Sustainable choices are crucial if we are to meet today's needs for products and services, without ruining future generations. For companies, it should therefore be a goal to find sustainable partners.
We at Flexistore try as best we can to work with companies that focus on sustainability. Most of our partners believe - like us - that our society depends on solutions that take care of both the people and the nature around us.
We will take a closer look at how to ensure that the partners take sustainability seriously.
Does the company have a sustainability strategy?
In recent years, many companies have chosen to implement a sustainability strategy. The purpose of such a strategy is to ensure that the company can develop in the most sustainable way possible.
A sustainability strategy should, among other things, analyze which aspects of the company's operations are to be affected by the strategy and where the company's greatest weaknesses lie when it comes to environmental conservation. It should also say something about the consequences that can arise if the sustainability goals are not met, and set clear goals.
It is an advantage with quantitative goals, so that it becomes easy to analyze and control whether you reach your goals. In the strategy, the company should also specify when and how the goals are to be measured.
Companies can use Ducky.eco as a tool along the way. Here you can check the company's climate footprint, and learn more about how to achieve your climate goals.
Is sustainability among the company's focus areas or selling points?
If you are going to enter into a sustainable collaboration, it is also useful to take a closer look at the potential partner's website (or other sources of information). Examine whether the actor focuses on sustainability, and to what extent.
For example, are the products and services presented as «green», and if so, does the company explain which sustainable measures have been implemented?
UtenIn addition to sustainable products and services, you should check whether the company takes care of the social aspect of sustainability. For example, is there a focus on obtaining raw materials or products from suppliers that offer good working conditions for their employees?
If a company does not focus on sustainability on its own website, it does not necessarily mean that the company does not care. Feel free to contact the company and ask for more information about their focus on sustainability, if you are unsure.
Does the company have eco-labels or certifications?
If you want to enter into a sustainable collaboration, it is important to check whether the relevant partner can refer to certifications.
MiljøAn environmental certification can be described as an external verification that confirms that the company takes responsibility for reducing its own impact on nature and the environment otherwise.
Here is an overview of some of the brands and certifications you should be looking for when finding a sustainable business partner. Here, both the environment, fair trade and ecology are relevant.
Environmentally focused labels
If a company can refer to environmentally friendly labeling schemes, this shows that the necessary measures are taken to reduce the negative impact on nature. Products with the Nordic Ecolabel meet environmental requirements throughout their life cycle - from production to waste.
You can also look for EU Ecolabel, which is the EU Commission's labeling of health and environmentally friendly products and services.
- Swan label
- EU Ecolabel / The Flowers
Labels for social and economic sustainability
When finding a sustainable business partner, it can also be helpful to look for fair trade labels. The Fairtrade mark refers, for example, to fair trade in raw materials between workers in developing countries and importers here in the Nordic region.
With the Fairtrade label, you can know that farmers and other workers in developing countries receive a given minimum amount for the products they sell. Also look for the Rainforest Alliance label, which indicates that biological diversity and economic sustainability are safeguarded through production.
- Fairtrade
- Rainforest Alliance
Organic labels
Organic labels are used on products or services that can refer to sustainable, animal-friendly and ecological qualities.
The fact that products are produced in an organic way means, among other things, that the focus on animal welfare is significant, and that no environmentally harmful toxins are used. Here are some of the certifications that are used:
- Ø-marked / Debio
- EU Ecolabel
- ECOCERT
Does the company take care of both employees, customers and the environment?
It is easy to think that sustainability is only about the environment. If your partner is to be sustainable, however, it is also important that the company takes care of its own employees and customers.
This means, among other things, that the company must ensure its employees good and safe working conditions and financial conditions. Fortunately, most people here in Norway have good working conditions, but unfortunately there are also some exceptions.
Feel free to find some reviews of the company, and see what customers and any employees have said about the company.
We are proud of our sustainable partners
Flexistore has a clear sustainability strategy, and aims to be Norway's most environmentally friendly warehousing solution. We are concerned that our services should be climate-friendly at all levels, which is not easy to achieve in practice. But we are already well on our way.
We want, among other things, to promote sustainable solutions by encouraging more focus on sharing economy. Flexistore is also concerned with having partners who are aware of their responsibilities when it comes to sustainability.
XFrakt
Thanks to our partner XFrakt, we can offer electric transport. XFrakt is an important contributor to the green shift, and is a courier service with 100 % electric drive.
IWe at Flexistore offer, among other things, relocation assistance using XFrakt's environmentally friendly electric cars. That way, you can carry things from A to B with a slightly better conscience. This can be ordered directly in our app.
Freetrailer
We also work with Freetrailer. This company contributes to a more sustainable consumption by basing its services on sharing economy.
From this supplier you can borrow a trailer for free, rather than having to invest money in a new trailer. At the same time, the trailer lessor will have his company exposed. In this way, the solution provides benefits for the environment, the provider and the customer.
Our sustainable goals
Flexistore has a number of ambitions and goals. Among other things, we want to make it easier for our users to recycle, give away and share items through innovative technology and sustainable partners.
We also have a goal of using only products that are renewable and that originate from recycled material. In other words, when you use our services, you should be able to feel confident that we do our utmost to take care of the environment.
