HAKRO is Fair Wear Leader
We have some great news that makes us really, really proud. After just three years, we have raised our Fair Wear status from ‘Good’ to ‘Leader’. This shows us that we are on the right track to offer the people behind our products good, safe and fair working and living conditions. Since 2021, HAKRO has been a member of Fair Wear, an internationally recognised multi-stakeholder initiative that audits textile companies and their production facilities for compliance with social standards. Our commitment to fair working conditions is scrutinised in an annual Brand Performance Check and our progress in implementing the Fair Wear Code of Conduct is documented. Fair Wear sets high standards for labour rights and social responsibility in the industry. As a member of this global initiative, we are committed to strictly adhering to these standards and working continuously with our production partners to improve them even further. The ‘Leader’ status that we achieved in 2024 confirms that we are on the right path and motivates us to further strengthen our commitment to fair working conditions and sustainable practices.
Learn more
HELLO AGAIN: HAKRO closes the textile loop
HAKRO is one of the first German textile companies to implement a genuine circular economy together with customers and partners. The workwear supplier takes back worn-out products and uses their recycled fibres for its new circular label HELLO AGAIN. Around 5.8 million tonnes of used textiles are produced every year in Europe alone. The majority of this is thermally utilised in waste incineration. This means that huge quantities of valuable resources are lost. Recycling is the order of the day, yet today less than 1 per cent of used textile fibres are processed into new clothing. Up to now, there has been a lack of logistical structures and technical possibilities to process the fibres of used clothing in a closed cycle and use them for the production of new textiles.HAKRO is known for its particularly durable workwear. As part of the resource-intensive textile industry, the company is aware of its responsibility towards the environment, climate and society. HAKRO clothing is developed for the heavy demands of everyday working life and is produced under fair conditions. It lasts much longer than average clothing, but at some point even a long-lasting HAKRO garment is worn out. That is why HAKRO is actively looking for solutions that will enable the fibres used in its products to be reused several times in the future. There are already examples in other sectors. The principle of material cycles has proven itself in paper, glass and PET recycling. Together with the fibre recycling start-up TURNS®, HAKRO has now been able to establish its own closed material cycle for cotton fibres. In the long term, the circular recycling of all HAKRO material blends and products is planned. HAKRO Managing Director Carmen Kroll comments: ‘As a manufacturer of high-quality workwear, we are committed to a sustainable value chain. This goes beyond the last working day of the textiles. Until now, we have unfortunately had little influence on the disposal of our products. We are therefore very pleased to now be able to offer our customers a sustainable end-of-life solution.We have found the best partner for this in the start-up TURNS®. The recycling experts offer an innovative all-round carefree solution, they handle the entire logistics and control the quality of the recycling process. I was impressed by the concept of the two founders right from the start. That's why I'm delighted to be able to support them as a business angel.’The TURNS® fibre cycle starts with AI-based material recognition. The used textiles are first sorted according to colour and fibre properties, then the fibres are removed from the material using fine needles and processed with fresh, sustainable cotton to create new yarns and cotton knitwear. Some work steps currently still have to be carried out by hand, which is labour-intensive, but the entire recycling process should be automated by the end of 2024. In contrast to chemical recycling, in which the material is synthetically broken down into its basic building blocks using a great deal of energy and cotton is downcycled into cellulose, the fibre structure is retained in fibre-to-fibre recycling. However, the fibres are shortened slightly during each recycling process and are therefore not yet suitable for the production of the particularly robust and durable HAKRO workwear. However, textiles for everyday use can be produced from the recycled fibres without any problems. So HAKRO came up with the idea of adding a modern casual line to its workwear.The new brand is called HELLO AGAIN. It consists of casually cut T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants and hoodies in a comfortable oversized style in natural and pastel colours. The colours are partly derived from the recycled fibres used. This allows the origin of the textile to be experienced in a subtle way, giving the styles a special authenticity. The proportion of recycled fibres is already 30 percent and is set to increase further as the possibilities of textile technology grow. The first HELLO AGAIN textiles are expected to be available at the beginning of next year. The new, sustainable label is aimed at a broader target group than classic HAKRO workwear. The marketing and sales strategy will therefore also differ significantly from HAKRO's strategy. Jürgen Pruy, Head of Sales & Partnerships, is particularly proud that HAKRO is already setting the course for the goals of the EU Green Deal guidelines to be achieved by 2030 and explains: ‘The circular economy can only really get off the ground together with specialist retail partners, consumers and the entire industry. There is an urgent need for catalysts. In line with the motto test, learn, build bigger, we have simply set off on our journey. The positive feedback from many customers and stakeholders gives us a real boost. We hope that this will perhaps also inspire others to actively implement a circular textile economy.’ www.turns.dewww.helloagain-loop.com
Learn more
INGB - The first Integrated Sustainable Annual Report 2022
