Sustainability and Compliance

Procuring sustainability

Procurement as an integral part of our sustainability strategy

As a family run company we have the foresight to consider future generations – according to the principle of sustainability. In this context, we also define our responsibility towards our customers and partners. We equally demand sustainable management as well as ecologic and social responsibility from our suppliers in order to be able to ensure sustainability along the entire value chain.

We consider ourselves obliged to drive sustainable management with our suppliers. Therefore, we have developed a Supplier Code of Conduct which is geared to international standards like the UN Global Compact, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the OECD guidelines. Our suppliers thereby agree to respect and safeguard international human rights. In this context, every form of discrimination is to be halted. Fair working conditions are linked, among others, to the prohibition of child labour, forced labour, or compulsory labour. Our suppliers commit to fight corruption and to forego any anti-competitive behavior.

Likewise, our suppliers prove their ecological alignment. By signing the sustainability agreement they give assurance they will adhere to all environmental standards that apply to their products and to to promote environmentally-friendly technologies and production processes.

We act with responsibility in our supply chain and take our due diligence obligations seriously. To this end, we have installed appropriate processes and work with a monitoring tool to identify both our risks and those of our suppliers and continuously work on minimizing these together with our suppliers. Details on risk assessment in the context of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) can be found here: Risk Assessment

As a manufacturing company, we rank the responsible use of resources and environmental protection among our central values. It is our aim, to avoid the disposal of waste and material residues to the greatest possible extent. In our own production, we therefore consider our own material cycles: we want systematically to recycle waste and residues in our production processes or in the value chain. In order to establish closed material cycles and to realize recycling concepts, purchasing works hand in hand with our production plants, suppliers, and service providers.

The use of recyclates is a strategic objective at REHAU - both economically and ecologically. Stable and long-term relationships with our suppliers for recyclates, in the context of an established supplier management, and checks within our quality management system safeguard impeccable quality. This also applies to our products manufactured from recyclates.

Energy efficiency has always been a major driver for REHAU - in both the development of efficient products and solution for our customers and the entire production process itself. At the same time, energy efficiency is a major decisive factor in the procurement or conversion of machinery and equipment.

More information about sustainability at REHAU

Compliance

As a responsible family company committed to sustainability, we are guided by the principles of integrity in business and law abidance. For this reason, we are also strictly mindful of all our partners in the supply chain sharing the same fundamental values as us, as set out in our Code of Conduct and Anti-Corruption Guideline, which contain binding rules of conduct for all our employees worldwide, and our Supplier Code of Conduct.

Within the framework of our Compliance efforts we have introduced an external, web-based whistleblower system complying with the highest data protection and security requirements, the REHAU Compliance Communication System (CoCoS).

Aside from its preventative effect simply through its existence, a whistleblower system is by far the most efficient method of uncovering attempted or completed Compliance violations at an early stage. The system offers the possibility to report information anonymously. Valuable information can be received not only from employees, but also from other business partners, such as suppliers. For this reason, we have decided to open up the CoCoS System also for information from our circle of suppliers.

With this in mind, we would be grateful if you could inform us of any irregularities and legal violations at REHAU. Information received through the system is transmitted directly to the Compliance Officer at Legal and Compliance, who will treat this strictly confidential and with the highest priority.

Please note that the CoCoS system can only be used for information in connection with Compliance violations. For complaints of a commercial or contractual nature within the framework of the business relationship, please use the usual contacts.

More information about compliance at REHAU