Several of our customers demand that Björnkläder AB, being a supplier, shall be actively engaged in environmental work. On the basis of this and the general environmental problems, we wish to run our business activities in such a way that we may find possibilities to reduce any environmental influence from our side.

In order to maintain and organize our environmental work we have introduced a so called environmental management system in accordance with the international standard ISO 14001. Our environmental work has been certified by a third party since 2002.

The basis of our environmental work is our environmental policy. The guidelines of the policy are put into concrete form in our routines and activities.

Once a year there is an environment audit in order to follow up the environmental impact of our processes and products. As a result of the audit our environmental programme is laid down. The environmental programme contains our environment aims, the person responsible for the project and time schedule to fulfil the aims. The environmental programme is continuously being followed up.

The main part of our employees have participated in a basic environment training in order to properly understand the importance of the environmental matters to our business activities. Environmental training will be once more performed for newly hired personnel during 2009.

Quality and Environment policy

Björnkläder AB develops, manufactures and provides the market with workwear garments and personal protective equipment (PPE).

It is important for Björnkläder AB is to persistently communicate a clear message to our customers. This message is the company, its products, what it stands for and what the customers have the right to expect.

• Our company shall stand out as an expression of quality in the complete meaning of the word.
• Björnkläder AB works as a good citizen for a business activity that is environmentally durable. We take an active responsibility for our products. We shall follow all existing laws, regulations and other decrees.
• Through our quality and environment system we shall secure the proper quality of the services and products we supply. The company management is responsible for providing available resources to develop and maintain the quality and environment system.
• It is important that we choose competitive materials and products already in the product development phase to reduce the impact on the environment in accordance with the directives of the authorities and make relevant environmental demands on our subcontractors and follow up their performances. We shall work preventively and systematically to reduce the impact on the environment that may arise in connection with production, packaging, distribution, usage and final handling of our products.
• With regard to our internal quality and environmental work we shall aim at measurable targets. The targets shall be followed up and revised in order to continuously improve our activities.
• The competence, well-being and engagement of our employees are the prerequisites of our success.

Social Responsibility

Björnkläder AB cares about people and the environment of the complete supply and production chain of our products. We strive for the production of our work wear and other products to be conducted under satisfactory conditions. 2008, Björnkläder AB became a member of BSCI – Business Social Compliance Initiative, a group of European companies who jointly works toward social accountability.

The BSCI code of conduct is based on the ILO conventions protecting the workers’ rights, the UN agreement on human rights, the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises and the UN Global Compact. The following main elements are included:

- Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining
- Prohibition of discrimination
- Prohibition of child labour
- Prohibition of forced labour
- Compensation and wages
- Working hours
- Health and safety at the workplace
- Environmental and safety issues
- Implementation of a policy for social accountability
- Establishment of an anti-bribery and anti-corruption policy

Would you like to know more about the BSCI working methodology and code of conduct? Please go to BSCI home site for further information: www.bsci-eu.com.

Björnkläder’s effect on the environment

The main environmental effect of the company is our products after customer consumption and transportation of raw material and ready-made goods.

Björnkläder AB provides the market with a large amount of products (approx. 8000 tons) every year. After consumption these products gradually become waste products. Then it is important that our products do not spread substances that are harmful to the environment.

Regarding our personal protective equipment (PPE) we have checked our environmental demands with fifteen of our largest suppliers. The contents of chemicals meet with our demands according to Björnkläder’s Chemical List.

The main part of textile fabrics and accessories of the workwear garments manufactured by us meet with the Öko-Tex Standard 100. This is a human ecology marking of textile products and accessories to avoid health problems when using the products.

Many of our products are complex and contain several different kinds of material. A pair of working shoes may contain e.g. textile fabric, plastic material of different kinds, leather, metal and glue etc. It is not practically possible to separate the different kinds of material, but in most cases the best way of handling the waste material is combustion with energy recovery.

Transports have a large environmental impact with consumption of fossil fuel and discharging of exhaust fumes. The exhaust fumes contain greenhouse gases and acidifying substances. The largest impact on the environment is caused by our transports of goods to our domestic customers. The total distance covered to domestic customers each year corresponds to a good 373.000 tonkm. Our forwarding agents work actively with environmental questions and have certified systems for handling of the environment in accordance with ISO 14001.

In the company we perform sorting out of waste material. We sort our waste material in fractions such as household garbage, corrugated cardboard, soft plastic materials, wood and office paper waste, textile fabrics, fluorescent tubes, non-combustible material, electronics and batteries. The handling of our waste products takes place in an environment friendly way with recycling or combustion with energy recovery where possible.

The handling and removal of hazardous waste products is done by contractors.

Öko-Tex® Standard 100

Björnkläder continues the environmental work by Öko-Tex-certifiing garments. Öko-Tex® Standard 100 is a human ecological marking. Certified garments are manufactured of materials (and components) controlled for chemical content according to Öko-Tex testing system.

Articles included in Oeko-Tex®-certificate SE 10-192:

Product certificates

You will find our product certificates on this page .