Sustainable Toppoint The future We need to make sure that future generations can benefit our earth
Sustainability program Our approach creates value for our customers
Just one simple leaf
We want to keep it simple and clean
BSCI
Principles of the New Code of Conduct
Learn more about our sustainable goals and products!
Sustainability isn’t more expensive!
Why Sustainable
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Our sustainability program
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Just one simple leaf
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Social compliance
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Product compliance
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The future
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Content Sustainable products
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This catalogue is produced CO2 neutral and printed at PEFC paper. CO2 Neutral means that we mapped our CO2 emission accurately and made a policy to reduce this. This goes beyond reducing our energy use. Greenhouse gases that are produced by us will be compensated somewhere else. PEFC paper finds its origin in forests that are managed sustainable. It’s a worldwide certification organization with the goal to manage all forests sustainable with attention for people and environment.
A sustainable world where we respect human rights, protect the environment and deliver innovative new products is possible! To achieve this we are aware that we need to transform our business. For us it means being innovative, critical and look at our products with a long term view.
• You contribute to a better world • You choose products that are made with respect for human rights • You contribute to reducing CO2 emission • You choose products with a long lifetime • Sustainable isn’t expensive
Across our whole business we aspire to produce,
Why sustainability assemble and ship our products with a green heart. Proud of what we have achieved and aware of the
steps we have to take, we are transparent to the outside. Our goal is to make a positive impact.
In the past we decided to produce a large part of our collection in Europe, as it turns out a sustainable choice regarding environment issues and human rights. Producing in Europe ensures us that we have unique and high quality products. Product development, producing and quality checks take place, on location, under Toppoints authorization. We take pride in manufacturing your products with respect for Human Rights, avoiding risks like child labor or discrimination. Besides that, producing in Europe results in reducing CO2 emissions. That’s why we save 10% annually on our environmental impact!
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Our customers don’t have to choose between design, quality, sustainability or price. Our products serve all these properties. At Toppoint Sustainability isn’t more expensive!
Toppoint aspires to be a leader in sustainable innovation. We are transparent in what we achieve and are proud of every step that is taken and will be made.
At Toppoint Sustainability isn’t more expensive! 2
According to the principles of the United Nations the definition of sustainable is; “Sustainability is to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” *
The vision of Toppoint is consistent to this definition; deliver functional products with a long life time, which are made with an environmental impact as less as possible and with good working conditions for all employees in the supply chain.
* Source: Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report, from the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), published in 1987.
CEO Statement
The right quality for the right price, produced in the right way
“We look at sustainability as an integral part of our processes and see it as an opportunity to get an advantage in the promotional market. In 2014 we added sustainability to our core values because it is woven through our company. Our approach creates value for our customers but also for ourselves and the world around us.”
T f p i
[Bas Lensen - CEO]
In 2013 we started at Toppoint with our
Sustainability program
We constantly look on how we can innovate and improve our business environment, to provide a better world for our children and their children. We think that Toppoint can make a small but significant change to a better world. On behave of the following goals we set out our sustainability strategy; • Deliver functional products with a long lifetime and an outstanding design while upholding the highest ethical standards in our business practices. • Help people around the world live better lives by making sure we reduce waist, transport, energy and chemicals. We conserve natural resources and promote a clean and healthy environment. • Make sure Sustainability is understandable for our customers and stakeholders by being transparent and make certificates and audits insightful. • Offer products to our clients that meet their sustainable needs for a fair price.
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We will continue our way In 2013 the first steps where made to make Toppoint more sustainable, in 2014 we made some big steps and in 2015 we will continue our way. We already made the choice to produce more than 50% of our products in Europe. A good choice regarding human rights and CO2 emission. In addition, we expect that at the end of 2015 90% of our products are certified and 90% of our factories are audited. That means we have tested them according to the European regulations in the countries we are represented.
Working on our Sustainability we acknowledged that we don’t have all the knowledge in house. That’s why we cooperate with supply chain specialists who give us advice and help us develop creative approaches to enable our ability to meet the needs of the future. They help us to transform from ‘business as usual’ into more future proof business.
