Among the tools that have spread globally to measure the 'sustainability' of an organisation, Ecovadis is one of those that has established itself most rapidly and is becoming increasingly coveted as a benchmark for printing companies. Ecovadis, is the first collaborative online platform to help companies monitor their own sustainability but also that of their suppliers, through internationally recognised methodological standards applicable to 200 sectors in over 175 countries. Ecovadis measures the performance of organisations in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by analysing the quality of their management system and thus their policies, actions taken and results achieved.

Ecovadis' methodology is based on seven principles, including: the collection of concrete evidence, such as certifications, policies, reports, etc.; diversification of sources contributing to the assessment; assessment by international experts based on sustainability best practices; transparency and traceability of documents analysed; continuous improvement of the methodology subject to quality control and open to stakeholder suggestions.

The Ecovadis model integrates several tools and standards, recognised globally, and is based on an audit questionnaire divided into the following areas: environment; employment and human rights; ethics; sustainable procurement. In this way it includes the issues included in the ESG criteria that are increasingly becoming part of the development strategies of print service providers.

While it is true that Italian Ecovadis-certified printing companies include large corporations, this standard is also widespread among SMEs that have decided to include sustainability in their mission and vision. In order to facilitate the latter who do not have a 'sustainability manager' or 'HSE manager' with a complete view of the company's activities to be able to fill in the entire questionnaire, Ecovadis allows for multiple 'compilers' for specific areas, facilitating the collection system and making the result clearer and more collaborative.

Once the questionnaire has been completed and the required evidence has been attached, Ecovadis formulates the final score by publishing a 'Scorecard' on the portal page dedicated to the company, which is awarded an 'Ecovadis Medal' (bronze, silver, gold or platinum). For each thematic area, Ecovadis also highlights strengths and areas for improvement where companies can take action to improve their position. One of the strengths of Ecovadis is that it is easier to assess existing and potential suppliers, and to choose those that are most attentive to sustainability issues.