Focus.
We consider ourselves responsible for what surrounds us. We therefore demonstrate our respective commitment in the countries where our products originate from. There, a team of 20 CR experts is available to all of the companies we hold shares in. Our CR staff ensure compliance with social standards at the various stages of the supply chain and continuously work on a reduction of the environmental impact, as illustrated by the G. Güldenpfennig GmbH example below.
Raw materials, yarn manufacture, weaving/knitting
Our team’s activities:
Material testing for harmful substances
To ensure that our products do not contain harmful substances, we not only test the finished products. Our teams already take samples from ongoing material production runs if they involve material types that inherently harbour an increased respective risk and send them off to a laboratory to be tested.
Additional external audits/checks through independent institutes:
Chemical material testing for harmful substances
Standards
Standards that apply to an increasing share of our products with eco-friendly fabrics:
Dyeing, washing, coating
Our team’s activities:
Chemical management audits (CMA)
Our teams regularly visit production facilities that specialise in wet production processes (e.g. garment dyeing and washing) in order to carry out a chemical management audit (CMA), which focuses on the factory’s environmental and chemical management. For example, they check whether all of the chemicals and auxiliary substances are registered and whether the factory keeps a record of their use. The CMA result is important for the assessment of how environmentally friendly a factory is and its potential for improvements. The results are taken into consideration when it comes to deciding whether a factory is approved as a production facility.
Chemical inventory checks (CIC)
Our teams maintain a database for the production facilities that specialise in wet production processes with the chemicals used at each factory and check whether there are accompanying documents such as safety data sheets or certificates for all chemicals. The database provides an important basis for the substitution of individual chemicals with more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Sewage sludge and waste water testing
Not only our local teams in the production countries make an important contribution; our efforts in our main country of operations, Germany, also contribute to transparency and to the reduction of the environmental impact of our supply chain. Our “Chemicals and Supply Chain coordinators” record the entire supply chain for our products. In addition, they check whether all of the production facilities that specialise in wet production processes can present a valid sewage sludge and waste water test report (that is not older than twelve months) compiled by an independent testing company. The use of banned chemicals or the exceeding of limit values are potential reasons for the termination of our business relationship.
Environmental compliance supplier training
Together with external experts, our teams carry out training courses and sessions in selected factories that contribute to firmly embedding an awareness of the complex issue of environmentally friendly production and the responsible use of chemicals in the factories. If a production facility that specialises in wet production processes is not willing to develop further into a more environmentally friendly factory, we will in future no longer collaborate with this facility.
Additional audits and checks:
Chemical management audits (CMA)
Sewage sludge and waste water analysis
Cutting, sewing, quality control, packing
Our team’s activities:
Social monitoring audits
Our local social compliance teams regularly carry out their own audits on the basis of the amfori BSCI auditing standards in the production facilities. They focus particularly on identifying respective deficiencies in the factory.
Help with rectifying the deficiencies
Our local teams help the factories to rectify the deficiencies identified in the course of our social monitoring or external amfori BSCI audits.
Social compliance supplier training
We regularly host trainings in the production countries where we train our producers in all aspects of responsible production, discuss this issue with them and raise their awareness.
Additional external audits/checks through independent institutes:
amfori BSCI audits
Chemical material testing for harmful substances of the finished products
Memberships
