The Blue Book - 3rd Edition by NILORN UK

The Blue Book OUR OFFER FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

THIRD EDITION

Sustainability at Nilorn For Nilorn, sustainability means working towards meeting the needs of people and society without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs – acting in the long-term interests of many people. Nilorn’s i nitiatives are driven by a combination of proven best practice and innovation. Nilorn engages with key stakeholders on sustainability topics and uses its knowledge and influence to advocate for positive change. • Nilorn’s actions aim to have an overall positive impact on the planet and

contribute to protecting biodiversity, animal welfare, sustainable use of

resources and the development of a value chain that has a low carbon impact. • Nilorn is committed to having a positive influence on people’s lives

impacted by its business; based on the respect for human rights, m eaningful community involvement and shared values.

GLOBAL COMPACT Nilorn has signed the UN Global Compact’s principles of sustainability. The Global Compact is the largest corporate s ustainability initiative with more than 12 000 participating companies and organisations in over 170 countries.

Nilorn is committevd to the 10 principles in the areas of human rights, labour,

the environment and anti-corruption, based on the U nited Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Rio Declaration on e nvironment and development and the UN Convention against Corruption.

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Corporate social responsibility And what it means to nilorn

The aim of our Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Policy is to set the framework for our daily operations and guide us towards a s ustainable business practice. We are focusing on 3 areas: ethical, environmental and social responsibility. AS A GUIDE IN OUR WORK, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THE N ILORN CORE VALUES

These values are practices a N ilorn employee should apply daily, in all work situations. They form a common platform, strengthen teamwork, explain who we are and why we act like we do.

Passion Innovation Respect Teamwork Common sense Responsibility Execute NILORN CORE VALUES

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Ethical responsibility All Nilorn businesses shall comply with both national and international

laws and ethics. Nilorn’s policy is to cooperate only with other parties who do the same. Business relationships shall be built on honesty and mutual respect. Confidential information shall always be treated as confidential and agreements shall be respected.

As a supplier of labels and branding products made from materials

sometimes derived from animal origin, we recognise our responsibility to protect animal welfare. Our policy for raw materials with animal origin is implemented in the supply chain.

Environmental responsibility At Nilorn we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of everything we do - designing a product, choosing production processes, choosing a supplier, planning the logistics etc. The majority of our p roducts

are OEKO-TEX® certified and we are also able to offer bluesign® certified products, both in Europe and Asia.

Our aim is to be a genuinely environmentally-friendly company, not just

selling eco-friendly products when we are asked for them. Both m aterials and mode of transportation are almost always decided by the customer. Our

role in guiding the customer in finding better alternatives is becoming more and more important and we see an increased interest from our customers.

All employees must be aware of Nilorn’s environmental policy and

be given basic environmental training during their induction, while the training of key individuals will be more extensive. We also follow up on our suppliers environmental programs.

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Social responsibility NILORN CODE OF CONDUCT Nilorn’s Supplier Code of Conduct is

based on the ETI Base Code (more information at www.ethicaltrade.org). The Code of Conduct lays out the

overall ethical approach for us and our suppliers.

OEKO-TEX® metal buttons bluesign® silicon zipper puller

Sedex Sedex, the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange, is a not-for-profit membership

organisation dedicated to driving improvements in responsible and ethical business practices. Sedex has created the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) – a common audit methodology and report format. At Nilorn, we are audited against SMETA in our own factories in Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Portugal and Turkey.

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Supplier evaluations and agreements SUPPLIER EVALUATIONS Nilorn sets out an annual plan for supplier evaluation including

follow-ups. All suppliers with a specified volume are evaluated once a

year. The a ppraisal is planned and topics discussed/evaluated include: delivery reliability, product quality, service, product development, eco-

nomy and approach to the environment. The supplier is awarded a grade as a result of the evaluation, and, if necessary, an action plan is developed and implemented to make any required improvements. SUPPLIER AGREEMENTS Nilorn’s policy is to have signed agreements with all main suppliers. This agreement regulates lead-time, packing, freight, payment terms, warranty, quality control, chemical requirements and confidentiality.

Most importantly we focus on having a very close dialogue and frequent

meetings with all prioritised suppliers. HR POLICY

The aim of the Nilorn Human Resource policy is to create an efficient and

attractive working environment. It regulates what the company expects of its employees and what employees should expect of the company.

The HR policy covers: management responsibility for developing

its staff, information supplied to all employees, annual development interviews, payments and IT usage.

