SAFETY FIRST, FOLLOWED BY SUSTAINABILITY.
WHAT DOES CIRCULAR MANUFACTURING MEAN TO EMMA?
- Full circular manufacturing at EMMA Safety Footwear means, among other things:
- Every circular shoe has its own material passport.
- The materials in the shoe have been selected for their long useful life.
- All raw materials are reused.
- A future application is known for every material.
- All shoes are individually identified in order to be able to trace them throughout the chain.
We just want to leave a positive footprint. We strive to leave the planet better than how we got it. That is why we do business on the basis of the principles of the circular economy. In concrete terms, this means for EMMA the pursuit of avoiding the use of (primary) raw materials, avoiding energy use and CO2 emissions, the recovery of raw materials and the use of recycled material in new products. We use materials with a longer service life and ensure that the shoe can be dismantled, due to less material usage and other material constructions. All materials that we use in our circular collection are environmentally safe and recyclable. All our circular shoes are PVC-free. All circular shoes are also provided with a material passport. In addition, we strive to have good working conditions throughout our entire chain.
For us, it is natural to contribute to a safe working environment for our customers and to the sustainable development and employability of our employees. Ever since its founding in 1931, EMMA has created a positive social impact by opting for diversity and inclusiveness in its organization. More than 100 people currently work at EMMA who have a distance to the labor market. EMMA offers its staff the opportunity to optimize their talents and to develop themselves personally. The working conditions in The Netherlands are not only taken in consideration. We also work hard to ensure that suppliers and chain partners offer a safe environment to people who work on EMMA shoes on a daily basis. We are the only shoe manufacturer committed to the Dutch Sustainable Clothing and Textile Covenant, whereby we continue to work on themes such as child labor, animal welfare, living wages, raw materials and water, chemicals and energy. More information about this covenant can be found on the covenant website.
For our company, circular entrepreneurship is not only a different way of producing, it is also a different way of thinking: we have to deal with a system change. We see this transition as a journey, so that we are inspired and motivated by the positive steps we take.