Sustainability
SUSTAINABILITY
Products for a better tomorrow
At blomus, we proactively work to integrate sustainability into every corner of our business – from the longevity of our products and the packaging materials we use to the way we collaborate with our partners. We view ourselves as an active and responsible part of modern society, and we are committed to making better choices every day, thereby minimizing our social and environmental impact. We strive to be just as ambitious when it comes to sustainability as we are with regard to product design, innovation and quality.
Acting sustainably in every aspect is not only a complex matter at times, but also necessitates being at the forefront when it comes to knowledge, innovation and agility, both as a business and as individuals. Therefore, we wish to always be open and transparent when communicating about the dilemmas that inevitably go with acting sustainably, as well as how we address the specific challenges we meet. Our general approach will always be to keep an open mind, stay curious, listen to science and to experts, partners and consumers, and to be consistently willing to improve our practices.
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
Timeless and relevant
We all know it: to stop consuming is the only truly sustainable choice. However, when this is not an option, we believe that buying less and buying better is the best solution. We wish to support the notion of conscious consumerism in the sense that when we all invest in quality, products will last longer, and there will be no need to replace them.
We aim to offer high-quality products with timeless designs. Even while we recognize the importance of trends, we always ask ourselves whether a product will stay relevant or whether it is merely expression of a short-lived craze. We constantly consider the interplay between the functional, practical and aesthetic qualities of any product; put simply, that it will fulfill a practical need, work in your daily life and bring joy, rather than being quickly discarded because it has broken or become irrelevant.
MATERIALS
Certificates and testing
All our products are tested to meet legal requirements in all markets where we operate. On top of this, our customers will find the following labels on a large number of our textile, wood, paper and cardboard products.
FSC®
The Forest Stewardship Council – also known as the FSC® – is an international, non-profit labelling scheme for wood and paper products. FSC® certification is your guarantee that the forest used to produce the product in question is being managed in a way that preserves biodiversity, ensures reforestation, and benefits the lives of local people and workers, while ensuring economic viability.
OEKO-TEX®
Oeko-tex® is a registered trademark. Oeko-tex® comprises six separate sets of standards that serve different purposes; however, all of them serve to confirm the human-ecological safety of a textile or leather product throughout all stages of production along the material’s value chain. This means that an Oeko-tex® labelled product has been independently tested for the presence of chemicals that are potentially harmful to human health and our larger ecosystems.
GOTS
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the leading internationally acknowledged organic textile standard. It ensures the organic status of textiles from the harvesting of the raw materials, to environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing, and labeling. The standard covers the processing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, trading and distribution of textiles made from at least 70 per cent certified organic natural fibers.
CLIMATECALC™
ClimateCalc™ is a tool for measuring the climate effect from the production of printed matters, such as books, magazines and catalogues. With ClimateCalc™, the CO2 emission connected to the production of any given printed product becomes transparent, and emissions can be sufficiently climate compensated. The seasonal blomus catalogue is ClimateCalc™-certified to document that the climate impact has been calculated and compensated.
OVERSTOCK
Nothing goes to waste
We strive not to over-produce; however, any unsold items we do have in stock will always be used in one way or another. We never discard, burn or destroy unsold blomus items. Instead, they are sold at reduced prices or during special sale or charity events.
PACKAGING
The sustainable choice
Packaging plays an essential role as it protects its valuable contents throughout the supply chain and enables safe delivery to the consumer. Additionally, packaging is also the obvious place to start making the sustainable choice. We are in the process of phasing out all existing packaging and replacing it with FSC®-certified cardboard packaging, catalogues and labels.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Rights and respect
We actively work to support and encourage diversity and inclusion, and it is our fundamental policy not to discriminate on the basis of race, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, social background, age or religious belief.
We believe respect, empathy and curiosity are preconditions for any human interaction. As a consequence, we also support and encourage freedom of expression and opinion, and we wish to cultivate a working environment where people thrive and grow professionally and as individuals. As an active supporter and member of the UN Global Compact initiative, we have committed to a mandatory annual status report regarding our obligations towards the people we work with, including on human rights, labor rights and anti-corruption.
ETHICS
How we act
THE UN GLOBAL COMPACT
The United Nations Global Compact is a voluntary initiative based on CEO commitments to implement universal sustainability principles and to undertake partnerships in support of UN goals. Thus, the initiative has two purposes: to encourage companies to support and implement its ten principles, and to inspire companies to enforce corporate social responsibility through voluntary initiatives which promote the UN’s sustainability goals.
GLOBAL GOALS
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – commonly referred to as the Global Goals – are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a shared plan for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.
We support the Global Goals, and we wish to work with partners that are equally committed. We have selected four goals to give special attention going forward:
Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, end and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
Goal 17: Strengthen means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
All blomus suppliers are obligated to commit to the UN Global Compact as well as the Global Goals, with specific weight on the four goals stated above.