Sustainability Statement | HAGS Global

Inspiring all generations

In fact, our brand promise statement, ‘Inspiring all generations’, provides a pivotal focus for all the good intentions that our international family of employees consider each day when they arrive at work.

Our ‘why’ is about shaping a better world for our customers, employees and the communities that benefit from the products and services we provide. But how?

Firstly, we aim to create products that bring communities together. Play Equipment that helps young minds and bodies develop; Sports & Fitness Equipment that encourages the inactive become active; and Park & Urban Furniture that inspires people to spend more time outdoors together.

Secondly, we want to prove that there shouldn’t ever be any conflict between economic growth and protecting the environment. We have ambitious plans to grow, and our business strategy is fueled by some exciting commercial, customer & people initiatives with sustainability underpinning all of them.

We don’t have all the answers yet and we know we’re not perfect. We know we only exist because you choose to buy from us, but we want to be a great business that combines innovative products, fair prices, and exceptional service with responsibility. We have faith that our small steps and fundamental belief in ‘friluftsliv’ (open air living) will help us build a truly sustainable business.

Mark Hoskins EMEA Managing Director

As a business that’s been around for over 70 years, we know how important it is to look to the future.

Green from the word go!

Our approach to the products we provide is not a game. It’s an entire science. HAGS has provided children, young people, and adults all around the world with opportunities to play, exercise and have fun since 1948.

When we describe our products, we always highlight how they can create a moment of joy and how they can be an almost unbeatable education tool. But the way we think about our products doesn’t stop there. We also focused on their technical benefits, the high quality and unique design and have done so for over seven decades.

We think about the materials we use and the manufacturing processes that we deploy, and this can be evidenced in product ranges such as UniPlay developed in the 1980’s that is available in both FSC certified Nordic Pine and Durable Steel.

PLAY, EXERCISE & FUN since 1948

Sustainability Principles

Sustainability has become a crucial topic in the climate changes we are currently facing. Creating a sustainable future is embedded into our mission to transform our business and create long-term, profitable growth without impacting the environment.

By building on the 3 sustainability pillars of environmental, social, economical and involving customers, employees, and stakeholders, we have developed a framework to define the principles that will underpin all our sustainability efforts:

Maintain respect for our PLANET

Design PRODUCTS that support a circular economy

Build a better business around our PEOPLE

Give back to COMMUNITIES

Work with a SUPPLY CHAIN we believe in

Naturally, transparency will be a core component for HAGS going forward as the sustainability space becomes increasingly crowded, therefore, we have taken the step to incorporate the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards into our sustainability efforts to enhance our reporting in the future.

Respect our PLANET

Scientists agree that the planet is warming up faster than ever because of the vast amount of greenhouse gases that humans are pumping into the atmosphere. This includes activities such as burning fossil fuels, driving cars and cutting down forests.

Many of us have seen – and even experienced –the effects of climate change. It is not just about extreme weather, such as floods, droughts, and hurricanes, but also slower and less noticeable changes in our climate have the potential to completely alter the way we live.

We all have a part to play. Climate change is a global problem, which can affect each one of us. We all share one planet and the changes we make in one place can affect others further away. Our behaviour and actions have a lasting impression, like a footprint.

Through our actions and choices, each one of us can take steps to leave smaller footprints and help tackle climate change. We seek to minimise the impact that our operations have on the environment without compromising performance or quality.

Reducing the amount of energy we consume is a big project for our business, we have already started to change our lighting to energy savings are being monitored.

Within our production plant in Poland, we have implemented the following to help reduce our overall energy consumption:

Turning the lights during lunch breaks on production areas.

Fluorescent lamps in the offices replaced

LED lighting in warehouse area (174 LED lamps already installed).

In Sweden, a country known for its ambitious sustainability goals, we have already begun to utilise renewable energy from wind power in both the warehouse and office building.

Returning warm air in the furnace on powder paint line – savings ~300 m3/ week (24%).

Transportation

The delivery of our products is provided with the help of our transport partners. As leaders in their sector, they have already set ambitious goals in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs Agenda 2030) and Climate Neutrality by 2050.

Internally, we divide transportation into business traveling (public transport, company cars, etc.) and transportation of materials/ products within our warehouses.

