Hogewoning:
Sustainable & social
Hogewoning is a sustainable wholesaler of home accessories that supplies products at good, fair prices. How do we do that? Through our many years of experience in the sector, good relations with reliable suppliers, and the desire to continuously improve ourselves.
HOGEWONING AND GREEN BY BLUE: A COLLABORATION THAT PUTS SUSTAINABILITY FIRST
This year saw Hogewoning B.V. start developing and implementing a sustainability strategy. To achieve this, we have been working closely with a team of consultants at Green by Blue since March 2023.
‘Green by Blue is there to support pioneering businesses. Inspiring them to be passionate, brave, and open-minded, we help businesses name, quantify, and achieve their sustainability goals. We develop plans and help to implement, substantiate, and conduct research, so that together we can make as much of a positive impact as possible.’
Sustainability has become an essential theme nowadays, and one that we are gladly committed to. We are eager to show the steps we have taken and to involve our customers and partners in our achievements. Our goal is to set out our achievements in a sustainability report. From 2025, this will be required by law under the ‘Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive’ (CSRD). We talked to our stakeholders about the impact we are making in terms of our Environmental, Social and Governance performance. Together, we have identified a number of material themes that we will incorporate into our sustainability strategy. We are also working with Green by Blue’s consultants to explore how we can measure our social impact and start reporting these results periodically. We aim to produce the first sustainability report in early 2024.
Hogewoning is committed to sustainability:
Environment
We do not want the raw materials used for our home accessories and decorative items to deplete natural resources and energy or to place unnecessary burden on the environment.
We require manufacturers to check the origin of the wood used for our decorative products. They must be able to prove that the wood is legal and originates from forests that have been specially cultivated for this purpose. We undergo an audit every year so that we can retain our FSC certification. And at the request of our customers, we can include the certification logo on the packaging.
All of our products comply with European legislation on the registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction of chemicals – the REACH criteria.
As a sustainable wholesaler, we sometime go a step further than is legally required. As a result, we are able to offer beautiful and safe products, which are tested by the renowned independent companies TÜV Rheinland and SGS.
We are a member of Citeo and are committed to recycling our packaging as well as possible.
What does FSC-certified mean?
The FSC quality mark guarantees that the raw materials used for paper and cardboard come from responsibly managed forests, many of which are often specially cultivated for this purpose. This way, we can preserve primary forests and be sure that no tropical rainforests have been felled to make way for plantations. The FSC quality mark was introduced in 1993 and is the global standard for responsible forest management.
Smart packaging
We are in the process of banning plastic throughout the entire transport chain. Instead of plastic, we use recycled paper and/or FSC-certified cardboard and paper. We are always on the lookout for opportunities to become even more sustainable. For example, we stopped using staples to make it easier to recycle the cardboard and paper after transport.
Transport itself is also becoming more and more sustainable. We package our items carefully and as efficiently as possible. That all starts during the design phase; minor changes to a design can ensure that we don’t have to pack too much ‘air’. And all those little bits of ‘air’ save a huge amount of space in boxes, on pallets, and in containers. Which means we can help the environment and minimize our costs.
Working conditions
Here at Hogewoning, sustainability is about more than just the climate. We consider the well-being and health of the people who make our products to be at least as important.
Many of our products are made in China and India. We work closely with our colleagues and suppliers in those countries. The colleagues at our purchasing offices monitor our standards and values. They make sure that all items are of a consistently high quality and are made in a sustainable, fair way.
This means, among other things, no child labour and that the people who make our products are paid a fair wage and enjoy decent working conditions. Thanks to our efficient work method and large-volume procurement process, we can offer high-quality products at competitive prices. If required, we can also provide our customers with the necessary information about our suppliers.
Job satisfaction
It goes without saying that we also want to treat our colleagues at the office in a way that is both responsible and social. Here at Hogewoning, we put people first: we respect each other and offer good employment conditions and fringe benefits. As such, Hogewoning is a robust family company that is a pleasure to work for.
Hogewoning is a member of Amfori BSCI and Amfori BEPI. Amfori BSCI is an initiative of retailers and importers who are committed to improving working conditions within the production chain. Hogewoning is an active participant in this initiative. We regularly organize quality audits at our production sites. The research reports contain recommendations on how the company can improve its working conditions (‘social standards’) or improve compliance. Where necessary, we advise and support our suppliers in this regard, so that the entire chain becomes a little more sustainable and socially responsible.
The Amfori BSCI Code of Conduct
The Amfori BSCI Code of Conduct describes the basic principles of ethical behaviour and good employment practices with which our suppliers must comply.
- No discrimination on any grounds whatsoever.
- A fair wage, paid on time.
- Decent working hours, with remuneration for occasional overtime.
- Safe and healthy working conditions and, where applicable, living space.
- No child labour.
- Special protection for young workers (no danger to their health or development, no night work or working hours that limit their education opportunities).
- Workers have the right to form and join trade unions.
- Employers take out accident insurance for employees and provide adequate medical facilities and protective clothing where necessary.
- Before they start working, employees are informed about the nature of their work, their rights, their working hours, and the corresponding salary. This is laid down in a legally valid employment contract.
- No forced labour, human trafficking, or physical or mental abuse.
- Protection of the environment, communities, and natural resources.
- Employers and companies do not engage in corruption, bribery, counterfeiting, or extortion.
Source: Amfori.org
Hogewoning has signed the Code of Conduct and our suppliers must also support this Code.
Charities
We donate a percentage of our net profits to local and international charities. We select foundations and initiatives that are committed to helping people, animals, and the environment. For example, we are long-time supporters of the World Wildlife Fund, Médecins Sans Frontières, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Dorcas, and De Brug.
We consciously invest a lot of time and money in the sustainability of our own chain and business operations, and believe it is important that other sectors do the same.