Overview

Arktis Endurance Textiles Ltd (Arktis) is committed to ensuring the highest ethical and environmental standards and practices across its business. Our purchasing decisions will where practicable consider whole life cost and the associated impacts on society and the environment. Arktis operates a sustainable and ethical supply chain at all levels.

Procurement has a role to play in minimising any risk of social exploitation within the supply chain. We believe that this not only makes business sense, it also has the potential to improve the living and working standards of people around the world.

The principles of fair and honest dealings must be extended to all others with whom we do business, including employees, sub-contractors and other third parties and their local communities.

Through our supplier selection and management process, we will work proactively to ensure that our supply base complies with the following principles in addition to the ETI base code:

• Conformance to ILO (International Labour Organisation) and United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights standards
• Wages and benefits will be at least national legal standards for the relevant country, or industry benchmark standards
• Working hours must comply with national regulations and industry benchmark standards
• All working conditions conform to at least the minimum health and safety regulations in the relevant country
• No child or forced labour will be utilised
• There shall be no discrimination in the recruitment of employees or contractors
• All forms of physical or verbal abuse including harassment shall be prohibited.

ETI Base Code

Suppliers to Arktis shall demonstrate their compliance with and adherence to the ETI Base Code:

1. Employment is freely chosen
2. Freedom of association
3. Working conditions are safe and hygienic
4. Child labour shall not be used
5. Living wages are paid
6. Working hours are not excessive
7. No discrimination is practiced
8. Regular employment is provided
9. No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed

Objective

Our ethical objective is to ensure that people in the supply-chain are treated with respect and have rights with regard to employment, including the right to freely choose employment, freedom of association, payment of a living wage, working hours that comply with national laws, equal opportunities, freedom from intimidation and a safe and healthy working environment.

 

Our Commitment

• We will maintain our membership of Sedex and seek to engage with organisations that are also members.
• We will seek out organisations that share our commitment to sound ethical and environmental performance and improvement. This can be demonstrated by their commitment to or accreditation by BSCI accreditation (Business Social Compliance Initiative) or SA8000 Social Accountability International. Where applicable, we will offer assistance to our suppliers in raising their ethical and environmental awareness. We will develop partnerships with our suppliers and contractors and work together to minimise the environmental and social impacts of our supply chain.
• Sustainability requirements will be considered and where appropriate will be specified in initial tender documentation for both suppliers and contractors, to ensure suppliers and contractors are aware of our environmental and social criteria at an early stage in the tender process.
• We will only engage with suppliers who comply with national and other applicable law and regulations.

• Environmental and social factors shall be considered in the purchasing process. This will include considering what the product is made from, the product durability, where it is made and by whom, the efficiency of the product during use and the processes involved in its production and distribution, what the disposal requirements are and if it can be reused or recycled.

 

Scope and Application of Policy

This policy applies to all employees, associates and third parties who undertake activity for and on behalf of Arktis. It applies to the goods and services we procure, our direct operations and the services we provide to our customers.

This policy applies to all entities and employees. Those responsible for its implementation are the business leaders, directors and departmental leads of Arktis.

This policy also provides an effective framework for realising our commitment to ethical and sustainable procurement when procuring goods, services, works and utilities. These include:

• Undertaking detailed supply chain assessment prior to engaging suppliers and sub-contractors
• Maintaining our membership of the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (Sedex)
• Conducting factory site visits to suppliers and sub-contractors
• Seeking ethical certification
• Engaging third party assessors to audit and oversee our business critical supply chain partners, ensuring they continue to adhere to standards and agreed service levels for the duration of our contract with them
• Maintaining an open door policy for staff, who are invited to report any concerns or issues, including ethics, in our supply chain.

 

Governance, Measurement and Reporting

We will maintain clear accountability for delivering this policy, monitor and report on our ethical procurement to continuously improve our standards, efficiency and effectiveness.

This Ethical Sourcing Policy Statement shall be reviewed on an annual basis.