The Teamdress Holding GmbH declaration of principles on socially responsible corporate governance can be found via this link: DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLE
We have opted for a new reporting format for the past year 2023. This should cover existing or expected requirements from (meta)seals in connection with supply chain laws and guidelines.
Our report shows that we have further intensified our strict pursuit of sustainability.
In the end, however, it is always our dedicated employees who design, plan and implement this progress, whether in Western, Southern and Eastern Europe or in Central Asia.
We would like to thank our customers for this commitment and for their appreciation of our efforts to increase sustainability.
Yours sincerely
Since 1920 Teamdress has been a creative and reliable garment manufacturer with a focus on textile service and laundry supply in the German-speaking, Benelux and Polish markets. As before, the complete product development process is carried out in-house. Our many years of experience as well as our competence in product design, consulting, and joint project implementation form the basis of trust for our customers. For this we have various certifications and pursue different commitments:
The Teamdress Group continues to produce at locations in Europe or its border regions, partly in its own factories in Poland, Ukraine and, more recently, in Uzbekistan, and partly through contract manufacturing in Moldova, Ukraine, Bosnia, Bulgaria and Albania. Our guidelines for development, planning and production are consistently based on the following elements:
This approach is not only geared to ecological goals, but also pursues a high level of customer satisfaction. Very low complaint rates and long durability of our products successfully ensure both goals.
FAIR WEAR - Link: Teamdress-BRAND PERFORMANCE CHECK Bündnis für nachhaltige Textilien - Link: Teamdress-MEMBER REPORT
The guiding principle of longevity, and therefore resource conservation, of Teamdress products remains fully intact. The focus and the achievement of our ecological goals remain unchanged on the combination of high quality, durability and wearing comfort. The high quality requirements for all stages of product development are continuously implemented in our quality management and documented accordingly. Since 1993, this has been certified by DEKRA in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001. In addition to using fabrics with a high polyester content and durable raw materials and ingredients, our workwear is always designed so that repairs can be carried out easily. For all collections, repair materials can be obtained from us by our customers. The reduction in the need for new purchases accordingly ensures ongoing reduced production emissions and conserves resources. Regular training and detailed agreements with our suppliers ensure that sources of error in development, raw material procurement and production are identified in good time, thus further reducing product risks. The wearing comfort we have developed from our working life is not only a relief in everyday working life. A comfortable item of clothing is simply worn for longer. A longer wearing time means that new purchases are delayed, saving energy, resources and emissions.
The use of recycled polyester was expanded, as planned in the previous year's report. This recycled material continues to be used primarily in the EcoRover collection from Teamdress. For example, around 30 shredded PET bottles are used in a corresponding waistband jacket.
Teamdress also developed the completely new ecoFlex collection, which is based on the specifications of recycled polyester (resource conservation) and stretch (wearing comfort).
The increased use of organic cotton has been a goal of Teamdress for some time, but known problems continue to emerge:
Especially with regard to the freshwater balance and the avoidance of pesticide- or genetically contaminated soils, the use of organic cotton is to be strived for and Teamdress will continue to pursue this. The prerequisite, however, is a truly reliable tracking of cultivation and extraction in order not to promote false approaches that ultimately counteract the ecological idea.
Our requirements for all raw materials remain at the highest possible level. In addition to the processing described above, this is the only way to really achieve our focus on product longevity. The collections CARE by de berkel and CHEF by de berkel were developed jointly as part of the closer brand ties between teamdress® and DeBerkel® and are also presented jointly at trade fairs. Personnel and resources are thus reduced in order to implement price reductions.
New raw material products in terms of sustainability are constantly being researched by our suppliers. We have dealt with this topic in detail and will use more sustainable raw materials in the future.
However, problems frequently arise when using recycled products. These are often more expensive than a new product, which then leads to an unwanted trade-off between cost-effectiveness and sustainability.
The construction of our own production plant in Fergana / Uzbekistan was the dominant factor for Teamdress. Many of our ecological and social experiences and plans were incorporated into this project.
Some elements that are still unusual for Uzbekistan came into play here:
In November and December 2023, the thermal insulation achieved 50% lower energy consumption for the underfloor heating than estimated by the manufacturer.
All local safety regulations are fully complied with and in some cases exceeded in the interests of our employees.
All social aspects are aimed at ensuring that people can work effectively in a pleasant working environment in respectful cooperation and achieve an above-average income overall.
Our support for our plant in Ukraine, but also for our contract manufacturers there, remains unbroken in the second year of the Russian war of aggression.
In late spring 2023, we had a diesel generator delivered to our plant so that the power outages caused by the Russian air strikes would no longer hinder our production.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our own employees and our contract manufacturing partners for their constant commitment under permanently difficult conditions.