Transportation within our warehouses in Poland and Sweden is carried out by electrical forklift, electrical trucks and electrical pallet trollies. The warehouse is organised with easy access and the layout is designed with the shortest route from raw material to delivery, to minimise the transportation route.

In Sweden we already installed charging stations for electrical vehicles to support our employees and visitors owning electric vehicles. In terms of our company cars, we have already started the change to electric.

Biodiversity

Bees are fundamental insects for us and our planet. More than 70% of the food we eat every day depends on their daily activity of pollination.

In Poland, we have made steps to install several self-contained Beehives to support our local biodiversity. We’re also able to produce our own brand of honey!

Tree Planting

We are also proud to support several tree planting initiatives. Planting trees is a great way to help capture carbon emissions. Through photosynthesis, trees absorb carbon dioxide to produce oxygen. We are excited that we can help to preserve the environment and biodiversity.

Give back to COMMUNITIES

With inclusion being an integral part of our company’s DNA, we actively listen to our customers, colleagues, and local stakeholders to make sure we understand their changing needs, and that we are best placed to support the communities we serve.

This dynamic of listening and responding has existed across our long history and forms a key part of our heritage. Today, we continue to act on issues which our customers and colleagues care about. We support ordinary people doing extraordinary things to make the world a better, more inclusive place.

By listening to and working with our stakeholders globally, we identify shared objectives for our social value programs and assess the mutual social, environmental, and business value which partnership and collaboration brings. We are proud to give back to society whenever possible through our educational forum, known as HAGS Academy, where we share our knowledge with equipment buyers, specifiers and operators through a series of safety and inclusive seminars.

From neighbourhoods in Gothenburg or Manchester, to those in Paris or Seville, our approach is both global and local.

Fund raising for life-saving medical equipment for seriously ill children

Every day brings new challenges for Great Ormond Street Hospital, UK. Every day, around 600 seriously ill children arrive at this hospital from all over from all over the UK. Every day, doctors and nurses battle the most complex illnesses, and the brightest minds come together to achieve pioneering medical breakthroughs.

HAGS UK continue to support them through fundraising events to give seriously ill children the best chance to fulfil their potential.

Get involved by visiting gosh.org/

Helping our Ukrainian neighbours

We provided our nearest refugee center with personal hygiene and everyday household products. Additionally, our employees donated food, detergents, clothes and toys for those in need. In the early summer Sosnowiec alone gave shelter to 200 Ukrainian families.

Supporting children’s education in Guatemala

HAGS Sweden continue to provide financial aid in partnership with Plan International* to help support children’s access to a complete, high quality, inclusive and comprehensive secondary education (UN Sustainability Goal 4 “Quality Education”). As part of this program the goal is to also keep girls safe from all forms of violence and to help girls and young women develop the skills they need to get good jobs or start their own businesses.

For more information please visit plan-international.org/

Cycling 1200km to support children’s charity

We’re part of Team Rynkeby who aim to raise money for research on child cancer and mental illness in young people by cycling 1200km for 7 days all the way to Paris.

More about Team Rynkeby: team-rynkeby.com/

Proud sponsors of youth sports teams across Europe

We are honoured to be a part of inspiring young people to be active, and providing them with positive experiences and opportunities.

• KBH (Denmark)

• Spielvereinigung 1920 Eisenhausen (Germany)

• FC 1929 Kombach (Germany)

• Staines Town F.C (UK)

Offering a sporting chance to anyone with a physical or sensory disability

Through sport, people with disabilities acquire vital social skills, develop independence, and become empowered to act as agents of change. The benefits of sport, in the life of a person with a disability, also allows them to develop their physical abilities and improve their self-esteem.

For over 5 years, HAGS France have supported the work of French Charity Handisport* to give people of all abilities the best possible chance to live, work and thrive in their own communities.

Read more about the great work that we do at www.handisport.org/

Build a better business around our PEOPLE

We're committed to driving a sustainable business that is both commercially successful and socially and environmentally responsible. This includes providing our employees in all locations with a safe and healthy working environment and having an organisational culture which promotes diversity, inclusivity, personal development, and respect.

