GERMANY
The CWS-boco Group, one of the world’s leading providers of textile services and washroom hygiene solutions, has issued its Sustainability Interim Report 2018, the first such report to be published since the joint venture between CWS-boco and Initial. The group’s portfolio includes the CWS cotton towel and dust control mat ranges and the boco workwear and protective clothing lines, all provided on a flexible rental basis.
Safety and quality are key components of the group’s sustainability strategy. In 2017, CWS-boco established a central organisation for Quality, Environment, Safety and Health (QESH), with the aim of exceeding the internal and external requirements in the fields of health & safety, compliance and corporate responsibility.
The sustainability activities of the two partner organisations are currently being integrated and will be outlined in the next full sustainability report.
When producing and developing new products, the CWS-boco Group takes social, ecological and economic aspects into account. The company purchased in excess of 529 tonnes of certified Fairtrade cotton for workwear in 2017 making it the largest provider of Fairtrade cotton workwear in Germany and also one of the largest in Europe. Overall, the share of Fairtrade cotton has been increased from 9.5% in 2016 to 19.6%.
The group’s changeover from oil to biogas led to a 60% drop in oil consumption in 2017. At the same time, CO2 emissions fell from 56,789 t in 2016 to 52,593 t.
Together with the TÜV Rheinland occupational health service and the Freiburg research centre for occupational sciences (FFAW), the group has worked to minimise the challenges faced by staff at three pilot sites. The experience gained from this project will now be channelled into further optimising occupational health and safety across the group over the next three years.