The problem of environmentally friendly disposal at the end of the product life cycle applies to all textiles. In any case, we have agreed with our customers that no worn-out workwear should end up in the natural cycle, i.e. in the sea or on the ground. Especially textiles with synthetic fibre content are difficult to recycle. The time and energy expenditure hardly justify this procedure. In the case of thermal recycling, it should be noted that a combustion temperature of well over 900°C must be achieved so that certain pollutants, such as aromatic hydrocarbons, are not produced. Likewise, the filtration of fine dust emissions must be taken into account. With regard to recycling, the Dutch member of the teamdress Group, De Berkel B.V., based in Varsseveld / NL, continues to maintain an agreement with the Radboud Hospital to take back used workwear. This includes that the clothing is reconditioned and processed into felt rolls. We are currently examining several processes that take an energetically advantageous and low-emission approach to recycling worn-out workwear.
In our own production plants in other European countries, we have been ensuring for years that there is no child labor and that there are no restrictions on the formation of and participation in employee interest groups. Furthermore, persons of trust have been established to act as contact persons in the event of any problems. To date, no cases of discrimination or harassment have been reported to us. In all contracts with contract manufacturers, compliance with social standards and the required safety in the workplace have been incorporated. In doing so, we have not only referred to our own Code of Conduct, but also to the requirements that our various certifications entail.
At all our production sites, but especially at our new site in Uzbekistan, the advisory deployment of our technicians on site, with the primary aim of optimizing work processes, has generally been accompanied by confirmation of appropriate compliance with standards and safety. The aforementioned technicians were also able to successfully implement optimizations at contract workplaces in this reporting period. This always resulted in improved working conditions and increased efficiency, which made improved remuneration possible. Our special thanks go to these dedicated technicians. Furthermore, both the management of the company's own production facilities and the contract manufacturers were prohibited from passing on production orders to subcontractors. On the one hand, this ban had the effect of improving quality control, but on the other, in particular, of circumventing wage and safety standards. Our own production plants as well as external companies are bound to the principles of the Fair Wear Foundation and the Green Button and are regularly subjected to social audits. These audits were also positive in the reporting period. We are always aware of our social responsibility and pay attention to fair and safe working conditions along the entire production chain.
Teamdress Holding GmbH is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF). All our production sites are contractually bound to comply with the FWF Code of Labor Practices.
An information sheet regarding the Code of Labor Practices is posted in all production sites in the respective national language with explanatory pictures. This also describes what to do if violations of these standards occur.
If no solution to the problem can be found within the production facility, the employee can appeal directly to the FWF with his complaint. The FWF has defined a detailed process, adapted to the explosive nature of the complaint, for how a complaint is examined, forwarded to the responsible member and dealt with by the latter.
We are committed to working with the affected person and the management of the production site to remedy any complaint; this may include atonement. Each individual case must be considered and clarified individually. The jointly determined remedial measures are accompanied and monitored by Teamdress Holding GmbH and FWF. The last complaint was filed and closed in July 2013. Link to the: Teamdress-BRAND PERFORMANCE CHECK
Because farmers can sell larger quantities of their cotton through the Fairtrade cotton commodity model, it opens up both fairer trading conditions and new avenues for social change and greater environmental protection. Learn more at: www.info.fairtrade.net/sourcing
To support the Fairtrade supply chain, Teamdress has committed to procure 30 tons of raw cotton from Fairtrade sources per year, and the trend is increasing. This helps to ensure that farmers who are not optimally connected to the Fairtrade supply chain can continue their activities.
Compared to the previous year, additional collections in the workwear and PPE area are labeled with Fairtrade. We continue to strive to increase this share.
Having overcome the Covid-19 problems to some extent, our colleagues in scheduling once again had to face tough challenges.
Above all, the organization of transport from and to Ukraine requires great skill in planning and implementation.
The transportation of machinery and raw materials to Uzbekistan is also proving to be increasingly problematic. Now that the customs regulations, some of which are new to us, have been internalized, new transport routes have to be developed in some cases, as technical equipment can hardly be transported through Russia due to the sanctions, but this is the most direct route to Uzbekistan. The southern route via the Black and Caspian Seas is currently being discussed, but here too there is a lot of unrest (including Azerbaijan and Armenia), as well as significantly more complicated border crossings.
We are pursuing the goal of significantly improving our CO2 footprint in all areas. In the course of 2024, we will use suitable tools to determine our CO2 footprint. However, a number of measures to reduce CO2 have already been taken:
The expansion of the PV system in Poland by a further 100 kWp and the installation of another 100 kWp in Uzbekistan have already been approved for 2024.