Corporate social responsibility

Our Blue Mission
– value-creating social responsibility

Responsibility for the environment, working conditions and profitability throughout the life cycle of Duni's products constitutes an essential basis for Duni's employees and those of its suppliers. The program designated as “Our Blue Mission” is being launched in 2013 as a successor to “Our Green Challenge", with the objective to take Duni's work to the next level.

Our products –The core of our value chain

Duni offers a competitive product range from a sustainability perspective. Focusing on responsibly sourced raw materials and efficient production, we are seeking innovative solutions in order to constantly improve our environmental profile. Most of Duni's products are made from the renewable raw material, paper, which is sourced from responsibly managed forests certified in accordance with FSC^®. Manufacturing is certified in accordance with ISO 14001 and Duni demands that the Group’s subcontractors engage in systematic environmental work.

Development work within the areas focused on using resource-efficient materials which are renewable (plant-based), compostable, or from a certified raw material. Examples of input materials include sugarcane fiber, bioplastics from corn and recycled plastic or other recycled material. Duni's products can also be generally recycled as regards plastic, aluminum, cardboard and paper or wet strength/laminated paper.

The ecoecho^TM product range for meal solutions promotes products with an improved environmental profile compared with corresponding standard products.

The newly launched product, Evolin^®, has a clear environmental profile by being based on a certified raw material. It is compostable at industrial plants in accordance with biodegradability standard EN 13432 and is technically recyclable as wet strength paper/laminated paper.

Duni also has the ambition that information regarding the environmental and safety profile of its products shall be fact-based and easy for the consumer to understand. As a first stage in this work, Duni has commissioned life cycle studies regarding napkins and tablecoverings. (To read the reports, visit Duni.com ).

The fact that Duni’s products are primarily intended for contact with food entails a responsibility to guarantee safety as regards defined use. Duni's products are tested to ensure that we do not exceed the stringent limits which, for example, are in place to prevent chemicals from plastics or dyes from passing into foodstuffs. In addition, Duni's candles comply with the RAL quality standard for candles and we also offer candles with the Nordic Ecolabel (Svanen).

Within production, programs focused on systematic work are in place within the areas of the environment, quality, hygiene and safety. Duni's own production plants have been granted ISO 14001 environmental management system and ISO 9001 quality management system certification. Duni’s converting plants are also certified in accordance with BRC-CP (British Retail Consortium- Consumer products) within the area of product safety and quality.

People – Code of conduct at Duni and our suppliers

As a market leading brand focused on growth within new sectors and geographic areas, Duni recognises the trust that customers place in the Company complying with the highest ethical standards. Duni’s corporate social responsibility guidelines includes a code of conduct (both for Duni and suppliers) focused on human and worker rights and occupational health and safety as well as procedures for business ethics, crisis management and support for charitable purposes. The guidelines apply to all employees and within all business areas, without exception, in addition to compliance with national laws and regulations.

The supply chain 

Duni carries out annual audits of, and follow-up visits to, the production plants of its suppliers in order to ensure compliance with Duni's requirements. One principle guiding Duni's work concerning codes of conduct is to achieve a neutral competition situation by applying uniform requirements to all subcontractors, irrespective of where in the world they operate.

Only suppliers with a positive and responsible attitude towards social issues and work conditions are used. The work of evaluating suppliers is based on agreements with Duni's labor unions. Such agreements exist, for example, with the Swedish labor union, Unionen, and between Duni and the Duni European Work Council (DEWC). Duni also complies with requirements set forth in a number of ILO (International Labor Organization) conventions in the area.

In conjunction with the audits, evaluations are made regarding, among other things, working conditions, safety at the plant, ensuring that child labor does not occur, compliance with minimum wages, and that the number of work hours is in accordance with the legislation of the country where the production takes place. An evaluation is also made of hygiene issues to ensure that rigorous hygiene standards are observed when producing the products. In addition, an evaluation is made as to whether the subcontractor actively works with the ISO 9000 quality system and the ISO 14001 environmental management system or equivalent.