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Our products and offer Nilorn offers a complete branding package with the emphasis on the customer’s image, profile and identity. Our aim is to be the first choice for everyone who cares about the environment. The Nilorn product line includes a wide variety of branding items, ranging from woven labels to packaging and accessories. MATERIALS AND PRODUCTION Our designers work very closely with our sourcing and product development team to find innovative materials. Our goal is to provide a better choice of products without compromising d esign integrity. Nilorn

offers many different materials for a wide range of uses, including paper, textiles, plastic and metal, to name just a few. We also focus on products with less environmental impact in our c oncept collections.

FSC paper bluesign® silicon Recycled polyester string

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Nilorn products TEXTILES WOVEN/PRINTED • bluesign® • STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, class 1 • Recycled polyester • Organic cotton

PAPER • FSC paper • Recycled paper

PLASTICS • Recycled plastics • Bio-plastics • STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, class 1

METAL BUTTONS AND ACCESSORIES • bluesign® • STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, class 1

HEAT TRANSFER • bluesign® • STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, class 1

LEATHER • LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX®, class 1 • Recycled leather

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Reach REACH

REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation

(Registration Evaluation Authorisation Restriction of

the European Union - which came into force on 1st June

Chemicals)

and Restriction of Chemicals. REACH is a regulation of 2007 - adopted to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals, while enhancing the competitiveness of the EU

chemicals industry. It also promotes alternative methods for the hazard assessment of substances in order to reduce

the number of tests on animals.

The REACH regulation specifies a list of restricted

chemical substances and REACH affects all EU-actors that professionally manufacture, import, sell, buy,

distribute or use chemicals as such and in articles. One of the major e lements of the regulation is the requirement to communicate information up and down the supply chain.

SWEDISH CHEMICALS GROUP

Nilorn is participating in the Chemicals Group at Swerea

SWEREA IVF

on the environment and human health, to its member

IVF. The Chemicals Group exists to disseminate the l atest

findings related to chemicals and their potential impacts companies. The chemical g uidance developed by the

initiative supports us as members to be updated about relevant legal requirements.

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Certifications bluesign®

The bluesign® initiative puts the whole production chain in

focus. This is something that we at Nilorngruppen have found

to be very well aligned with our own ambitions and, as of 2013, we are a bluesign® system partner.

In the bluesign® system chemicals suppliers, textile

manufacturers and brands are linked together to foster a healthy, responsible and profitable textile industry.

The aim is to reduce and replace all chemicals that are potentially hazardous to people and our environment.

bluesign® certification not only indicates that the

product itself is made using materials that are c onsidered more e nvironmentally sound, but that the e ntire chain

of production – from raw materials to the finished product delivered to the end consumer – has as little environmental impact as possible.

THERE ARE FIVE BLUESIGN® PRINCIPLES: • Resource productivity • Consumer safety • Water emission • Air emission

• Occupational health and safety Consumer products carrying the bluesign® product label meet the strict safety and environmental requirements

of the bluesign® criteria. These products are made of

bluesign® approved fabrics and a ccessories.

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Certifications STANDARD 100 BY OEKO-TEX®

The STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® is an independent

test and certification system for raw, semi-finished and

finished textile products at all processing levels, as well as accessory materials used. WHAT IS OEKO-TEX 100? The OEKO-TEX® testing for harmful substances is

always geared towards how the textile will actually be used. The more closely the product is in contact with the

skin, the stricter the human ecology requirements that it

must meet. There are 4 different product classes based on respective purpose of the textile and material. The more intensive the skin contact of a textile (and the more

sensitive the skin), the stricter the requirements that

need to be fulfilled in terms of human ecology. Nilorn certificate has product class 1, the highest level (textile articles for babies and toddlers up to 3 years old etc). RECYCLED POLYESTER

We offer recycled polyester for different uses such as woven labels, felt and embroidery. Recycled polyester

can also be blended, with a warp in polyester and a weft in cotton.

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Paper FSC

When environmentally friendly paper is desired, N ilorn offers the option of FSC certification. To meet this

requirement, the printer must be FSC certified and the

paper comes from wood from forests certified to FSC standards or other controlled sources.

FSC stands for ’Forest Stewardship Council’, an

international non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting responsible forestry.

FSC certifies forests all over the world to ensure they

meet the highest environmental and social standards.

Products carrying the FSC label are independently

certified to assure consumers that they come from forests that are managed to meet social, economic and ecological

needs. A properly labelled product shall both carry the FSC symbol and the certificate number.

RECYCLED PAPER

Recycling of paper not only makes the best use of the

yield of the tree, by extending the life span of its fibres, but it also reduces the amount of waste going to landfill.

Recycled paper can be made of both pre- and post-

consumer waste paper. Usually a higher percentage level of post-consumer waste is a better choice.

