Björn Borg Sustainability Report 2022 - Highlights
Our goal to provide our consumers with accessible, more sustainable products begins with our belief in a classic timeless design. 2022 was a very eventful year for us at Björn Borg, not least from a sustainability perspective. Our most important contribution to a lower product footprint is to create products that become wardrobe favorites - products with high quality, long life and that will be used many times before they wear out. We test our products thoroughly and ethically in our approach to sustainability and ensure that our products are manufactured in the best possible way.
Sustainability is one of our top three focus areas and we have ambitious goals and are constantly working to find improvements at all levels. In our sustainability report for 2022, you can read about our work, projects and wins that took place during the year and what our focus is going forward. Here we will go through a couple of our highlights from 2022.
Sustainability Highlights 2022
0 outbound air transports for retail, wholesale and marketing.
- We haven’t sent one single air transport within wholesale, retail, and marketing during 2022. This has resulted in emissions decrease for air freight of 30% vs 2021.
Removed all safety pins, plastic clips, and plastic hangers in packaging. Saving 91,362 safety pins per year.
- During 2023, we will investigate better construction options and find more sustainable alternatives for plastic and metal. Our key activities for emission reduction from packaging will be to remove plastic parts from our underwear packaging, as well as to convert any other plastic parts to recycled.
Recycled paper in all cardboard product and shipping boxes.
- 100% of the emission data for packaging is measured and packaging material stands for 4% of our total emissions.
95% of all cardboard in our packaging for products, e-com, and shipping comes from certified forests, controlled wood, or recycled packaging. Some plastic, polyester, and metal details are virgin.
To encourage recycling, all Björn Borg packaging holds information on how to recycle.
Share of more sustainable materials, clothing and bags (weight): 69%
- The share of more sustainable materials is now 69% of our total production for clothing and bags in weight.
New last-mile delivery suppliers with high sustainability goals for our e-com
• Signed two new last-mile delivery suppliers with high sustainability goals for our e-com business.
- During the year, we initiated a collaboration with Budbee on several markets (SE, FI, DK) and DHL e-commerce solution in the Netherlands and Germany. Both companies are driven by environmental goals and in Germany, for instance, DHL aims for zero emissions through its 28,500 bicycles. 86% of the DHL last mile fleet runs on electricity from renewable sources. All Budbee trucks run on HVO100 renewable diesel.
Test of new packaging solution for e-com
- During 2022, we also investigated a new packaging solution for e-com, evaluating a paper bag solution instead of the current bag in recycled plastic. Our analysis showed that opposite to what many think, the plastic bag was more sustainable in terms of emissions. Our plastic bags require less space in transport and are climate compensated through certified plantation of trees in Colombia and a Golden Standard certified tree plantation project. The bags are certified ÅterBära™, made from recycled material from a certified factory in Europe and marked for recycling through FTI.
Train to live - Our DNA
Train to live is the compass showing the way for the whole Björn Borg team and our brand overall. Our conviction that exercise and an active lifestyle are the conditions for a better you both physically, mentally, and spiritually is foundational for the brand DNA. Björn Borg’s employees all contribute with their experiences, creativity, and motivation to develop the brand and the business. We want to offer a stimulating environment where the management team and the employees together form the company culture built around high ambition, drive and a strong passion for fashion and sports. Together, we create a workplace with continuous improvement as a goal.
Regardless of the state we or the world are in, one thing stays true: our belief that training can make us better. With training, we get faster, smarter, healthier, and more efficient. We sleep better and get more quality time with our loved ones. Our ambition to be a first-class employer manifests itself first and foremost through empowering people to become the best version of themselves. We believe that if you are enabled to grow personally and professionally, you will become better, and nothing stands in your way of becoming anything you want.
#Traintolive
Focus areas for 2023 and beyond
Secure high focus on sustainability and work towards year-on-year emission reduction. Increased focus on reducing all virgin fibres Secure long-term sustainable working environment.
During 2022, the company further geared up its sustainability work. The data we collected was more exact and extensive, giving more realistic measurements, analysis, strategy, and goals. Thanks to factual data regarding e.g., material usage, supplier energy usage and waste, we will see where we have the biggest negative impact and adjust accordingly. Björn Borg is a member of the Swedish Textile Initiative for Climate Action (STICA). We have committed to reduce our absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 from a 2020 base year. This commitment is based on a scientific consensus regarding what is required to stay within the 1,5° C warming pathway.
Despite a growing business, we have identified actions reducing our emissions by 34% in absolute numbers by 2030. Suppliers, fibres and external factors are key drivers. The innovation gap of 16% is our challenge on the path ahead.
Here you can read Björn Borg's sustainability report for 2022 in full.