Our surroundings and direct environmental impact

Duni engages in systematic work to reduce the impact on the environment from our production units. The primary environmental aspects are use of power and water, consumption of raw materials, emissions into the air and water and also dyeing and printing processes.

Dyes and printing inks are primarily water-based and organic, and all of Duni's production units have a program for replacement of chemicals. Efficient waste water purification systems are installed. All production units sort waste and engage in recycling work.

All production units hold all applicable permits and conduct regular reviews of applicable requirements.

Management systems, certification, and environmental permits

Reducing the carbon footprint is an important aspect, striving to achieve production using renewable sources of energy. At Duni, direct use of fossil energy sources takes place almost exclusively in the form of LPG and natural gas. Other sources, such as oil, have been replaced by biofuel and district heating. Where applicable, we also use low fossil electricity in accordance with local regulations.

We are continuing to seek alternatives to direct and indirect use of fossil fuels. Within logistics, we are engaged in close cooperation with our selected logistics companies, entailing an active environmental agenda.

Between 2008 and 2012 we have reduced by 20% our carbon footprint from production.

Employees

Core values and operating principles

Duni operates on the basis of four core values which provide guidance in the day-to-day operations and clarify how things are to be done "the Duni way". The core values – Ownership, Added value, Open mind and Will to win – find concrete expression in a number of operating principles and, taken together, are aimed at creating profitable growth, organizational efficiency, and improved customer satisfaction.

Duni's core values and operating principles are:

Ownership:  We keep our promises and are committed to delivering results. We dare to try. We create value for our stakeholders while respecting sustainable development.

Added value:  We put our customers first. Speed is of the essence and we cross borders to find the solution. Innovation and quality are part of our mindset.

Open mind :  We trust and empower our colleagues. We have the courage to change. We listen, learn and share.

Will to win :  We are always one step ahead. We seek opportunities and take action. We celebrate success.

The work climate at Duni is characterised by respect for the equal value of each individual, irrespective of gender, ethnic background, nationality, religion, disability or other differences which are unrelated to good work performance.

Skills and management development

Skills and management development are prioritized issues at Duni. Each employee shall have a personal development plan prepared by the employee personally in consultation with his/her supervisor. The personal development plan is adopted at the annual individual planning and performance review.

Recruitment

Recruitment is a key issue for the Company's success. Duni requires well-qualified and motivated staff to ensure that we achieve our goals. A successful company with a strong brand creates opportunities for a qualitative recruitment process and structure that contribute to the recruitment of the very best employees.

Salaries and reward system

Duni applies individual salaries and, in several subsidiaries, salaries are partially linked to performance, based on a combination of financial targets and other measurable business targets.

Business ethics

Business ethics are of the utmost importance. Duni's growth on new markets is accompanied by a clear establishment of ethical guidelines. Duni's employees are in daily contact with customers, suppliers, owners, representatives of the community and other stakeholders. It is of fundamental importance that, at Duni, profits and sound business ethics go hand in hand. First and foremost, it is a question of how our employees behave in their day-to-day business contacts. Duni's business ethics policy defines and establishes rules within areas such as behavior, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, cartels, gifts/corruption/bribes, as well as reporting of violations.

Facts

On December 31, 2012, Duni had 1,875 employees, equal to 1,818 full-time positions. The geographic and functional breakdown of Duni's employees is shown below.

Average number of employees

The blue collar employees work within logistics, manufacturing and maintenance. Most blue collar employees (79.5%) work within manufacturing and maintenance at the plants in Dals Långed, Skåpafors, Bramsche, and Poznan. Approximately 32.3% of blue collar employees in Germany work within logistics at the international distribution center in Bramsche. All blue collar employees in the UK work within logistics at the distribution center in Speke. 56% of white collar staff work within sales. The remaining white collar staff work within business support involving accounts, marketing, planning, purchasing and IT, primarily in Sweden, Germany and Poland. Duni's employees belong to different labor unions depending on their position and country of employment. The employees are organized in a European Workers Council. Duni's relations with the labor unions are in all essential respects positive and Duni considers the personnel turnover for the Group as a whole to be relatively low.

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