Developing outdoor gear is only part of the job. The materials, the chemistry and the working conditions behind the equipment matter just as much. Here is an overview of the standards and regulations we work with, and what they cover.
REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals and is the EU's chemicals regulation. It came into force on 1 June 2007 and replaced a number of earlier directives and regulations with a single system. REACH sets out which substances are banned or may only be used in limited amounts in products sold in the EU. The list is extended continuously. The aim is to protect people and the environment from harmful chemicals.
John J. Poulsen, General Manager of Nordisk Asia, explains what REACH means for our production:
"At Nordisk we work to reduce and eliminate chemicals both in the products and in the production process. We therefore work to limit the use of substances covered by REACH in our materials and production. That applies all the way from raw materials through manufacturing and the people who work in it, to the use of the products by the customer. We have two main focus points.
The most important is to reduce PVC in our production. PVC is a cheap, strong and stable material, but it can contain hazardous substances such as phthalates. We therefore work to bring the phthalate content down to zero. Our second focus is to use recycled materials wherever possible. With the Bering sleeping bag we introduced a filling made from 100% recycled plastic bottles with the same insulation performance. Today the Oscar sleeping bag is filled with the newest generation of recycled fibres from PET bottles."
The Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) is a system for managing working conditions in the supply chain. It helps companies monitor and improve conditions in the factories and farms they source from. More than 1,500 brands, retailers, importers and associations are members. BSCI works for guaranteed minimum wages, the elimination of child labour, working hours within national law and a healthy and safe working environment.
Erik J. Møller, CEO of Nordisk Company, on what the membership means for the company:
"Nordisk produces in a number of countries. We therefore need a common ground to ensure that everyone involved in the production is covered by one Code of Conduct. Some of our products are made in Europe and some in Asia, where we have a local office that ensures the agreed standards are implemented and followed. We have always aimed at long-term relations with our suppliers, and most of them have worked with us for 20 to 30 years. We want to continue and develop those partnerships. To do that in a structured and professional way, we have joined the BSCI."
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the leading international standard for processing textiles made from organic fibres. It sets both environmental and social criteria and is backed by independent certification of the entire textile chain, from harvesting the raw material through manufacturing to labelling of the finished product. One certification is accepted in all major markets.
John J. Poulsen on GOTS in Nordisk's production:
"Since the launch of the organic cotton part of our Legacy range, which includes all our cotton tents, GOTS has been central in developing, controlling and auditing the production of our organic cotton. GOTS has raised the standard for our work with these fibres and improved the knowledge of organic cotton within the organisation. GOTS-certified organic cotton all through the value chain is a key feature of that range, and we therefore work actively to keep a high standard here. When we consider expanding the range, the GOTS standard is a driving tool."
PFAS is short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (previously often called PFCs). They are used to make textiles water repellent, also known as WR or DWR (durable water repellent), and are being restricted under EU chemicals legislation because they break down very slowly in the environment.
Nordisk has replaced PFAS-based water-repellent treatments with PFAS-free alternatives across most of the range. Products with a PFAS-free treatment are marked as such in the product specifications.
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