Industrial sustainability: companies facing profound changes

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Access to recycled raw material sources and increasing importance of sustainability for employee recruitment as top challenges

Today, industrial companies are undergoing a fundamental transformation towards greater sustainability – among other things, through rapid digitalisation, increasing transparency and the development of an integrated circular economy. In many fields, they are doing pioneering work for a sustainable future. The Sustainable Turn 2025 study by ROI-EFESO and RecycleMe provides an overview of current trends in the field of industrial sustainability and offers insights into the topics that move decision-makers in the industry.

“We don’t see one single path to sustainability, but rather – depending on the business model and industry context – very different challenges and approaches to solutions,” explains Sebastian Diers, Managing Partner ROI-EFESO Germany. “With the study, we show what moves industrial companies on their way to a sustainable future.”

Three developments that industrial companies are currently reckoning with

Based on 13 theses about industry in 2025, which were developed together with industry experts, the study offers insights into the scenarios the industry is facing. Among other things, the decision-makers expect…

• …that companies that want to remain competitive will have to integrate the UN’s sustainability goals in a comprehensive strategic way.
• …that a sustainable business philosophy massively increases the chances of recruiting and retaining young talents in the long term.
• …that secure access to recycling raw material sources becomes a strategic competitive advantage

“As differently as the opportunities and risks of individual developments are assessed, the basic understanding of the companies is unanimous that the industrial future must be rethought,” Dr. Kai Magenheimer, partner at ROI-EFESO, summarises the results. “In this context, the success of the Sustainable Turn depends significantly on the integration of sustainability into the strategic orientation of the company and consistent end-to-end operationalisation.”

Sabrina Goebel, General Manager of RecycleMe in Germany, sees the results of the study as a confirmation of her teams work: “It is very good to see that manufacturing companies recognise the importance of sustainable business models. Especially in the areas of circular economy and recycling, there is currently a lot of movement on all level – in the market, in legislation and also in the consumption behaviour of consumers.

Explorative study design

Decision-makers at the top two management levels of manufacturing companies were interviewed for the study. The range of companies includes the food & beverage, mechanical engineering and consumer goods sectors, from medium-sized companies to international corporations. All respondents take a leadership role in the transformation. The respondents evaluated the formulated theses in terms of probability of occurrence and impact on their company and were able to add how their organisations are preparing for the developments.

You can access the study here: Download study