SUSTAINABILITY AT FOLAT

At Folat we strive to embed sustainability in our daily routines through encouraging action, and engaging a sustainable business strategy within our operations. As our climate is changing at a remarkably fast pace, Folat has internalized sustainability and is taking action through a structured approach with a long-term view. By benchmarking Folat’s current sustainability efforts to best-in-class sustainability strategies, in which innovation and changing product development are central, we are improving our operations daily. Our efforts go with a 360-degree approach which considers social, environmental and economic factors.

Our product focus prioritizes material and packaging lifecycles and carbon footprint of our business drivers. Recycled materials and certified materials, especially FSC certified paper, cardboard and latex are of prime concern. Needless to say, sustainability is here to stay and we’ll embrace it to turn industry threats into strengths to meet customer and consumer needs, whilst contributing towards a sustainable and successful industry.

Materialities

Our approach to sustainability has identified 3 focus areas through a materiality assessment. The materiality analysis helps us to ensure we prioritize the issues which have the biggest impact on the environment, which create business value and which matter the most to our stakeholders. Our focus materialities will be reviewed on a regular basis enabling us to identify social, economic and environmental changes which will have an impact on our business.

Our focus areas are:

Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs)

The Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The 17 SDGs are integrated - they recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability. Countries have committed to prioritize progress for those who are furthest behind. The creativity, knowhow, technology and financial resources from all of society is necessary to achieve the SDGs in every context.

At Folat we have linked our materialities to the best matching SDGs and the focus will be on the SGD 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production (Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns), SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth (Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all) and SDG 17 - Partnership for the goals (Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development). Of course, other SDGs will be considered, however a focus is needed rather than an all-in approach.

amfori BSCI

amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) is an industry-driven movement that aims to monitor and assess workplace standards across the global supply chain. There is growing expectation that companies not only ensure their own businesses are responsible, but that their suppliers are also demonstrating social responsibility. A amfori BSCI audit helps a business monitor its supply chain to ensure that all suppliers are treating workers ethically and legally.

Folat is a member of amfori BSCI since 2011 and we work together with our suppliers to raise awareness and enable change. Multiple social compliance initiatives, organizations and standards exist and we at Folat therefore operate under an open architecture where we also accept other internationally recognized social compliance standards, like SEDEX (SMETA) and ICTI.

FSC®

FSC stands for “Forest Stewardship Council”. Founded in 1994 in Mexico, FSC does promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests. Folat is FSC certified since 2019 and we strive to increase the use of FSC certified material continuously for products and packaging across our assortment with the focus on products with the most impact. Already more than 250 products are made of FSC certified materials or are packaged in FSC certified materials.

PEFC

PEFC means the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification and is a leading global alliance of national forest certification systems. As an international non-profit, non-governmental organization, PEFC is dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification.

PEFC was founded in 1999 in France in response to the specific requirements of small- and family forest owners as an international umbrella organization providing independent assessment, endorsement, and recognition of national forest certification systems. PEFC responded to the need for a mechanism enabling the independent development of national standards tailored to the political, economic, social, environmental, and cultural realities of the respective countries, while at the same time ensuring compliance with internationally accepted requirements and global recognition. Folat is PEFC certified since March 2023, and we strive to increase the use of PEFC-certified material continuously for products and packaging across our assortment with the focus on products with the most impact.

European Balloon & Party Council and PartySafe

Folat is a member of the European Balloon & Party Council (EBPC) and its consumer education website PartySafe.eu.

The primary objective of the EBPC is to assist members in understanding the broad range of safety issues and helping to change standards in the balloon and party industry. The partysafe website is designed to raise awareness amongst consumers and to educate about responsible product use. 

Flustix “Plastic Free” certification mark

Flustix - a product certification mark for consumer protection, the environment and the economy. The flustix PLASTIC FREE label is the first and only registered European sustainability certificate concerning plastic-use in products. The name “Flustix”  is a neologism and a word combination created from the claim “free from plastics”.

Flustix tests products and packaging for their use and volume of plastics. The certification provides a reliable guide for eco-conscious customers and consumers. The flustix certification mark is the world’s first symbol for plastic purity, registered as a European Union Certification Mark by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and the German Patent and Trade Mark Office.

At Folat we introduced our first flustix “plastic free” certified product in 2022. As a result of the European Single Use Plastics Directive we have introduced the first printed paper plates without a plastic lamination or coating that fully meets the requirements of the SUP Directive and the Commission guidelines on single-use plastic products. We will continue to broaden our offering over time. Our official Flustix registration number for printed paper plates is FPP011 and our first flustix certified printed paper plate is item 62840.

The Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute (NEN)

The Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute (NEN) connects parties and stakeholders and ensures that they reach agreements in standards and guidelines. This is done in national and/or international standards committees. The NEN supports the standardization process in The Netherlands.

Folat actively participates in the standardization for toy safety and is a member of NEN since 2015.