Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility
Sustainability is in our DNA
Sustainability is in our nature and is deeply rooted in our organization. For over 30 years, we have been striving to create a healthy and liveable outdoor environment. We do this with our collections that encourage outdoor living and promote biodiversity. We want to introduce people, especially children, to nature and the outdoors and ensure they enjoy it—not just this generation, but many generations to come! Therefore, sustainability is in our DNA.
Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility
As a growing and leading company, we also have a great responsibility. We want to conduct business sustainably and responsibly with common sense. We aim to structure important themes within our operations for the long term rather than being swayed by daily trends.
Sustainability Pillars of Esschert Design
Our ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategy is an integral part of our business strategy, uniting all sustainability initiatives. All initiatives, goals, and plans are divided into four sustainability pillars.
Esscherts nature
As a company, we highly value biodiversity, as we use many natural materials such as wood. Our products are closely connected with nature. Additionally, climate change directly impacts our business model and the products we sell.
Within the first pillar of our ESG strategy, we focus on four concrete topics related to nature and the environment: Energy, CO2 & Climate, Biodiversity & Ecosystems, Packaging, and Waste & Circularity.
FSC®
 | We have been working hard on this theme for years. Since 2006, we have had an official FSC® certificate, and the vast majority of the wood in our range now comes from sustainable forestry. You can find everything about FSC® and FSC®-certified products in our range here. |
Esscherts people
Ensuring a healthy and safe working environment for our colleagues is central to the second pillar of our ESG strategy. Within this pillar, we emphasize:
- Employee Satisfaction: We aim to keep staff turnover low, promote a good work-life balance, and encourage open communication, feedback culture, and teamwork.
- Healthy Work Environment: We commit to low absenteeism, encourage healthy eating by providing free fruit, have sufficient first aid responders (BHV'ers) and AED devices, and conduct annual safety checks on equipment and work procedures in our warehouse.
Recognized Training Company
 | As an organization that values openness and accessibility, we place great importance on a diverse workforce. Since 2009, we have employed a team of Wajong members, consisting of employees with a distance to the labour market. These employees perform various tasks and are an integral part of our work process. To provide the Wajong target group with a permanent place in society, we have set up a training program where these employees follow an MBO course. This provides a solid foundation for further career steps. Currently, the group consists of about 20 people, who are continuously guided on the work floor by a specialized work coach. |
Esscherts supply chain
Besides our direct colleagues, the people who make our products are also an integral part of our ESG strategy. The third pillar of our strategy focuses specifically on our supply chain and mainly includes social sustainability themes.
- Responsible Production Locations: We aim to gradually increase the number of production locations in high-risk countries with valid social audits (BSCI, SEDEX, WRAP, etc.) to 95% (based on purchase value), with an intermediate goal of 80% by the end of 2024. For environmental audits (BEPI), we will set a separate goal.
- Human Rights: We avoid production and sourcing in areas with a high risk of human rights violations.
- Short Production Chains: We aim for more production in our own country or within the EU and want to reduce the average transport distance of our products.
- Responsible Purchasing: We work towards a more equitable relationship between customer and supplier, implement guidelines for responsible purchasing, aim to reduce cancellations and increase the number of long-term supplier relationships (longer than 10 years).
Amfori
 | Esschert Design is a member of amfori, a leading business association for sustainable trade that helps companies worldwide actively engage in socially responsible and environmentally friendly business practices. We expect our suppliers to comply with the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct, which sets out minimum requirements for a safe working environment, fair wages, a ban on forced labor, and environmental impact. |
Esscherts product
The final pillar of our ESG strategy focuses entirely on our product range. We strive to offer products that not only have a sustainable character but are also produced sustainably. Within this pillar, we emphasize:
- Sustainable Materials: We aim to increase the use of sustainably certified materials such as organic cotton, FSC® wood, organic rubber, responsible leather, and recycled material. At the same time, we want to reduce the number of products with high-risk materials such as palm oil and soy. Besides FSC®, we also want to obtain a GRS certificate.
- Sustainable Design: We integrate eco-design principles into our entire product development process and strive to increase the number of recyclable products (mono-material).
- Product Safety: We only work with suppliers who adhere to the highest quality and safety standards.
- Transparency and Traceability: We aim to make our production locations transparent, including Tiers 2 to 4 of our supply chain.
Recycling
 | Besides wood, the share of sustainably certified material is steadily increasing in our range. Recently, we introduced a bird feeder line made from 100% recycled plastic, various items such as doormats made from recycled rubber, and we see a growing number of products in our Esschert’s Garden range made entirely from recycled glass. Additionally, we strive to use as much recycled plastic as possible in our products. |