We are breaking new ground with our first Integrated Sustainable Annual Report 2022. We are combining what belongs together. In a time that calls for prudence and foresight, we are making sustainable entrepreneurial action our HAKRO corporate core. With the Integrated Sustainable Annual Report, we are continuing our previous sustainability reporting. We have big plans, because we want to be the leading integrated sustainable provider of corporate wear by 2030. If you want to achieve this, you have to lead the way. And those who do so will not be able to avoid ‘firsts’. Because it takes courage to try something new without a manual. The name ‘First’ of the Integrated Sustainable Annual Report therefore says it all: For the first time, we have integrated the most important stakeholder groups into a comprehensive strategy development process. First and foremost our employees, but also many retailers and production partners have given free rein to their creativity. For the first time, we had our programme for enforcing human and labour rights in global supply chains audited according to the demanding criteria of the Fair Wear Foundation (Fair Wear). We have been a Fair Wear member since January 2021 and achieved ‘Good’ status in the first Brand Performance Check in April 2022. For the first time, we are making our entire collection climate-neutral. The previous and planned measures to avoid and reduce production-related greenhouse gas emissions encourage us to offset the remaining emissions via an ambitious climate protection project, starting with the 2022 collection. Why ‘integrated sustainable’? ‘Sustainability doesn't belong big and fancy on the flags, but right at the top of the agenda. For all of us, not as an appendix to routine and certainly not as a green fig leaf, but as a natural part of our collective actions. Because sustainability is not a trend. It is an integral part of the clothing industry. We cannot and must not do anything other than take care of it,’ explain our HAKRO Managing Directors Carmen Kroll, Thomas Müller and Danny Jüngling. Since 2015, we at HAKRO have provided annual transparency on our sustainability performance. The last sustainability report entitled ‘Holds’ was published in 2019 for the 2018 reporting year. The Integrated Sustainable Annual Report 2022 contains information for the 2019 - 2021 financial years, takes stock of the five-year sustainability strategy cycle ‘Active Ingredient 2017 - 2022’ and explains the future path of HAKRO GmbH: How the framework conditions and the context of the wide range of business activities will develop. What the understanding of responsible business is in view of all this. What roadmap the company has set itself with its vision, mission and goals. How the HAKRO Corporate Compass sets out binding rules, values and responsibility. And the important role that partners play in this, as well as appreciative dialogue, cooperation, trust and co-creation. The report has been prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards (2021 version) and fulfils the transparency requirements for a social report in accordance with Fair Wear (FWF) for the first time. It is also a progress report for the UN Global Compact (UNGC) and the WIN Charter of the state of Baden-Württemberg.View the INGB in PDF format now.
Learn more
HAKRO MILE STONE 2023: CERTIFICATION “CRADLE TO CRADLE CERTIFIED®”
The global standard ‘Cradle to Cradle Certified®’ is awarded by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII), a non-profit organisation that aims to promote the circular economy and ensure safe products. In the certification process, the institute checks material and product properties in relation to five categories: Material Health, Material Cycle, Renewable Energy, Water Management and Social Responsibility. The certifications are based on strict criteria and are divided into bronze, silver, gold and platinum levels. The levels reflect not only the quality of the individual components of a product, but also the depth of data collection.With 14 T-shirts and polo shirts made from 100% cotton from its partner company in Bangladesh, the corporate clothing supplier HAKRO GmbH achieved ‘C2C Certified®’ certification at bronze level straight away. ‘We want to be the leading provider of integrated sustainable corporate clothing by 2030,’ says Carmen Kroll, who is the second generation to manage the medium-sized family business with 200 employees. ‘After we became the first provider of corporate clothing to make our entire collection climate-neutral at the beginning of 2022, the C2C Certified® certification of our cotton products from Bangladesh is another milestone in our sustainable business strategy.’ She sees this first ‘C2C Certified®’ certification process as a pilot project and already has her sights set on the comprehensive expansion of ‘C2C Certified®’ certifications for HAKRO.Antonia Hammel, responsible for the ‘C2C Certified®’ certification at HAKRO, comments: ‘A ’C2C Certified®" certification is a very demanding and complex process from all points of view. Achieving bronze status with 14 products is a great success, but for HAKRO it's just the beginning. In line with our high standards in all sustainability issues, we also want to have the model range from other production sites certified."Commenting on the decision to undergo the first ‘C2C Certified®’ certification for HAKRO T-shirts and polo shirts from Bangladesh, project manager Antonia Hammel from the Purchasing, Quality & Development department says: ‘Our long-standing production partner in Bangladesh runs a vertically integrated operation that bundles several production stages at one location, so that we were able to obtain the comprehensive data required for certification from a single source.’Implementing a genuine circular economy is still a major challenge in many areas, including the textile industry. Although the ‘Cradle to Cradle Certified®’ certification guarantees the recyclability of textiles and thus their suitability in principle for closed material cycles, the certificate alone is not enough to make this a reality. "For a complete translation of the recyclability of materials into actual closed-loop management, more is needed than a commitment at company level. Currently, for example, there is still a lack of corresponding industry infrastructure in Germany. But HAKRO has staying power, and we are working shoulder to shoulder with like-minded market players, pioneers, NGOs and providers of joint solutions to achieve this goal," says Antonia Hammel, describing HAKRO's corporate commitment.HAKRO Managing Director Carmen Kroll explains why the company has been acting comprehensively and consistently sustainably for many years: "Sustainability is not a marketing trend for us. At HAKRO, sustainability is right at the top of the agenda and is an integral part of our integrated sustainable business strategy. Our aim is to set a good example in the textile industry, to show what is possible and to encourage other companies to take the path to a sustainable future seriously."
