SUSTAINABILITY
OUR MISSION
We are dedicated to all facets of sustainability. everyday. Responsible, fair, transparent and open to new ideas.
For lasting joy. In the environment, nature, people, products. Designed to last.
SUSTAINABLE AT HEART
A MATTER OF THE HEART
We have been living sustainability since 1884. She is omnipresent. Yesterday Today Tomorrow. Present in all our decisions, relationships and products. Our goal is to be a sustainable brand. We work on that every day. With a lot of heart.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS
FOR THE LOVE OF NATURE
High-quality natural materials are our standard. Certificates, strict quality controls, innovative finishing processes and production in Europe are the secret of our long-lasting, hard-wearing, sustainable products.
Around 80% of the fabrics we use are made from natural fibres and fibers of natural origin. The rest are chemical fibers made from natural polymers, mixed fibers or synthetic fibres.
80% of the fabrics are produced in our in-house textile production ARULA in Vorarlberg, Austria. Our goal is to continuously increase the proportion of resource-saving, controlled, sustainable natural materials.
We currently use organic cotton, Supreme Green Cotton® and CO 2 neutral TENCEL™ Lyocell fibres in 6 product lines.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS
CERTIFICATES
"Our mission is to inspire our customers to consume
more sustainably."
CLAUDIA BRUGGER
Product Management
The focus of our sustainability strategy is the manufacture of high-quality products with a long service life. Because the longer our products are worn, the better for the environment (the less waste when disposing of old clothes).
We want to contribute to the fact that less, but better and more durable quality is bought.
With the right care, the lifetime of our products can be extended.
We do NOT represent FAST-FASHION CULTURE. For us, sustainability means responsible consumption. Therefore, our LESS IS MORE attitude also applies here: We limit ourselves to one summer and one winter collection per year, contrary to the fast-moving fashion trends.
UPCYCLING COLLECTIONS
In order to avoid unnecessary disposal and waste, we usually process leftovers as part of special collections.
CARE & REPAIR SERVICE
If, despite the high durability and longevity of the products, a seam unexpectedly comes undone or the bra fastener is broken, we offer a free repair service in the HANRO stores in Munich, Vienna and Graz.
The damaged items of laundry are repaired by seamstresses in HANRO's own company in Hungary and returned to the respective store. In this way, we offer the possibility of being able to carry on wearing products that you have come to love and not having to exchange them for a trifle.
RESOURCE-CONSERVING & TRANSPARENT
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION
80% of the fabrics are produced in our in-house textile production ARULA in Vorarlberg, Austria. FABRIC MADE IN AUSTRIA.
95% of our machines and their new spare parts come from Europe.
85% of the products are made in our own sewing workshop in Portugal.
We also obtain additional materials such as lace or embroidery from local Austrian suppliers or European partners.
INNOVATIONS IN PRODUCTION
The dyeing and knitting works of our in-house fabric production ARULA in Austria are STeP by OEKO-TEX® certified and the production site is certified according to the latest GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) sustainability standards.
Seam and hem-free processing, soft mercerization and the finest mesh divisions are just a few of our innovations, which we are constantly developing.
In order to protect the environment, the machine park is constantly being expanded and modernized.
GOAL
The current focus of our internal development department in ARULA fabric production is on the compostability of yarns, for example developing polyester yarn from corn sugar or polyamide yarn based on castor oil.
REUSE INSTEAD OF DISPOSING
"muda"
(Japanese) means waste. "Muda" is understood as any activity that consumes resources and incurs costs but does not create value.
Avoiding waste is an integral part of our everyday work and plays a central role in our corporate culture. Our status quo on NO MUDA – what we are currently recycling:
- Residual materials such as knitted fabrics or faulty fabrics are sold and found new uses as cleaning cloths in workshops and other areas.
- Old needles and old sinkers are sold for recycling and, depending on their usefulness, are used in knitting machines.
- Defective machine parts are repaired and reinstalled as best as possible and new parts are not bought immediately. Usable parts of old machines are removed and reused if necessary.
- Recycling cycle for clothes hangers: collect, melt down, reshape.
- Furthermore, the so-called "leftovers" (leftovers) of fabrics are further reduced and no material is wasted with accessories.
