Policies
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Corporate Social Responsibility
As a private label producer, we must be able to guarantee our customers that our clothes are produced in a responsible manner – both with regard to the environment and to the conditions in the factories where the clothes are manufactured. Our goods are produced in Bangladesh, and it is therefore paramount that we demand that our suppliers understand and comply with fundamental labour requirements. The real challenge consists in making sure that these labour requirements are actually implemented.
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Member of the UN Global Compact and the Business Social Compliance Initiative
We have joined Global Compact, which is the UN’s ethical declaration of intent concerning responsible supplier management. The Compact builds on the well-known ILO labour rights. We are also members of the BSCI, the best-known CSR management concept in Europe for monitoring social standards within textile production. This has taken us from word to action, and we have become part of a network of large European companies which are also working actively with CSR issues.
We have our own Ethical Codex guiding our company, our production plants and our suppliers. Our Ethical Codex is built upon the BSCI Code of Conduct and the 10 principles in Global Compact.
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Independent audits
Our factories are taught about labour issues and human rights, and our code of conduct is checked by an independent bureau, SYSTAIN. Our customers’ own auditors also frequently visit our factories – and their visits are often unannounced, so independent checks are not unknown. We have also prepared a list of minor improvements, which have gradually been implemented at the production plants. These improvements include clean drinking water, hot food every day, access to a nurse, home transport etc. – nothing to speak of for us, but worth a lot to the people working in the factories.
The goal of our work with social responsibility is to achieve SA 8000 certification in the year 2010, to begin with at a single place of production. But better working conditions and a higher quality of life for the employees are not necessarily created by certification in itself, but rather by what we do based on our understanding of human nature, where we attempt to understand the living conditions of the people behind our clothes. We therefore think carefully when prioritising our work.
As is also the case for environmental improvements, our work with social responsibility is a process where continuous improvements must be made, and where matters that are not as they should be must be followed up on. When a supplier cannot pass an audit, it is our policy to give him a suitable deadline and help him draw up a plan of action so that matters can be put right within six months. Only if it is our impression that the supplier is not willing to meet our requirements will we terminate the partnership. We consider this to be a responsible supplier policy.
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Fur policy
CPI does not use real furs or parts thereof. We always use textile faux fur (fake fur), because it is not possible to establish reliable documentation that animals have been bred under decent conditions.
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Environmental policy
As a producer of jersey for private label customers, CPI A/S continuously helps to set our producers’ level of environmental responsibility. We guarantee that the clothes produced by us do not contain any harmful dyes or chemicals, and we make a continuous effort to ensure that the clothes are produced in conditions which have the least possible impact on the environment.
Oeko-Tex Standard 100
We realise that the use of chemicals cannot be avoided, but we also realise that as producers, we have a say in which chemicals should be used. Together with our customers, we have produced guidelines for all our suppliers where we choose not to use the most harmful chemicals. Our prints are made without the use of PVC, which contains chemicals that disturb the hormonal balance. We have prohibited formaldehyde, because it can cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems, and is suspected of causing cancer. We also do not use cleavable azo dyes or other dyes containing heavy metals, as it is possible to dye with organic dyes. Our list of prohibited chemicals is long, and builds on the limit values of the Oeko-Tex 100 label, a safety label for consumers, which we have made the absolute minimum environmental requirement for all our clothes. If our customers want us to, we are able to provide our clothes with the Oeko-Tex 100 label.
Organic cotton
We are also able to offer products to our customers which are even better for the environment. For autumn/winter 2008/09, we will be able to deliver knitwear in organic cotton. We are constantly working with our suppliers to make environmental improvements, so that we are able to deliver the goods in demand on time. At the moment, we are working hard to have one of our own factories certified for production in accordance with the GOST (Global Organic Sustainable Textile) standard, which means that harmful heavy metals are substituted by organic dyes which have the least possible impact on the environment. The factory is completely new and equipped with state-of-the-art environmental equipment complying with all EU environmental requirements.
We have extensive knowledge of production, and knowledge carries obligations. We consider it our duty to influence developments in the direction of a cleaner environment, but working with environmental impacts is a continuous process, where each small step is a small victory.
Tests
We work with our customers on their requirements concerning environment and responsibility. We have undertaken the long uphill struggle to make our suppliers understand why this issue is important in Europe. We demand that our suppliers follow our guidelines, and we carry out spot checks of each design and have them tested by an independent testing institute in the production country. Several of our customers also have samples tested for harmful chemicals in their home country.
The goal of our work in the area of the environment is to be able to meet our customers’ demands for sustainable production of knitwear, e.g. in organic cotton in accordance with the GOST standard, in 2009/2010. Products manufactured in accordance with this standard may carry the EKO label (EKO Sustainable Textile), which is the former Dutch SKAL label. It is only given to products of certified organic cotton dyed at dye-works approved in accordance with the strict German standard for dyeing and printing, IVN (International Verband Naturtextile). Fundamental labour rights must be complied with throughout the manufacturing process. There is no better way.
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CSR goals
2008
Establish a Corporate Social Responsibility policy
Establish an ethical codex and a code of conduct
Perform training at supplier companies
Initiate self-assessment at all supplier companies
Perform audits at some supplier companies
Prepare a CSR statement
2009
Perform audits at all supplier companies
Prepare the first CSR report
Offer organic clothes in accordance with the GOST standard with EKO label
2010
Become SA 8000 certified at one place of production
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References
Read our Ethical Codex here
Read our Code of Conduct here
Read about Oeko-Tex Standard 100 here
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