Vision, policies and goals
At Sandqvist, we produce stylish everyday bags that are made to last. We are committed to doing this in a way that is fair to everyone involved and with care for the environment. This means taking responsibility for the impact of our products throughout their life cycle, both on people and the planet. We are committed to upholding human rights for all those involved in making our products, and we are committed to ensuring our products have as little negative impact on the environment as possible.
Being ''sustainable where possible'' is not good enough for us. We are acutely aware of how people are being exploited in global supply chains, particularly women who make up the majority of the textile industry’s workforce, and we know too well how the textile industry is affecting the environment. It is in our own business interest to acknowledge that everyone, independent of gender identity, is entitled to a safe workplace.
We respect all national legislations in the countries in which we operate. We respect the responsibility we have as a company according to the United Nations Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights. We are held accountable by our membership organisation Fair Wear whereby they evaluate how well we are working to uphold the FW Code of Labour Practices, based on The ILOs 8 core labour conventions. We also expect this Responsible Business Conduct policy to hold us accountable from our stakeholders (such as suppliers, workers, communities, customers, employees) and expect our suppliers and business partners to uphold the principles herein.
We’ve worked hard to create a formula to ensure sustainability is a top focus in everything we do. We have defined three focus areas where we know our business has an impact on people and planet:
Sandqvist has set ambitious sustainability goals of where we want to be by 2025. This includes the people making our products, the material we use, our impact on the climate and how we contribute to culture and society. Some of these goals we can easily set a roadmap for, like banning single use plastic. Others, like becoming climate neutral, we don’t know how to achieve just yet. But we’re working on it. We have a number of policies that will guide us in reaching our goals for sustainable design at Sandqvist.
Sandqvist is committed to being a responsible business. We want to create great products that our customers will enjoy to use for years to come, and we want to do so whilst ensuring no one is harmed in the process, not people nor the planet. We are aware of the risks towards stakeholders and the environment that lie within our supply chain and business operations and we are committed to mimimising our negative impact as much as we possibly can. Our Responsible Business Conduct policy, that was developed with and approved by senior management, guides us as a business in who we want to be and how we want to do business. You can read more about our RBC policy here.
Our sustainable materials policy outlines our ambition to decrease the environmental impact of our products. This includes our commitment to only using organic cotton and synthetic materials containing recycled fibres. For leather, only hides treated in tanneries rated Gold or Silver by the Leather Working Group (LWG) for their environmental status can be used. Furthermore, the policy specifies that only leather that is a by-product from the meat and dairy industry can be used. Hides should be sourced from countries with high standards for animal welfare.
The Chemicals Policy set strict requirements on both chemicals that can remain in the end product (product related chemicals), but also on chemicals used in the production (process chemicals). Restrictions on product related chemicals for all products delivered to Sandqvist are outlined in the restricted substance list (RSL) of the AFIRM Working Group. These requirements are stricter than those set up by the European Union (REACH). All process chemicals used in the production of Sandqvist’s products should follow the Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) developed by the initiative Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC).
All suppliers working on Sandqvist products must follow Sandqvist’s code of labour practices for suppliers. The code stipulates minimum requirements for working conditions based on International Labour Organization (ILO) and UN principles. This includes the right of all workers to join trade unions, the right to a living wage, reasonable hours of work, safe working conditions and a legally binding employment relationship. Child labour and all forms of discrimination are strictly banned. Our code is based on Fair Wear Foundation –
Fair Wear Foundation – Code of Labor Practices.
The Swedish Fashion Ethical Charter sets out guidelines on body ideals, diversity and issues on corporate social responsibility. The policy addresses all roles and disciplines within the industry, from designers and brands, to modelling agencies, casting agents, commercial buyers, stylists, as well as marketing departments, advertising agencies, photographers and media.
Sandqvist’s sustainability report gives us the opportunity to disclose in more detail what we do and how we meet our targets.
Download our 2021 sustainability report here.
Download our 2020 sustainability report here.
Download our 2019 sustainability report here.
Download our 2018 sustainability report here.