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How sustainable is Birkenstock ?

Birkenstock & sustainability


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8 out of 21

Sustainability summary

Based on our sustainability criteria, Birkenstock has achieved the C label. Birkenstock scores poorly because the brand only shares a few concrete achievements. The company has earned most of its points in the area of labour conditions cause all Birkenstock products are made in Germany. In order to improve the score, the company could report more concrete achievements in the field of climate change and environmental policies.

Brand owner: Birkenstock Orthopädie GmbH & Co. KG
Head office: Vettelschoß, Germany
Sector: Shoes & footwear
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Birkenstock sustainability score report

Last edited: 8 November 2012 by Mario
Last reviewed: 8 November 2012 by Mario

Questions about Climate Change/ Carbon Emissions

1 out of 4
1. Is there a policy for the brand to minimize, reduce or compensate carbon emissions? Birkenstock has plans to reduce energy consumption by improving their large leather punches, implementing environmentally-friendly energy generation plants, and using combined heat and power plants. Source
2. Has the brand (company) disclosed the annual carbon footprint of its 'own operations' and has the brand already reduced or compensated 10% of these emissions in the last 5 years? Birkenstock claims that the energy consumption has reduced by more than 90% in the last 30 years. However, Birkenstock does not communicate a carbon footprint (see page 95). Source
3. Has the brand (company) set a target to reduce the carbon footprint of its 'own operations' by at least 20% within the next 5 years? Birkenstock does not communicate any information on target reductions for its carbon emissions, if there is any, on its website. Source
4. Does the brand (company) also have a policy to reduce/compensate carbon emissions generated from the product supply chain that is beyond own operations? Birkenstock has combined heat and power plants for its production processes, such as the cork footbed drying process (click 'Environmental Protection' under 'Tradition'), but no specific policy to reduce carbon emissions in the supply chain is mentioned. Source

Questions about Environmental Policy

0 out of 8
1. Does the brand (company) have a policy to substitute leather and synthetic rubber with environmentally friendlier materials? Birkenstock only uses natural and sustainable materials such as cork, latex and jute for the footbed. However Birkenstock does not communicate about the rubber used for the outsole and the leather used for the upper part of the shoes. Source
2. Does the brand (company) use these environmentally friendlier alternatives for leather and synthetic rubber for more than 25% of the total use of footwear materials? See remark for environmental policy question 1. Source
3. Does the brand (company) use these environmentally friendlier alternatives for leather and synthetic rubber for more than 50% of the total use of footwear materials? See remark for environmental policy question 1. Source
4. Does the brand have a clear and effective policy to avoid the use of leather that originates from cattle farms in deforestated Amazone areas? Birkenstock does not openly communicate a policy to prevent the destruction of rainforest caused by cattle farm expansion for meat and leather production, nor does the company make clear where the skins originate from. Source
5. Does the brand (company) have a clear and effective policy to minimize environmental pollution of chromium and other harmful substances from leather tanning processes, e.g. by waste water treatment or by vegetable tanning? Birkenstock does not openly communicate about the policy for environmentally friendly leather tanning. Source
6. Is there a policy for the brand (company) to eliminate all hazardous chemicals from the whole lifecycle and all production procedures to make the footwear? Birkenstock reports to use 95% environmental friendly adhesives. However, the company does not communicate a policy to eliminate all hazardous chemicals from the whole life cycle. Source
7. Does the brand (company) have a clear target to phase out PVC in their products, and has the brand already achieved a PVC phase out level of more than 90%? Birkenstock does not report about having a plan to phase out PVC in their products. Source
8. Has the brand (company) a clear and effective policy to minimize the use of solvents based chemicals in their shoe production, and has the brand already achieved a level of average max. 40 grams of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emissions per pair of shoes? Birkenstock uses almost exclusively water soluble and solventfree adhesives in its manufacturing. However the brand does not report the VOC emissions per pair of shoe produced. Source

Questions about Labour Conditions/ Fair Trade

7 out of 9
1. Does the brand (company) have a supplier Code of Conduct (CoC) which includes the following standards: No forced or slave labor, no child labor, no discrimination of any kind and a safe and hygienic workplace? All products are made in Germany (click 'Gratis Catalogue', see page 99), which is a low risk country as defined by MADE-BY. Source
2. Does this CoC include at least two of the following workers rights: 1. to have a formally registered employment relationship 2. to have a maximum working week of 48 hours with voluntary and paid overtime of 12 hours maximum 3. to have a sufficient living wage? See remark for labor conditions policy question 1. Source
3. Does this Code of Conduct include the right for workers to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively; and in those situations where these rights are restricted under law, the right to facilitate parallel means of independent and free association and bargaining? See remark for labor conditions policy question 1. Source
4. Does this labour conditions policy also apply further down the production chains, at least covering the leather production or the animal farms? Birkenstock does not make clear if there is a labour conditions policy further down the footwear production chain, such as leather tanning or cattle farms. Source
5. Does the brand (company) have a published list of direct suppliers, that have collectively contributed to more than 90% of the purchase volume? Birkenstock does not provide a significant list of direct suppliers on its website. Source
6. Is the brand (company) a member of a collective initiative that aims to improve labor conditions, or does the brand (company) purchase its supplies from accredited factories with improved labor conditions? See remark for labor conditions policy question 1. Source
7. Do independent civil society organizations like NGO's and labor unions have a decisive voice in this collective initiative or in these certification schemes? See remark for labor conditions policy question 1. Source
8. Does the brand (company) annually report on the results of its labor conditions policy? See remark for labor conditions policy question 1. Source
9. Has the brand’s labor conditions policy resulted in a ‘compliance level’ of at least 30% of the purchase volume, or a ‘monitored level' of at least 80%? See remark for labor conditions policy question 1. Source