Our company building is the centre of our daily work and therefore also the starting point for our sustainability measures. The building's design incorporates sustainability features from the outset. For instance, the north-facing orientation of the offices serves to counteract unnecessary heat build-up. Furthermore, all new sections of the building have been fitted with state-of-the-art construction measures for sustainable management or have been retrofitted accordingly. Today, photovoltaics, pellet heating, modern LED lighting systems, external shading, green roofs, additional insulation and water cooling in the ceiling create a pleasant indoor climate with significantly lower emissions than in conventionally operated buildings. Our external warehouse, which commenced operations in 2019, also fulfils these criteria.
OUR ECOLOGICAL ACTIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS
Bielefeld is our home. At the same time, we feel at home in the world. That is why we want to protect it and preserve it for future generations. We know that our actions have an impact on the environment. That is why we make sure to act sustainably in every decision we make. The design of our products is founded on a combination of utility, durability and added value, with a focus on incorporating current trends and a passion for bags. We are committed to ensuring that our transport operations are as climate-friendly as possible, and we also take great care to ensure that our products are finished in a sustainable way that showcases our customers' brands.
This page details our company's approach to the responsible management of natural resources.
Our location
Process-led environment management system
Many of the described measures on-site resulted due to the advisory and qualification programme ÖKOPROFIT®, a modularly structured advisory and qualification programme, which supports businesses of any kind and size in the introduction and improvement of operational environment management. Following the consistent work, we have already been (re-) certified for the third time by ÖKOPROFIT®. In 2018, we aimed at DIN ISO 14001:2015 as a consistent and logical continuation, and succeeded in doing so.
As part of our environmental policy, we strive to achieve the highest possible resource efficiency and the most sustainable product benefits for our customers. In particular, we consider the following issues:
1. Energy consumption
2. Greenhouse gas emissions
3. Water use
4. Handling of chemicals
5. Biodiversity
6. Use of resources
7. Waste management
8. Wastewater management
9. Prevention and management of serious incidents
Measures
We have developed the Halfar climate strategy in accordance with our environmental policy. To this end, we are implementing targeted measures in areas such as energy, water, waste and biodiversity, which are of particular importance to our company. We collect relevant key figures in order to monitor and improve our progress and derive further measures. These include, in particular, the values of Scopes 1 and 2 as well as parts of Scope 3, which we determine as part of our corporate carbon footprint. Key figures on the measures described can be found in the current sustainability report.
Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF)
To identify where emissions occur within the company, we work together with ClimatePartner. Together, we calculate the corporate carbon footprint (CCF). This is divided into three scopes (Scope 1-3) in which companies emit greenhouse gases.
We have been recording our carbon footprint (CCF) since 2020 and are continuously improving our data collection methods. This allows us to identify areas for improvement and implement targeted measures to reduce our emissions. These include sustainable mobility options for employees, the expansion of our photovoltaic system and the gradual modernisation of our lighting systems. The relevant key figures are published in our sustainability report and on the ClimatePartner website.
As part of the Halfar climate strategy, we are committed to minimising emissions. However, even after implementing the measures described above to reduce and avoid greenhouse gas emissions, unavoidable emissions remain. Since 2022, we have been a ClimatePartner-certified company, setting targets and financing certified climate protection projects. In addition, we make financial contributions to climate protection for our stock goods.
Mobility & Fleet Management
A key element of our strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is our company fleet. As electric mobility is currently the most environmentally friendly alternative to conventional drives, our company car pool now consists mainly of electric vehicles. We are also investing in the expansion of our electrical infrastructure to ensure a better supply. In addition to charging our own hybrid and electric vehicles, we also offer customers, visitors and employees the opportunity to charge their vehicles in a CO2-neutral manner. Currently, there are 12 charging points available at our main location and 2 more at our logistics centre. Further details regarding our mobility offerings for employees can be found here.
Energy
We attach great importance to maintaining low electricity consumption levels in relation to our economic activities. As part of our environmental management system, we therefore record all relevant energy data at our main location and logistics centre – a practice we have been applying since 2017. Through regular analyses, we identify potential for optimisation and initiate appropriate measures, such as expanding our photovoltaic system. We are committed to using only electricity from renewable sources at all our locations. Our high-performance photovoltaic systems already cover a significant portion of our electricity needs. Furthermore, both locations are equipped with electricity storage facilities that absorb excess energy when it is not required. We source the remaining electricity demand using certified green electricity. Consequently, our electricity consumption does not generate any CO2 emissions.
We have also been reducing our energy consumption for many years through the extensive use of daylight, the control of lighting via motion detectors and the conversion of lighting systems to energy-efficient LEDs. Our main location is heated using sustainable pellet heating, which does not use fossil fuels. Small wood pellets are utilised for the purpose of generating heat. In addition, a heat pump is employed to enhance energy efficiency. At our logistics location, a modern eco-gas heating system ensures an environmentally friendly and efficient heat supply.
Waste management
We also take responsibility for the waste generated by our business operations, from its creation to its disposal. Once all avoidance measures have been exhausted, waste generated at Halfar is collected separately in accordance with a defined disposal concept, and is then either disposed of or recycled in an environmentally friendly manner. Our waste disposal company records the quantities of the various types of waste. This mainly comprises packaging materials made of paper, cardboard and plastic, as well as biodegradable waste, wood and residual waste. Overall, our business operations generate only non-hazardous, largely recyclable waste. Current key figures can be found in the sustainability report. Separating waste by type is essential for optimal recycling. This is why we have further optimised our waste separation system at all locations. In addition, we have implemented targeted measures to reduce our plastic waste. Single-use plastics are particularly problematic as they cannot be recycled indefinitely and break down very slowly in the environment. To reduce this waste, we have carried out a comprehensive review of the packaging of our stock goods. In the year of the changeover, we reduced plastic packaging waste by more than half compared to the previous year.
Water
Water is one of the most valuable resources on our planet and is essential for human, animal and plant life. In both locations, bodies of water are an important source of drinking water for animals and insects. At our main and logistics sites, water is used exclusively for domestic purposes, such as drinking and sanitation. To protect water quality, we only use biodegradable cleaning products. This ensures that no pollutants are released. However, in textile production, water and chemicals are used that can potentially have a negative environmental impact. To minimise this impact and ensure the responsible use of water throughout our supply chain, we require our suppliers to comply with legal and additional environmental standards. These requirements are checked on a batch-by-batch basis as part of our Halfar testing system. We also rely on recognised certifications such as GOTS, OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 and Fairtrade for natural fibres.
