Sustainability Principles

Our sustainability principles have been established in compliance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the OECD Guiding Principles, the ILO Core Labour Standards, the Amfori BSCI Code of Conduct, and the applicable legal framework.

We have defined the context of our organisation as well as the stakeholders and analysed resulting internal and external issues. The goal is achieving continuous improvement in the company’s performance by improving quality, environmental performance, occupational safety, health protection and profitability.

The sustainability principles represent a description of the requirements we have defined. Their application ensures that all activities that affect business performance are planned, controlled, and monitored and that contractually agreed requirements are met.

By this declaration, the management of Aurora Objektwäsche GmbH commits all employees to performing their activities in accordance with the descriptions of the sustainability principles in order to ensure that the quality of the services of our company, as well as compliance with social and ecological standards, meet the requirements.

Management reviews the performance and effectiveness of the sustainability principles by assessment of results, internal and external audits, and performance evaluation.

The Four Pillars of Our Sustainability Principles

We consider a balance between the environment, society, and the economy to be essential for meeting the needs of the current generation without compromising the opportunities of future ones. We strive towards the goal of sustainable development within the company by harmonising the four pillars of our sustainability management:

I. Responsibility along the Supply Chain

Scope of Application
The following social criteria apply to all stages of textile processing, textile manufacturing, and textile trade.

Subcontracting
Subcontracting is only permitted upon coordination with the management of Aurora Objektwäsche GmbH. An approved subcontractor must comply with the entire policy statement, just like the contractor.

Compliance with Laws
We commit to complying with the national and international laws and any other relevant regulations of the countries in which we operate in all business actions and decisions. Short-term economic disadvantages for the company in connection with continuous compliance with the applicable prohibitions or obligations are accepted without any concerns. We also obligate all persons, business partners, and production companies involved in the supply chain to compliance with the applicable laws.

Human Rights and Social Requirements along the Supply Chain
We are committed to respecting human rights and social responsibility along our value chain. We consider ourselves obligated to respect international human rights and to prevent human rights violations at our company and through all stages of the supply chain. The goods we offer are produced exclusively within Europe. We work based on EU law and EU directives. We maintain cooperative, responsible, and personal business relationships with our certified partner companies. Our management and quality management audit all partner companies at regular intervals. Social standards and human rights are already implemented and complied with in our production companies, rather than just being propagated. Compliance with human rights and production of products under fair working conditions is indispensable for us. We offer joint tours of our production facilities to our customers to promote an understanding of sustainable production.

Anti-Corruption
We oppose all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery. We are committed to fighting all forms of corruption, bribery, and extortion since corruption is one of the greatest obstacles to development, reduces equitable decision-making for the common good, and creates inequality among the people. Strengthening of transparency and integrity is essential here.

Safe and Hygienic Working Conditions
Our employees are just as important as our customers. As a result, we focus on targeted induction, training, and further education. We offer our employees all possible conditions to let them do their work in a success-oriented manner. All employees receive occupational health and safety instruction at regular intervals. Notices and warnings advise them to observe the necessary protective measures and to wear the necessary protective equipment. This is to prevent accidents and work-related health hazards. All employees receive the necessary tools. This applies to the necessary protective clothing, as well as to the provision of vehicles, work equipment, and appropriate office equipment. We are committed to preventing or minimising injuries and illnesses.

Fair Working Conditions according to EU Standards
Our production companies, as well as all business partners throughout the supply chain, are obligated to comply with our strict code of conduct for business partners, based on the guidelines of the Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI). This code shall be based on international treaties for the protection of workers’ rights, with the following eleven key elements: Management practices, no dubious employment, working time, remuneration, child labour, forced labour (including prison labour and coercive measures), freedom of association (including freedom of organisation and collective bargaining), discrimination (gender, race, religion), working conditions, health and welfare facilities, health and safety at work (occupational health and safety), environmental aspects, and the special protection of young employees.