Learn more
iMPACT PROGRAM - a jointly developed audit system
Sustainability is always a top priority at HAKRO. That is why we are continuously working to further develop our entire supply chain and make it even more sustainable. Together with the clothing company OLYMP Bezner KG, we have developed a comprehensive audit programme as part of our corporate duty of care, which will serve as the basis for our sustainability management along the entire supply chain. ‘The growing challenges within global supply chains can be solved much better together, which is why it is worth leaving familiar thought patterns behind and joining forces in co-operations. Especially if you want to achieve a big impact,’ says Carmen Kroll, Managing Director of HAKRO. How can apparel brands improve the sustainable development of their global production facilities in future and use audits as part of their corporate duty of care less as a monitoring tool and more as a basis for sustainability management? ‘Our teams first defined the requirements that an audit must fulfil for us. Together with ELEVATE Ltd. in Hong Kong, one of the world's leading providers of sustainability and supply chain services, we then developed our audit programme in a nine-month process,’ says Jochen Schmidt, Head of Quality, Values & Sustainability at HAKRO. As two of the approximately 140 members of the multi-stakeholder initiative Fair Wear Foundation, both HAKRO and OLYMP are among the clothing brands that have committed themselves to ensuring fair working conditions in the textile industry. ‘That's why it was important to us right from the start to involve the experts from the Fair Wear Foundation in the development process and incorporate their valuable suggestions into the audit programme,’ reports Jochen Schmidt. The result: a joint audit programme called the ‘iMPACT Programme’. The acronym iMPACT is formed from the English terms ‘Insight’, ‘Motivation’, ‘Partnership’, ‘Action’, ‘Capacity Building’ and ‘Transparancy’, which characterise the principles of the programme. The iMPACT Programme focuses primarily on the people within the supply chain, provides honest and in-depth insights into production conditions and is intended to motivate partner companies and clients alike to act together and in partnership, develop expertise in safeguarding social standards and ensure the highest possible level of transparency. In this way, the iMPACT programme creates the basis for continuous further development in a spirit of partnership with the aim of actively improving the situation of people in the supply chain. To this end, employees within the production facility are also involved in evaluation processes so that any problems can be identified directly and effective improvements can be made. Our aim for the future is to make our jointly developed iMPACT PROGRAMME available to other companies in the textile and clothing industry.
Learn more
FAIR WEAR BRAND PERFORMANCE CHECK 2022
We have been a member of Fair Wear since January 2021. As an internationally recognised multi-stakeholder initiative, Fair Wear audits textile companies and the working conditions in production facilities in accordance with the Fair Wear Code of Conduct. By joining Fair Wear, we have now taken the essential next step and are committed to the highest social standards - a stringent further development of our previous measures for fair and safe working conditions in the factories of our production partners. As a multi-stakeholder initiative, Fair Wear offers us unique support through its broad expertise on social standards in the textile sector, not least through its extensive network of different stakeholders and players. As part of our Fair Wear membership, we formulate an annual work plan with measures for the coming year. In an annual Brand Performance Check, we are reviewed with regard to our supplier management, our sustainability management, our supply chain monitoring and the measures derived from this to ensure social justice in production and our purchasing behaviour. We successfully completed our first Brand Performance Check at the beginning of April 2022. We achieved ‘Good’ status straight away, which makes us very happy. With 60 points, our performance is well above the score required for membership in the first year. In total, we audited 73% of our production volume - this also exceeds the threshold for first-year members. We had to postpone the auditing of our production partners in Laos until 2022 due to the pandemic. ‘HAKRO has performed well in its first year and laid a strong foundation. We are pleased to see that HAKRO works so closely with Olymp, another Fair Wear member, and maintains strong partnerships with its production partners. We are excited to see the progress and developments towards living wages,’ says Wilco van Bokhorst, our Fair Wear Foundation Brand Performance Checker. ‘For two days, Wilco van Bokhorst, our performance checker/auditor, scrutinised us from top to bottom,’ says Anna Rüchardt, responsible for Fair Wear membership in the Quality, Values & Sustainability department, ’The two days were exciting, instructive, intensive and exhausting, especially as the entire audit was conducted in English. But we came through with flying colours - big thanks to everyone who supported us with the preparations and answered Wilco's questions’.You can find the link to our first social report here.
Learn more