We know it's our people who make HAGS successful, so we want everyone to enjoy coming to work. Employing people in different countries means responding to different cultural and social norms, and different employment laws and commercial considerations. Regardless of where they work or the job they do, we want our employees to be treated with dignity and respect and have pride in our brand.

We understand the importance of investing in our people, and in the continuous development of knowledge and skills within our team. Furthermore, we have always served our local communities, and during the peak of Covid-19 our colleagues stepped up once again to help. As we emerge from the pandemic, we’re reflecting on the changing needs of our workforce and will be taking steps to meet those needs.

Offering flexible working to maintain an engaged workforce

We know that for many employees, how and where they work has changed because of the pandemic. Following consultation with our teams, we listened to their feedback and implemented a provisional hybrid working policy.

Investing in our people

Our employees are what make our business successful. It only makes sense that we invest in them by creating training and development opportunities and the ability to progress internally. We also hold training days with experts in the field, such as child development professionals and sustainability experts, to ensure everyone understands our core values.

Policy improvements. Planning for the future

We have been around as a successful business for 75 years and we always want to keep making positive steps forward. We have several exciting ‘people initiatives’ planned to reward and recognise the exceptional work that each and every one of of our colleagues do every day.

Safeguarding our people during the Pandemic

When the Pandemic struck in 2020, we acted fast to safeguard our team. As a responsible employer, we had a plan to implement workplace safety in a way that ensured that our team was free from harm to protect their health and wellbeing.

Wellbeing of employees

We continuously strive to create a safe, positive and inclusive working environment for all. Our work atmosphere encourages engagement, gratitude and a healthy work-life balance. We have so many talented employees who have been with us for 20 and even 30+ years!

Activities to stay active

We’re all about keeping people active. So, to help keep our colleagues active, even when working remotely, some of our subsidiaries have implemented different activities that employees can get involved in. Activities include a steps competition and a bingo of health activities

PRODUCTS that support a circular economy

At its heart, our ‘Sustainability Principles’ come from what we have always believed, about integrating nature and outdoor living with everyday life.

All our products have a clear purpose, to provide as much benefit as possible to both users and buyers. Our products last for many years, and they are easy to maintain. That way, you’ll have fewer reasons to change the equipment in your outdoor space.

Our range is more compact, our lead times are faster, and as we only sell direct through our recognised channel, our price-tags are friendlier. We are constantly looking for ways to improve and be in line with our stakeholders’ expectations as we continue to be part of the fight against climate crisis.

Modular design

Modularity is key in ensuring that sustainable principles are applied early in our Product Design process. To this end, we strive to make the most functional yet simple to install products that last a long time; to make sure they work well for the varying environments we serve; and to have the capability to repair, refurbish or replace individual component parts easily at the lowest possible cost.

We provide intuitive assembly instructions so that customers can identify component parts in need of repair or replacements. This information also helps customers disassemble the product for sorting by material type for reclaiming (collecting, reusing or recycling).

Function

The products your communities love the most, are the products that have minimum impact on the planet. That’s our design philosophy. We make awesome yet durable products that people love to buy and use. Our products last for ages and help make memorable moments that last a lifetime.

Durability by design

Not only do we choose durable materials, but we also carefully consider how we design our components to ensure they perform in all environments. All our wood products are designed to prevent any excessive water ingress or moisture build-up, and all wooden parts are installed at least 7cm above the ground to avoid contact with damp or wet surfaces.

Materials

Grounded in Nordic design, we use renewable, recycled materials that can go back in the cycle at the end of their functional life. We also try, where possible, to use less plastic-based materials in our products only use them where comfort or safety is an essential consideration in the design process.

We want to share some background information behind our products to give you the power to make the right choices and to give reassurances that all chlorine based products, like PVC, have been eliminated from our HAGS manufactured products/components.

Here, we will be focusing on the five every-day materials that we use in the manufacturing & delivery of over 80% of our products:

• Pine Wood

• HPL

• Steel

• Packaging

• Coatings

Great products are made from great materials. We excel at finding lower impact materials that are the right fit for each product, while ensuring they remain functional in any environment.

This information helps bring to life the work we are doing behind the scenes to protect the planet and reduce our impact on climate change.

