Production
We work in close partnership with some of the design industry’s most
talented artisans. We produce our products in different regions of the
world, depending on the raw materials and the expertise required.
We are committed to sourcing and producing our products respon-
sibly and work to protect workers’ rights and ensure safe and healthy
working environments. All our suppliers have signed our Code of
Conduct and we are working towards getting all our key suppliers
BSCI-audited.
Throughout our supply chain, we nurture long-lasting relationships
based on mutual value creation, respectful behaviour and transparent
communication. We want to open our world to everyone. By sharing
inspiring supplier and production stories, we invite people behind
the scenes and into the journey of our products and our work with
responsibility.
Materials
Today, almost a third of our products have a RESPONSIBLE tag. See
page 129 for further explanation.
We challenge ourselves to make more sustainable choices in the de-
sign phase. We work to ensure that as many products as possible are
made from responsible materials. Several of our designs are made
from a single material, making them easier to recycle if and when cus-
tomers wish to do so.
Quality
We want to make it easy for our customers to buy responsible prod-
ucts and use them for longer. Designing for longevity is the founda-
tion for minimising our resource consumption and CO2 emissions.
Our designs are made to last and be passed on through generations.
To ensure this, they must be of high quality and must arrive at their
destination in good condition.
We employ strict responsibility criteria for new products and have
a comprehensive quality control system to ensure that each product
lives up to our high-quality standards. Additionally, our suppliers
consistently perform on-site quality control inspections, while we
routinely visit manufacturing locations to conduct our own quality
control checks.
Packaging
From gift boxes and protective material to hang-tags and tote bags,
packaging is an area where we can make a big difference.
It is our goal to make all our gift boxes and hang tags from FSCTM-
certified cardboard and paper and to be printed with black soy-based
ink. We have almost reached our target. Our tote bags are made from
sustainably produced textiles in a design that inspires repeated use.
The majority of the packaging used to protect products during ship-
ping is made from natural-based materials such as cardboard, paper
pulp and craft paper. Smaller items and textiles are packaged in recy-
clable plastic bags. Since 2020, we have reduced the amount of Styro-
foam in our packaging by half and continue to work closely with our
manufacturers in the search for sustainable alternatives.
Certification and initiatives
Our work with responsibility and a sustainable mindset covers both
environmental and social contexts. Certifications and testing ensure
working conditions in our supply chain are safe and fair and that our
products are responsibly produced and of high quality.
Where relevant, products are tested before they become a part of our
collection. These include lighting, furniture, outdoor pieces, kitchen
and children’s products. To adhere to REACH regulations, accredit-
ed testing agencies such as the Danish Technological Institute con-
duct tests on our products through processes defined by law.
We currently work with the following certifications and initiatives:
GOTS – The Global Organic Textile Standard. Recognised as the
world’s leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fi-
bres. It defines high-level environmental and social criteria along the
entire organic textiles supply chain.
OCS 100 and Organic Blended – The Organic Content Standard.
Verifies the presence and amount of organic material in a final prod-
uct, tracking the flow of a raw material from its source to the final
product.
FSCTM – The Forest Stewardship CouncilTM. An international,
non-profit certification scheme for wood and paper. In FSCTM forest-
ry, animals and plant life are protected and no more wood is felled
than the forest can reproduce. At the same time, FSCTM ensures that
workers’ rights throughout the certified supply chain are respected.
NORDIC SWAN ECOLABEL – Our candles meet the Nordic Swan
Ecolabel specific criteria for environmental performance as well as
health aspects, quality and safety.
BSCI - Business Social Compliance Initiative. An industry driven
initiative by AMFORI, which aims to monitor and assess workplace
standards across global supply chains. An AMFORI BSCI audit helps
us to ensure that all our key suppliers treat their workers legally and
ethically correct.
UN Global Compact – We are members of the UN Global Compact,
and our Code of Conduct is based on their Ten Guiding Principles. It
defines the ethical principles of our business and has been signed by
all our partners and suppliers. The purpose of the principles set out
in our Code of Conduct is to protect workers’ health, ensure their
safety during production and ensure an ethical and fair partnership
for everybody.
Our Code of Conduct is available at fermliving.com.
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