Social responsibility

Quality, health & safety at work, environmental protection and careful use of resources are key aspects in our understanding of a holistic GKD standard. From the careful selection and testing of raw materials and other materials, through the product manufacturing process, to packaging and logistics, we continually drive forward new environmentally friendly developments and ideas. Over and above our corporate actions we want to make a sustainable contribution toward a worthwhile future. We review our own performance in regular audits. We have been certified in the field of management systems for many years, as documented by numerous individual certificates.

Our products are produced in Europe, as well as in the US, Asia and Africa. At all of our production operations, we offer staff long-term employment opportunities. Irrespective of their cultural background, all locations have a similar corporate culture, which places great emphasis on the human level. Hierarchies are flat, communication channels to management are short and direct, employees are viewed as individuals. This commonality is a trusting foundation for our cooperative business relations.

We select our international partners and suppliers carefully. A healthy working environment, friendly interactions, and sparing use of resources represent fundamental requirements here. We also focus on close collaboration, which we maintain through regular visits and audits at the production sites.

As a family business, our objective is to preserve the same living conditions and resources as we currently enjoy for future generations. This environmental management is part of our corporate responsibility. The latest technologies and alternative solutions help us continuously reduce our energy consumption. Thanks to well-thought-out heat recovery systems we can, for example, reduce consumption of valuable natural resources. To keep the proportion of non-recyclable waste as low as possible, we ensure careful separation and correct disposal of waste materials, such as metal and plastic, paper, foil, batteries and electronic scrap. We also expect our international subsidiaries and suppliers to continuously optimize and integrate environmental and energy-saving aspects into their product development.

Our contribution to climate protection means reducing, offsetting, or ideally preventing CO2 emissions. Our approach here includes both major and minor measures, with which we constantly explore new avenues. One initial and very important step is to coordinate meetings around the globe to avoid unnecessary travel. To also save time, and in particular to prevent emissions from occurring in the first place, we have been successfully using video conferences for many years. These not only make a positive contribution toward climate protection, but also toward personal communication.