II. Sustainable Products

Quality Management
We provide all means required for compliance with the quality objectives and enforcement of the quality policy.
We are committed to continuous improvement and development of quality management.
The stable quality of our products is one of the foundations of our successful business. To us, quality means meeting the demands of our customers and stakeholders in the best manner. In this context, quality is an important criterion for our daily business. It develops a reliable bond with our customers. Acting in a quality-conscious manner also means using valuable resources efficiently and sustainably for us.
All employees have the obligation and the right to work towards removing any circumstances that limit the results of the company’s performance.
A smooth organisation and the most advanced methods of quality management form the necessary framework for this. All employees are obligated to apply the provisions applicable in their areas of responsibility, to constantly monitor their effectiveness, and to adapt them to the latest knowledge and requirements. This understanding and awareness of quality, as well as the attitude of all employees towards quality, are prerequisites for the satisfaction of our customers, and as a result for our company’s lasting success.
We support only durable and certified products.
Certified Product Safety
We produce high quality textiles with a long service life. We always work to avoid adverse effects on the environment, working conditions, and quality.
Our entire textile assortment complies with the STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX.
Our range includes textiles with certification to GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), BCI (Better Cotton Initiative), STeP by OEKO-TEX, and MADE IN GREEN by OEKO-TEX.
Our manufacturing operations are certified to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and members of the amfori BSCI initiative.
Conventional raw materials impair the environment and people. They do not meet the Brundtland Conference’s definition of sustainability.
It was decisive for us to consider the entire life cycle, and thereby the total environmental impact of the product when choosing the labels for our textiles. This ensures the best possible environmental conditions in the factories.
We can promise continuous quality and durability of our products due to our long-term and continuous cooperation with our established suppliers.
We select our suppliers under consideration of the social and environmental risks of our business and procurement model. Since we maintain open communication and exchange of information with our suppliers at all times, we can always guarantee quality awareness and a willingness to take responsibility.

III. Environmental and Climate Protection

Environmental protection is an important part of our corporate policy. We are aware that our activities always affect the environment to a certain degree. As a result, we have the obligation of reducing our impact on the environment to the minimum possible under economic and technical aspects by application of sophisticated processes. Our responsibility in handling the environment and resources requires identification and evaluation of our significant environmental aspects as well as compliance with defined environmental goals and programmes and their verification based on measurable characteristics.
We have set ourselves the goal of harmonising environmental precaution by improving environmental performance and avoiding or reducing environmental pollution wherever this is technically and organisationally possible and economically viable based on a shared responsibility for people and the environment. In this context, we consider compliance with legal and official regulations and other environmental interests as well as the environmental protection requirements that we set for ourselves, and exceeding them if possible, a matter of course.
All of our employees are involved in our management system. They have the right and the obligation to work towards eliminating circumstances that cause an unnecessary burden on the environment. We promote environmentally conscious action on the part of our employees both inside and outside of the company by offering information and training. At the same time, we want to keep improving the company’s environmental protection aspects.

IV. Commitment to Society and Employees

We have been firmly rooted in Dinslaken for years. We are happy to play a part in local development. Thanks to the company’s steady growth, construction of the planned new building at the headquarters in Dinslaken could commence in early 2020. An ultra-modern and progressive office building is being built here. It will have three floors and is not only almost climate-neutral thanks to electricity generation from a fuel cell, but also guarantees a pleasant working environment for our employees and offers enough space for everyone’s individual development with its extremely good equipment.
Well-trained and highly motivated employees are the key to our success. As a result, we have been training young people in the field of wholesale and foreign trade as well as warehouse specialists for several years. We want to give an example of future-oriented action by not only securing the future of young people, but also actively helping to provide long-term jobs and opening up the option of professional development in our company.
We have consciously determined our stakeholders. We have analysed their demands and interests through open dialogues and maintain an ongoing, open exchange with them.

Our Responsibility
All employees must comply with the requirements of integrated management. They are asked to report any improvements to their respective supervisors. We have identified our risks and dangers and inform everyone affected about them at regular intervals.
All actions within the company must be aligned with the company policy and the sustainability principles. Deviations must be reported to the management at once by all parties involved. We commit to implementing all official requirements and to complying with relevant laws and regulations within the framework of our integrated management system. At the same time, we want to keep improving the company’s environmental protection aspects.
Continuous improvement of our performance in the areas of quality, safety, environment, and health are further prerequisites for us to effectively reduce costs and make an important contribution to increasing quality and protecting our environment.
The sustainability principles are reviewed at least every two years to ensure that they remain up to date. If necessary, they are adapted and updated.