The mouse says thank you to the elephant: this year, DEBATIN, a family-run SME, bestowed the title of “Sustainability Champion” on Henkel AG & Co. KGaA – a major, publicly listed corporation whose dedication to sustainability makes them a solid partner in our supply chain.
Supplier Code of Conduct: signed by 26 suppliers and service providers
If you make high demands on others, you should be prepared to lead by example. We’ve done so by extending our efforts in the field of sustainability to numerous links in our value chain. We’ve made all our products carbon neutral. We’ve also reduced our carbon footprint in various additional areas, including energy procurement and logistics. Last but not least, we’ve implemented a Supplier Code of Conduct. In January 2021, 26 of our core suppliers and service providers signed this Code of Conduct, thus testifying that they acknowledge the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). Like DEBATIN, they’re committed to respecting employee rights, complying with all labour laws in their respective countries, and adhering to the ILO’s core labour standards. These suppliers are also committed to handling resources mindfully, and attach importance – just as DEBATIN does – to fair and respectful business relations.
DEBATIN awards Henkel the new Sustainability Champion title. The virtual award ceremony was attended by):
(In the room, left to right) Thomas Rose, CEO of DEBATIN, Hans-Walter Trepper, Head of Procurement at DEBATIN, and Alina Reger, Sustainable Supply Chain Manager at DEBATIN. (Video conference participants, left to right) Erhan Eker, Head of Sales DACH for Packaging Adhesives at Henkel and Hendrik Schur, Regional Sales Manager DE-South & CH for Packaging Adhesives at Henkel.
Hosted by: Anton Debatin GmbH
Henkel supports DEBATIN with a tailored resource-friendly solution
One of the companies to sign DEBATIN’s Supplier Code of Conduct was Henkel AG & Co. KGaA; specifically, its Packaging Adhesives division. We’ve now chosen Henkel as the first winner of the DEBATIN “Sustainability Champion” award. “The title pays tribute to supplier commitment and efforts in the field of sustainability,” explains DEBATIN’s CEO Thomas Rose. “Henkel has tailored its services to our sustainability approach”. Specifically, they developed a carbon-neutral production process in order to supply us with resource-friendly adhesives.
Hendrik Schur, Regional Sales Manager DE-South & CH for Packaging Adhesives at Henkel, explains why the company was so happy to go the extra mile. “We share a common goal, namely, to create a sustainable and innovative framework for the packaging industry. We also share the mutual conviction that the future lies in working together to develop and produce sustainable packaging solutions. So we were delighted to receive this award from DEBATIN!”
Increasing value goes hand in hand with reducing our carbon footprint
The adhesives we procure from Henkel are used at our Bruchsal production site in a variety of products, including our self-adhesive document pouches. These ensure that accompanying documents such as invoices or delivery notes reach their destination safely and reliably along with the order. The demand for mailing bags is rising steadily on account of e-commerce, a veritable growth market. “But our decision to couple the increase in value with a decrease in emissions came at a much earlier date,” explains DEBATIN’s CEO Thomas Rose. Because at the end of the day, DEBATIN knew the company had to embrace a revolutionary approach to packaging.
Henkel supplies Anton Debatin GmbH with resource-friendly adhesives to produce sustainable, self-adhesive document pouches. These pouches are used all around the world to secure and protect a wide variety of accompanying papers and documents.
Photo: Anton Debatin GmbH
DEBATIN – certified as a Responsible Procurement Organization
As experts in the field of packaging, we can drive change by rethinking our production processes from start to finish. Procuring the raw materials is the first link in this chain, which is why we chose to undergo the stringent certification process set out by the BME (Association for Supply Chain Management, Procurement and Logistics). Here, we’re proud to announce that we’re the first ever company to complete phase 2 of this certification process.
Within the framework of this BME certification, we also decided to launch our “Sustainability Champion” award, which pays tribute to suppliers who exert themselves to promote environmental, financial or social sustainability. Henkel and DEBATIN share various sustainability goals. Both companies strive, for example, to digitalise the procurement process, reduce transport-related CO2 emissions, use resources sparingly, promote carbon neutrality and the Supplier Code of Conduct, help customers reduce their emissions, become climate positive by 2040 and engage in dialogue with stakeholders. “Both companies have a vested interest in making their product portfolios and value chains more sustainable, without compromising on quality or profitability,” explains Hans-Walter Trepper, Head of DEBATIN’s Procurement Department.
Another way in which we join forces with our suppliers and support climate protection is by asking them to actively engage with the cooperative “Yes, we plant!” tree project. .
Sustainability at DEBATIN: keeping you posted
Sustainability has been anchored firmly in DEBATIN’s corporate strategy for many years. In the first quarter of 2021, we drafted and published a sustainability report that is now available in digital form via the DEBATIN website. “Making our processes and strategies transparent and communicating them in this way is all part of the sustainability remit,” explains Thomas Rose. Sustainability also means that the company and all the products it manufactures are carbon neutral. And whenever the company develops or produces materials and products, sustainability and recyclability are top focuses. Last but not least, DEBATIN channels waste film back into its own recycling loop, the DERIBA CYCLE. This enables us to use fewer materials and emit far fewer greenhouse gases – and also guarantees the high quality of the recycled film.