Wood - a renewable material

All our pine timber is certified to FSC or PEFC and comes from responsibly managed Scandinavian forests, where the trees grow slowly and develop a very dense and compact quality.

Nordic timber contains a high proportion of heartwood and naturally comes with a lot of resin, which is a natural impregnation agent. Even untreated, it is extremely strong and less prone to bug or fungus infestation. As wood is a naturally renewable material, it has a low environmental impact.

HPL - outstanding durability

HPL is a sheet consisting of about 60% cellulose fibre (paper) and about 40% phenolic resin (thermosetting resin) pressed together under high pressure and heat. This strong and stable material is moisture-resistant, low maintenance, and resilient to scratches and blows.

The core of HPL is made of 100% biological secondary components obtained from renewable resources and is fully recyclable. The decorative surface layer consists of melamine (thermosetting plastic) and transparent UV protection film to reduce colour change in outdoor exposure.

Steel - carefully selected

Steel boasts a sleek contemporary look that is low-maintenance and offers outstanding resilience and durability, making it suitable for challenging environments. As an example of good practice, we use steel tubes containing more than 70% recycled content.

Then, at the end of its life, it is entirely recyclable and can be sold to third party contractors, minimising cost and environmental footprint. What’s more, we offer a 25-year warranty on structural steel and 5 years on the powder coating.

Coatings & treatmentsenvironmentally responsible

We are aware that the finishing of steel products can have a major impact on the environment. We have therefore made significant investments in solvent-free, powder-coating finishing lines.

This ensures that our steel products are always finished with a highly durable coating, that has a significantly less environmental impact than traditional solvent-based processes.

Packaging - taking steps to reduce our climate impact

We continually seek ways to reduce our packaging consumption and try to think innovatively about alternative opportunities to protect our products during transit. In 2022 we invested in machinery to repurpose waste cardboard we receive from our suppliers by turning it into a honeycomb-shaped cushioning material to protect our products from scratches and dents during transportation, thus reducing the need for single use plastic bubble wrap.

All Cardboard and plastic based packaging materials are chlorine free (ECF, TCF model), CFC free, HCFC free (which all contribute to ozone depletion).

Biodegradable treatment

In recent years, HAGS has developed an extremely well-adapted technology for wood protection. All wood components are covered by a water-based coating in a 3-step process that not only colours the wood but also provides long-lasting protection against mould and rot infestation.

The glaze wood stain is made up of biodegradable components (in accordance with EN 351), which gives the wood enhanced levels of durability.

Work with a SUPPLY CHAIN we believe in

In 2017, we moved our production out of Sweden, but we deliberately chose to stay in Europe. We wanted a long-term solution, so we created our own purpose-built facility in Sosnowiec, Poland, and built relationships with carefully vetted supply partners nearby.

This has allowed us to get the quality we want, and to quickly make any changes needed. Both countries being close to each other means less travel time, so less impact from transportation. In addition, this proximity affords better communication, and allows us to work with remarkable efficiency.

We endeavor to foster long-term relationships, built on integrity and respect, with our suppliers and employees. We talk honestly about our products and how they can continue to inspire all generations.

With all our suppliers, we are in constant communication, and we encourage each other to be better in both function and processes. The resulting relationships, built over time on both loyalty and trust, allow each side to achieve more, to do so in a positive way, and with less negative impact on the world around us.

Inspiring future generations

HAGS continues to make progress, but there is still work to be done. We are now better able to deliver added social benefits at no additional cost when fulfilling our main contractual responsibilities and are on the right path to do our bit to avoid the climate crisis, but it doesn’t stop there.

Ensuring no one goes hungry, human rights abuses and extreme poverty. Problems of this scale can be overwhelming, but the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) are the solution to tackling them.

The global goals are ambitious, but with such ambition we, at HAGS, can make our contribution to achieve great things! Through our relationship with Plan International we advocate for girls to be educated, to our suppliers that turn plastic waste into something reusable, and our partners that are innovating to drive change, we see you and support you.

If we all take an active part in championing at least one goal, our society will be better for all of us. Help us to make a difference. Help us to continue to Inspire all (future) generations.