Sustainability
At Norpak International, in everything we do, we have chosen a more conscious approach to sustainable design, production and overall more responsible business practices. For us, being more sustainable is all about taking responsibility by minimising negative impact and maximising positive and beneficial effects of everything we do. Applying a more responsible approach to sustainable business practices means being conscient about both our impact on the environment and the people we engage with, and depend on.
Beyond using only natural, upcycled and recycled materials in our products, we ensure that our staff are provided a decent work environment, job security and opportunties to grow professionally and personally.
We take corporate responsibility to new levels and will leave no stone unturned in our quest for a better planet – for the environment and its people.
Sustainability is in our DNA, and we strive to ensure that all product design, development and production is carried out in an environmentally sustainable, responsible and socially conscious manner. We are unapologetic in our continued efforts to contribute to real impact, in all three sustainability dimensions: economic, social and environmental.
By making conscious choices in every aspect of our operations, we take responsibility to new levels. In all our business practices, and beyond, we strive to be a force for good.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Norpak is guided and inspired by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world’s joint work plan for eradicating poverty, end inequality and stop climate change by 2030. Through being responsible in all our business practices, we contribute directly to the achievement of several of these goals. We contribute indirectly to many more.
4 - Quality education
At Norpak International, we strongly believe that all children, regardless of social or economic background, or gender, are entitled to free quality education. In lieu of the government providing this service to all its citizens, we built the LAMS school in 1996, providing the children of our staff free, quality schooling from ages 4 to 18. Thousands of children have since been enrolled at the school. With the continued support from Norpak International, graduating students who wish to continue their studies at university-level are offered scholarships.
LAMS enrols today nearly 1000 students, mostly girls. By offering quality education, we are also contributing to building a brighter future.
Read more about LAMS at www.lams.no/en/
5 - Gender equality
At Norpak, we always strive to see the world through a gender sensitive lens, and to create increased opportunities for women and girls. By creating a safe and decent work environment, we provide meaningful employment opportunities for hundreds women. Nearly two-thirds of our workforce is female, engaged in all aspects of our work and at all levels. By creating education opportunities at the LAMS school, especially focussing on girls, we also contribute to building a better, more prosperous future for future generations of girls and women.
8 - Decent work and economic growth
Access to safe and decent work is one of the keys to ensuring women and men a sustainable future. Despite this, too many people work in unsafe and unacceptable conditions, including in Pakistan. Therefore, we pay particular attention to ensure that all our staff are provided safe and secure working conditions, and decent employment benefits. With its plants and trees, the factory is already a green oasis in the otherwise impoverished Sultan Town, but it’s also an oasis of workers’ rights where female and male staff are provided equal opportunities to engage and take on responsibilities. All our staff are provided with formal contracts, social insurance, access to parental leave and pension benefits, to name a few. We work tirelessly to further improve working conditions, including health, safety and environmental issues.
12 - Responsible consumption and production
As a social enterprise, we believe it is our responsibility and duty – and privilege – to contribute in every way possible by being a force of good – for the environment and for people. We have made conscious choices to only work with more sustainable materials that are less harmful to nature. Thta means we always choose natural materials, upcycled or recycled to make our products. By making quality products that last, we also hope to contribute to consumers making more conscious choices. Because a product is always more than just a product. A product from Norpak also contributes to a better future. In line with our commitment to responsible production and the environment, we have installed solar panels at Norpak and the LAMS school. These provide us with renewable, clean energy and any surplus energy generated is transferred back into the public grid.
Certifications
International certifications contribute to ensuring that all activities at our factory are carried our in accordance with or better than international standards – to protect people and the environment.
At Norpak, however, we want to go beyond these minimum standards. We continuously strive to exceed expectations, and will leave no stone unturned to find more sustainable ways to design, develop and make our products.
Our current internationally recognised certifications include:
- ISO 9001:2015: Quality management systems.
- ISO 14001:2015: Environmental management systems.
- GRS – Global Recycled Standard: Tracking and verifying the content of recycled materials in a final product, and to verify responsible
- social, environmental and chemical practices in its production
- Sedex SMETA - Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit: Labour standards, health & safety, environment and business ethics.
- Oeko-Tex: Certifies non-hazardous end-products and all of their components.
- FSC - Forest Stewardship Council: Ensuring that all paper and wood products come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.