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Social compliance
Auditing factories
We are critical on ensuring that we work with factories that respect Human Rights. We work jointly with our buying office in Shanghai, ensuring that our factories are timely audited. We have chosen to do this according to BSCI, the global recognized standard. Our mother The New Wave group is a long term member of this organization. BSCI was launched in 2003 as an initiative of the Foreign Trade Association (FTA) in response to the increasing business demand for transparent and improved working conditions in the global supply chain. The fundamental goals of BSCI are only achievable through a strong commitment from participants to implement the system. BSCI audits are conducted in order to implement the BSCI Code and to measure improvements. BSCI not only audits but also gives training and workshops to participants to improve their knowledge. For Toppoint this is the right way; we are convinced that telling people what is wrong or right in these countries isn’t the way, you also have to explain them why it’s wrong. Only with more knowledge they can work on improving their standards. BSCI engages with a wide range of stakeholders in order to find sustainable solutions to often complex challenges. Non-compliance with labour rights is often linked to political, economic or cultural issues that affect not only
individual workplaces but also entire sectors and countries. BSCI develops active dialogue and cooperation with governments, trade unions, NGOs, business associations, buyers and their business partners. The BSCI Code of Conduct aims at setting out the values and principles that BSCI participants strive to implement in their supply chains. Each BSCI participant endorses the Code of Conduct as well as the Terms of Implementation, the Glossary and the Reference when joining the initiative. The BSCI Code draws on important international labour standards protecting workers’ rights such as International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, declarations of the United Nations (UN) as well as guidelines of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It sets out 11 core labour rights, which our participants and their business partners commit to monitor within their supply chains in a step-by-step development approach. The 2014 version has been reinforced with new principles such as ‘No Precarious Employment’ and ‘Ethical Business Behavior’
Principles of the New Code of Conduct Principles of the New Code of Conduct The new BSCI Code of Conduct reflects the latest developments within supply chain relations and the growing call for responsible business practices.
The rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining
No discrimination
Fair remuneration
Decent working hours
Occupational health and safety
Protection of young workers
No precarious Employment
No bonded labour
Protection of The environment
Ethical business Behaviour
No child labour
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Just one simple leaf For our customers we want to be transparent but also comprehensible. A no-nonsense mentality is woven through our company. We know what we want to achieve and we know how to get there but we are also very aware of the steps that we still need to take. We want to take our customers on this journey and show them everything that we know! We introduce our sustainability leaf. This leaf indicates that this product outperforms on the targets we have set on sustainability. This could be on no adverse impact on human rights, environmental impact reduction, the reutilization of materials or a combination.
We just took one simple leaf that clarifies everything we want to say about sustainability. We want to keep it simple and clean.
Our sustainability leaf can be found at all our sustainable products and this product group is still growing. By making a conscious choice during the design phase and by responsible purchasing we contribute to a sustainable world.
Statistics
50% 70% 70% 10% of our products are produced in Europe
of all our products are certified
of our factories are audited
less environmental impact true producing in Europe
Our sustainability leaf can be found at all our sustainable products
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We need to take our responsibility [Jurgen Bruil Purchasing Manager]
30% 20%
less CO2 emission by producing in Europe
less chemicals true new ink
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Product compliance Certification of products Certification of products is a long and complicated process. Every product has multiple components / is made of multiple raw materials. For the process of buying safe and compliant products we work together with supply chain specialists. They convert complex product compliance legislation into understandable information.
We want to demonstrate that our products meet the requirements from governments and our customers, that’s why we certificate all our product through technical files. These files contain all specifications, drawings, test reports and other documents that are required to enable all our stakeholders in the supply chain to prove product compliance. To make this visible and understandable for our customers we use a product compliance management platform which helps us to create, manage and share technical files with our suppliers and stakeholders. At the end of 2015 we expect to have a compliance field per product on our extranet. In this field customers can find a link to the public page of the technical file. In this file customers can find explicit explanation to which standards the product is compliant.
For customers it’s possible to ask for the complete technical report. That’s what we call transparent!
FLOW SERIE
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The future
We believe that operating our business in a sustainable way isn’t only the good thing to do, it also makes good sense. With a planet that can only sacrifice so much we need to be more aware of our impact. We need to make sure that also future generations can benefit our earth. In 2016 ‘all’ our products are certified and our customers can see this on our website. Per product customers can find a file with an explicit explanation to which standards the product is compliant in an understandable way. Why we say 95% of our products is certified and not 100; certification of new products costs time, so it’s not possible to have 100% certified in one time when new products are added through the year. Even after 2016 we will keep moving forward to a more sustainable company. We will take a good look at our company processes and find out where we still can have sustainable benefits. We also will make a next step regarding auditing of factories. We will make a start with auditing of the suppliers of our suppliers. Not only their products need a certificate, we also want that their factories meet the BSCI standards.
Product Compliance is not about collecting documents. Collecting documents is a waste of money. Providing evidence brings business, creates efficiency, reduces cost and risk. [Caspar ter Horst, managing director ProductIP]
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Toppoint chooses high quality promotional articles. No disposables but articles with a long lifetime and a high quality. By making a conscious choice during the design phase and by responsible purchasing we attempt to contribute to a sustainable world.
