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Optik Paper
SUSTAINABILITY – HAMELIN BRANDS
“Express yourself, we care”
Being a family business, allows us to develop the long-term sense rather than focus exclusively on short-term profit. We set new standards to minimize our footprint at every step in the product life-cycle. We are committed to unleashing talents by offering our consumers innovative and sustainable products.
“We have a strong sense of responsibility toward future generations by offering them well-designed products with indisputable environmental performance. Our mission is to give all pupils and students the right tools with the guarantee that we constantly strive to minimize their impact on the environment.” Eric Joan, CEO.
Our basic premise is that preserving the environment shouldn’t be the consumer’s problem. It’s our job to make each product in a responsive way, with microscopic focus on every part of the supply chain.
#Commitment 1: Rethinking HAMELIN products to reduce the environmental footprint through Eco-design and Ecolabelling
The eco-design approach made us reconsider the entire life-cycle of our products from sourcing, paper manufacture, conversion, transport to end-of-life. With the help of experts, eight task forces have been created to analyze the major sources of environmental impact. We adopted a scientific approach for all our products categories by making Products Life Cycle Assessments according to the ISO 14044 standard. This work allowed us to reduce the environmental impacts of our products.
We support only Ecolabels that reduces the products’ environmental footprint during their entire life-cycle. The EU Ecolabel for converted paper products is the only official pan-European Ecolabel guaranteeing the reduction of environmental impacts through factors such as the use of FSC® and PEFC™ certified paper, reduced air and water pollution, no toxic and hazardous chemicals, paper waste reduction and lower energy consumption.
#Commitment 2: Contributing to environmental preservation through responsible sourcing
We promote sustainable forest management certification to contribute positively to the preservation of our forests.
“We exercise constant vigilance regarding the origin of the paper and cardboard we source.” Managing Director of Books and Pads.
Since 2003, we have been sourcing our raw materials in an ecologically responsible manner, by using FSC® or PEFC™ certified paper.
We require our paper suppliers to provide environmental guarantees. 43% of our writing papers are already certified by the EU Ecolabel for “copying and graphic paper.” For all other paper and board, as there is no EU Ecolabel, we require more information from our suppliers such as water pollution (COD, AOX, NTot, PTot), air emissions (SO2, NOx, CO2 fossil), solid waste landfill and purchased electricity consumption, to ensure that environmentally-friendly processes were used.
Key numbers:
#Commitment 3: Reducing our carbon footprint to participate in the fight against climate change
We certified our first factory in Germany by ISO 50001 for the management of energy in 2016. Two other factories in France are being certified. This standard specifies requirements for energy use and consumption, including measurement, documentation and reporting, design and procurement of equipment and systems, processes and personnel that contribute to energy performance.
#Commitment 4: Favoring the recyclability and durability of products we put onto the market
Two of our most important challenges are to favor the recyclability of our products but also to increase their durability.
Our notebooks respect the recyclability standardsfor they are tested in a laboratory according to the INGEDE Method 12. For instance, this allows us to surely claim that our OXFORD exercise books containing glue are 100% recyclable. Moreover, Oxford OPTIK PAPER® is de-inkable during paper recycling process and our laminated covers can be recycled without being removed.
A way of reducing a product’s environmental footprint is to prolong its life-cycle or to allow for its reuse. When creating new products, we develop more resistant materials to improve the product’s lifespan or to ensure the product remains intact throughout the school year.
#Commitment 5: Assessing and improving all our processes for better quality, environmental and safety performances
In 2011, we launched the “JUMP” project to improve our quality, environmental and safety performances. The JUMP project aimed to implement a management system across all our sites in Europe. Beyond looking at the quality of the products we make, our focus is on the quality of every process we undertake. Today, our 21 Hamelin European sites have been certified ISO 9001 (Quality), 14001 (Environment) and OHSAS 18001 (Health and Safety) compliant.
In 2018, we launched the project “ZERO” related to the Health and Safety of all our colleagues and visitors. The project aims to durable decreasing of accident numbers to approach « zero » by 2019 through implementing an effective prevention action plans and developing the Safety Culture thanks to our Safety Managers.
#Commitment 6: Ensuring social responsibility supporting the skills and talents of our employees
Our responsibility is to support the skills and talents of our people so that they can develop expertise, autonomy, reactivity and team spirit.
In 2016, we introduced a Code of Ethicsto set out key guidelines for fostering a friendly and collaborative working environment. As we are constantly trying to improve ourselves, we measure our employee satisfaction every three years focusing on values such as ethics, respect, credibility, pride and friendliness.
We encourage social initiatives toward the local communities close to our plants such as for example: