableware (its specialty), hygiene and medical uses, as well as technical uses such as automotive filtration. Half of its customers are in France, the other half mostly across Europe, with exports to some forty countries.

Its recognized strength is color: mass-dyed paper made with approved food-grade colorants, since these papers end up on tables. This regulatory requirement translates into a strong certification culture, with a broad range of ISO standards (9001, 14001, 45001, 50001).

In 2019, the mill was taken over by Céline and François Bourdin, then customers of the mill through their paper-napkin converting business, saving around 120 jobs. Now part of a family-owned industrial group, the mill has since benefited from a major investment program (including the recent replacement of a key drying component, now more energy-efficient) and employs around 140 people today.

A CSR commitment rooted in the group's DNA, long before the frameworks

At Papeterie Le Bourray, responsibility didn't come from market pressure: it's part of the group's history. As early as the 1950s, the parent company, Manufacture de l'Éphémère (formerly CGMP), collected used paper and turned it into new products, in a logic of circularity and proximity. The mill and its main converter have been located fifteen kilometers apart since the 1970s.

This culture shows in how the site is run: located near a river, it recycles its process water many times over, treats it both on intake and discharge through its own treatment plant, and monitors its discharges. Add to this the group's membership in the United Nations Global Compact and its Sustainable Development Goals.

When she joined in 2023, Carine Réveil, the group's Communications Director, launched a first engagement report, starting from a simple observation: the company was already doing a lot, but never talked about it. The EcoVadis assessment is a continuation of that effort: a tool seen as structuring, one that holds you to account and lets you measure yourself in order to progress, beyond communication alone.

Showcasing and structuring a real CSR approach

Papeterie Le Bourray was already doing things well. The challenge wasn't to start from scratch, but to structure and showcase a rich existing base, while dealing with concrete constraints.

Support teams already in high demand

The CSR approach is led by an HR and QHSE duo, backed by Procurement. These functions are already heavily mobilized: 140 people working 7 days a week in 5x8 shifts, dense regulatory monitoring, ISO audits and certifications to maintain. While certifications fall within their scope, the EcoVadis assessment goes beyond it: extra time that is hard to carve out.

A need for strategic clarity on the scoring

Like other mid-sized companies, the mill saw its EcoVadis results alternate between Gold and Silver. The challenge: understanding the scoring logic to stabilize the level and know where to focus efforts.

A platform and expert support to structure without spending all your time on it

To meet these challenges, Papeterie Le Bourray relied on Ditto's platform and support, with Inès as its dedicated point of contact. The engagement was built around four pillars.

1. Mapping and consolidating the documentation base

The most structuring, and most time-consuming, step was mapping the existing documentation base. On the Ditto platform, the teams uploaded their documents; Inès validated them or sent back items that needed updating. A good opportunity to spot what had not been refreshed in a fast-moving company.

2. A steady cadence, from monthly to weekly

The pace ramped up as the submission approached, from a monthly touchpoint to a weekly video call, complemented by emails to quickly unblock sticking points. A project method that helped the teams know what to do, and in what order.

3. Strategic trade-offs on the score

Beyond execution, Ditto brought strategic clarity: choosing your battles. On topics that were not mature yet, it was better to hold off without losing many points, and come back to them the following year. Advice that allowed the company to make informed trade-offs.

4. The support of the platform and AI

Rated intuitive and quick to learn, the platform centralized document uploads, analysis and the generation of new files, for example a single template to harmonize policies and charters, without wasting time on formatting. AI does the groundwork; the teams keep control of review and validation.

From a Silver to a Gold medal, and momentum spread across the whole group

The results speak for themselves: Papeterie Le Bourray moved from a Silver to a Gold EcoVadis medal, with a score of 83/100 and a 13-point improvement in a single cycle. The company built and filed its submission on time, with a documentation base finally mapped and streamlined. The customer's takeaway: the essentials were already there; all that was missing was support to structure them and go after the right levers.

Clarity, trade-offs, and a path to improve

The company gained visibility on how to progress: a review of improvement areas was formalized for the next assessment, and now serves as a roadmap displayed internally.

A ripple effect across the whole group

The momentum started at the mill spread to the group's other entities, driven by synergies between the QHSE, HR and Procurement leads. Manufacture de l'Éphémère saw its Gold medal renewed, while a production unit of a third entity earned a Platinum medal on its very first assessment. Another group entity is currently underway.

CSR as a lever with suppliers

Building on these results, the teams now use their approach as a lever with their suppliers (a responsible purchasing charter, and eventually an assessment questionnaire) to bring the whole chain along.

Looking ahead

For Papeterie Le Bourray, the assessment is not an end in itself but a foundation. Internally, the approach already mobilizes all support functions (HR, QHSE, Procurement, down to IT) in a culture of continuous improvement typical of industry. Externally, it becomes a requirement toward suppliers, invited to commit in turn.

The choice of a project-mode organization, supported by Ditto, is paying off: it backs teams that are already experts in their fields, while keeping a strategic view and an outside perspective. An approach the group intends to pursue, entity after entity.