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Toppoint sustainable products
Made in Europe pens Part of our ‘collection pens’ are produced in Europe, which gives us a lead compared to our competitors. There is more and more attention for human right violation and working conditions at production locations. In low-wage countries these violations happen every day. Besides that, wages increase and companies like us have control and audit costs in these low-wage countries. Costs we don’t have at our own or European locations. In addition, producing in Europe reduces CO2 emission compared to products produced in low-wage countries. When all our pens are made in China our environmental impact would be 10% higher. Choosing for a pen from our “Made in Europe’ collection means customers are choosing a pen made with respect for human rights.
In the South of Germany, in a place called Gosheim our mold construction and injection molding GS Plastics are located. Here we produce our Designd by Toppoint ballpens. Another proof of the sustainable direction we follow. In this injection molding we produce parts of our ballpens. After that we send them to Bergentheim where we assemble them and they are composed regarding your wishes and demands.
Recycle pens
Pencils No forest no life!
No forest, no life! Every minute, a forest about the size of 36 soccer fields disappears worldwide, which is why Toppoint chooses pencils from 100% FSC wood. This is an international organization who stimulates responsible forest management. The FSC sets global standards, coupled with the FSC label. The FSC makes sure that our forests, tropical and not tropical, are managed properly.
The Company engine runs on growth - but with sustainability as navigator [Torsten Jansson CEO New Wave Group]
We are aware of the environmental impact that several products have after using them. Pens also come un-separated at the landfills. Efforts to refill pens and let the receiver use them longer provides environmental benefits. It has also benefits for the company who gives the pen because they see their brand get more attention. At Toppoint we have pens that are refillable and easy to disassemble. That’s why our pens have a long lifetime and can be offered as separated return flows. This makes sure that the raw materials can be recycled. So customers contribute to reducing CO2 emission and choose for products with a longer lifetime.
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Solar energy Travel mugs, juice and water bottles
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Nowadays we all have more and more electric devices. All these devices need energy to charge, which leads to a higher environmental impact and a high electricity bill. Therefore customers should use Solar Energy. They can generate their own energy with our solar chargers. A sustainable way to charge their smartphone or tablet!
Every year, worldwide, about 2,7 million tons plastic is produced for water bottles. Of all bottles that are used 80% goes straight in the trash, only 20% is partially recycled. Besides that; producing, packaging and transporting of packed drinking water provides a giant CO2 emission. The collection of Toppoint contains a variety of drinking bottles and travel mugs. These are extremely suitable for re-use. Customers can fill the bottles with tap water and at some bottles they can add their own fruit. In this way they don’t only have a healthy thirst quencher, they also contribute to a better world.
PET non woven
Last year in Europe 56% of the PET containers in circulation were collected for recycling. This is 65 billion PET bottles! By adding at least 51% recycled PET to normal nylon or polyester means a bag is a lot less harmful to the environment and can be called a recycled bag. Our PET non woven bags are made of 80% recycled PET. This makes our PET non woven bags a responsible choice!
Digital print
PP woven shopping bag This bag is made of polypropylene and can be used several times. After it is used it can be recycled. The shopping bag can be added to the plastic rubbish. When the rubbish is collected separately it can be used in the end as a new raw-material (called granulate). This way customers save fossil raw-materials and reduce CO2 emission.
For digital printing we use UV ink, with this ink we only use what we need. For example with pad printing we have to throw away ink because we always have to make 50ml, even if we only use 10ml. With digital printing you don’t have to throw away ink. Both inks (tampon and digital) are approved by the EU, but the UV ink used for digital printing is more environmental friendly. For digital printing you don’t need clichés and screen windows. For pad printing you need both, and these have to be cleaned with corrosive chemicals. Not good for the environment but also not good for our employees.
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Social Media Digital versus print Sustainability is one of our core values so we want to find the perfect combination between digital and print. Our collection can be found online but also in our printed catalogue. All our catalogues and leaflets are printed at PEFC paper and produced CO2 neutral. PEFC paper finds its origin in forests that are managed sustainable. It’s a worldwide certification organization with the goal to manage all forests sustainable with attention for people and environment. CO2 Neutral means that we mapped our CO2 emission accurately and made a policy to reduce this. This goes beyond reducing our energy use. Greenhouse gases that are produced by us will be compensated somewhere else. Our news items and actions can be found at our website, social media or we sent them per e-mail. This way we reduce our printing as much as we can.
The definition of Social Media regarding Oxford Dictionaries; ‘Websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.’
For Lensen Toppoint Social Media is a storyboard, a place to tell our story, about our products but also about our company. Who are we and what are we doing, but most important why are we doing what we do! We want to be transparent and are always interested in the opinions of our customers so we hope to create a social platform where we can tell our story but also learn from our customers stories. This way we can optimize our business and be the best we can be! click & go to..!
Find us on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and Youtube and you will always be up to date. All actions, news and interesting articles can be found there.