TREE-FREE PAPER

Tree-free paper is an alternative to wood-pulp paper -

it can be made of cotton, hemp, straw and other fibres. Not all tree-free paper in its current state will meet the

production printing standards, this is something that has to be explored more.

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Plastics GENERAL

Plastic is not a single material but a large group of materials each with widely different properties. Most plastic grades are possible to recycle, often up to 10 t imes. It is important to mark the product clearly, noting the

information about material content and how to take care of the product at end-of-life. If all plastic went to material

recycling and e nergy recovery, it would lead to improved resource efficiency and increased environmental benefits.

LDPE

Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) is a thermoplastic

derived from petroleum used mainly in the plastic bag and film industry. Polyethelene is the most common

plastic and easy to recycle. Recycled LDPE can be recycled again, however there is often a colour and surface smoothness difference from virgin plastic.

EVA

Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) is an ethylene-vinyl acetate

copolymer. EVA plastic is a non-hazardous plastic unless hazardous additives are added, such as h alogenated flame retardants in electronic products, for example.

Polypropylene (PP) is the world’s second-most w idely

produced synthetic plastic, after polyethylene. It is a thermoplastic used in a variety of applications including

packaging for consumer products, plastic parts for various industries (including the automotive industry), household appliances and textiles.

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Plastics PU

There are various types of polyurethanes (PU), which look and feel very different from each other. They are

used in a range of products, from coatings in textile

industry and adhesives to shoe soles. Polyurethane is recycled in two primary ways: mechanical recycling,

in which the m aterial is reused in its polymer form and chemical recycling that takes the material back

into oligomers or monomers suitable for processing new polyurethanes.

Polystyrene (PS) is a common thermoplastic polymer

which softens when heated and can be converted into a wide range of finished articles, polystyrene is rigid when finished and is used for articles such as clips and seals.

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Bio-Plastics GENERAL

Traditionally plastic is made of oil, but it may also come from other sources. Renewable raw materials such as starch, lactic acid or ethanol from sugar cane can also become plastic. These types are called bio-plastic.

BIO-BASED

The

term

bio-plastic

covers

plastics

made

from

renewable resources (bio-based plastics) and plastics that biodegrade under controlled conditions at the end

of their use phase. Bio-based plastics are plastics made

in whole or partially from biological resources. The renewable resources used today are mainly derived from

agriculture such as grains, corn, potatoes, sugar beet/

sugar cane or vegetable oils. The plastics degrade by

microorganisms into water, carbon dioxide (or methane) and biomass under specified conditions. Nilorn

continues to research bio-plastics and their viability in our industry.

BIODEGRADABLE

Compostable plastics are biodegradable plastics that

undergo a biodegradation process under controlled conditions

(temperature,

oxygen

and

typical of industrial composting facilities.

humidity),

Under controlled conditions biodegradable plastic can degrade in approx. 6 months, if left in landfill or domestic compost facility the degradation will have

the same outcome but the time scale will be longer and dependant on the conditions in which it is held.

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Leather GENERAL

Animal-based materials used in our products shall

only be obtained as a by-product and not the sole purpose of the slaughter of an animal and never

from vulnerable or endangered species that appear

on the CITES (Convention on International Trade in

Endangered S pecies) or IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) lists.

HYDROKI®

Hydroki® is a STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® certified leather. An alternative to real leather is Microki®, a

microfibre material developed to reach the same high standard but without an animal origin.

Hydroki® leather

RECYCLED LEATHER

Recycled leather is usually a mix of recycled natural leather fibres, synthetic fibers and natural binders. It could be production waste that is used.

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Cotton made in Africa Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) is an Aid by Trade 足Foundation initiative that helps people help themselves

through trade. Specifically, it works for the improvement of living conditions for a large number of smallholder cotton farmers and their relatives in Africa.

More than one million smallholder farmers (of

which 17% are female farmers) and some 11,000 factory workers in the so-called cotton ginneries are currently

part of the CmiA program. CmiA is active in Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mozambique

as well as Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda. Farmers are

trained in modern, efficient and environmentally friendly 足cultivation methods that help them improve their farm

work and finally the living conditions of their families and future generations by sustainable means.

An alliance of international textile companies built up by CmiA buys the sustainably grown cotton and

pays a license fee to the foundation. The license fees are reinvested into the cotton growing areas so that people

and nature benefit. Farmers profit from agricultural and

business training, community projects that additionally support their local communities and certifications to get access to 足international trade, ginnery workers profit

from better working conditions and nature profits - e.g.

足deforestation of primary forests and GMO or hazardous pesticides are prohibited.