Sustainability

Sustainability

Responsible vision

There are many challenges in being part of the textile industry, both in terms of complex supply chains and significant environmental challenges. In Becksöndergaard, we are conscious to take these challenges seriously and make sure that sustainable business processes are our guide to growth. Our responsible efforts are grounded in the UN Global Compact’s 10 principles, which are based on internationally recognized principles on human rights, labour rights, environmental protection and anti-corruption.

It is a fundamental top priority for us to build long-term business relationships with our suppliers. We create unique and long-lasting products in close partnerships with our suppliers. Here, our relationships are crucial to constantly improve and promote compliance with Becksöndergaard’s corporate responsibility policies.

For Becksöndergaard, responsibility is about building a business that recognizes both its impact on and responsibility towards the environment, employees, customers and the people who are making our products. Responsibility is about pro-actively changing procedures and mind-sets together and seeking transparency with our suppliers. We strive to make a positive difference, not only to get better at what we do, but to contribute to sustainable development.

Responsible production

Becksöndergaard does not own any factories. However, we choose our suppliers and production countries carefully and we bear the responsibility to continuously provide our suppliers with CR competencies on how to promote decent working conditions for the people who are involved in the production of our products.

We believe creating close relationships with our suppliers, does not only foster further transparency of our supply chain, it also supports our possibility to communicate and achieve mutual understanding of the importance and value of working with Human and Labour Rights. Therefore, the majority of our production is placed among a small number of main suppliers that have worked with us for several years.

Our suppliers’ production facilities are based in China, India, Turkey and Italy.

Responsible environment

We believe the best and most effective way of achieving long-term results in the work of avoiding harmful chemicals is to provide our suppliers with further knowledge and enable capacity building within this field.

Together with our suppliers, we work actively with a list of prohibited and limit value of chemicals that everyone must sign and comply with. The list is based on EU’s chemical regulation REACH and is frequently updated with more stringent prohibitions. The proactive work with chemicals is validated with tests made by external third parties, and are one part of our assessment work, where we, together with our suppliers, are able to identify risks and areas to improve.

Responsible animal welfare

Together with our suppliers, we work to promote animal welfare and traceability.

We do not accept:

- Merino wool from sheep where mule sing has been used
- The use of hides from farms that are located in areas where rainforests have been cut down to make room for farms
- The use of angora wool or angora wool blend yarns 
- The use of animals, which are on the CITES
  (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) list of endangered species 

Furthermore, for our eelskin products, we only use skins that are bi-products from the food industry.

Responsible materials

In Becksöndergaard, we have a history of working largely with natural fibers like cotton, silk and wool in our scarf productions. Silk and wool are durable fibers, produced without extensive numbers of chemicals during the raw material production.

For each Becksöndergaard collection, we produce a selection of styles made in organic or recycled materials as well as bags in vegetable dyed leather.