Made in Europe isn’t always better - Ortovox
05/02/2024
It highlights progress at Vietnamese supplier Viva. After an audit, Ortovox worked with the company to introduce insurance for employees, transparent wage payments and working hours recording systems.
Katrin Bauer, Ortovox’s director of corporate social responsibility, said: “Whether a supplier is based in Europe or Asia is not what determines how the company is led.
“Made in Europe is a claim the public often equate with good working conditions and short transport routes. However, we have learned that nuanced judgement is required. Europe is also home to production facilities that do not meet our requirements and lag behind the standards of modern Asian facilities.”
She added that although it seems more logical to source from Europe in terms of carbon emissions, product sourced in bulk on ships from Asia can result in a lower carbon footprint than product transported by truck across Europe. “The sheer distance of the transport method must be evaluated very carefully; the shortest route is not always the one with the lowest emissions.”
Ortovox has committed to publishing a Planet Report and People Report. The reports are published alternately and provide insights into the progress the company is making toward achieving its sustainability goals.
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