FOR THE SAKE OF THE ENVIRONMENT
MADE IN EUROPE
With a few exceptions, our products are "Made in Europe". From fabric production to the final product. Our complete supply and value chains are transparently traceable and meet the standards of sustainable, resource-saving production. This is the only way we can guarantee long-lasting, high-quality, sustainable products. Short transport routes within Europe also significantly reduce our CO 2 emissions.
PRODUCTION IN AUSTRIA
In order to meet our high standards of long-lasting quality, we spare no expense and rely on our in-house fabric production and fabric finishing ARULA at our company headquarters in Vorarlberg.
ARULA is a leading specialist in knitted fabrics made from natural fibers and cellulosic man-made fibers. Thanks to state-of-the-art, sustainable production processes, our distinctive and durable fabric creations are created here in an environmentally friendly and socially responsible manner.
PRODUCTION IN AUSTRIA
HANRO products have been assembled in our Portuguese factory since 1992. HTG Confecceos Lda. is part of the Huber Group and one of the largest employers of "women's jobs" in the field of textiles/clothing in the greater area of Santa Maria de Feira (approx. 140,000 inhabitants).
Since the Huber Group got involved, the workforce has more than doubled from 120 to currently 260 employees. In 2005, the factory was enlarged by 1,200 square meters and the cutting was relocated from Austria to Portugal. A further 740 square meters were rented for packaging in 2016.
STRICT QUALITY CONTROLS AND AUDITS
New employees are continuously trained by the on-site team in Portugal on HANRO's high quality standards, and annual internal audits and training courses are held for all employees. Specially trained staff carry out constant inline and outline inspections - i.e. quality controls directly during and also at the end of the sewing line for the finished product, before packaging.
In addition, final AQL controls (Acceptable Quality Limit) with the specification of 1.0 - the highest and strictest category - take place at the very end, after packaging.
HIGH SOCIAL STANDARDS – SUSTAINABLE HIGH QUALITY
In August 2021, HTG Confecceos Lda. received the STeP BY OEKO-TEX certificate, which places very high demands on working and social conditions, among other things. The employee turnover rate is only 2%. The above-average working conditions and many years of service make a significant contribution to the fact that the very high level of quality at HANRO can be maintained over the long term. Of the current 260 employees, around 40 have been working in our plant for over 30 years, around 30 for over 20 years and 90 for over 10 years.
FSC® CERTIFIED AND RECYCLABLE
SUSTAINABLE PRINTED MATERIAL
All of our product packaging, bags, gift boxes, look books, catalogs and marketing materials are made of FSC®-certified paper or cardboard and, like our advertising material, are produced in a climate-neutral manner. Our box packaging only has a small window made of foil. This makes recycling as paper possible. The film for our polybags and sleeves are made from a recycled material (a mix of production waste) and our hangers are also part of a recycling loop.
We are constantly working on reducing packaging material and producing it as sustainably as possible. We also make sure to only use a few finishes such as foil lamination and UV varnish, as these pollute the environment and make recycling more difficult.
COMMITED & RELIABLE
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
The topic of sustainability is omnipresent in our everyday work, even apart from our products. Employee development, work-life balance and social commitment shape the HANRO corporate culture.
HANRO AS AN EMPLOYER
"With the VMOBIL climate ticket, we subsidize employees who use public transport to get to work and thereby save CO 2 emissions. The JobRad model promotes the health and fitness of our employees. In this way, they can use the put the bike back."
STEPHAN HOHMANN
Managing Director
"Actions such as sports courses, apple weeks, food truck lunches and a mobile bike wash take place throughout the year. There is an employee discount for purchases in the Huber shops and from the Huber Holding brands."
JULIA NUSSBAUM
Marketing
"Our company doctor is available to all employees once a week during her consultation hours. Among other things, she carries out free vaccination campaigns and workplace evaluations."
TATSUMASA KOYAMA
Head of Sales
"With our flextime model and a 4.5-day week, we offer family-friendly working hours. There is also the option of internal further education and participation in courses and training."
CLAUDIA BRUGGER
Product Management
We also think about the future and integrate the topic of sustainability into the company pension scheme. To this end, we work together with the pension fund fair-finance, which sees itself as a social enterprise and integrates sustainability and services for the common good into its business activities.
SOCIETY & SOCIAL
Social and societal commitment is important to us. We actively support projects and enter into long-term partnerships. In this way, we can make a valuable contribution to society beyond our business activities and ensure more social justice in the long term.
PINK RIBBON
As a long-standing partner, we support the Pink Ribbon Campaign of the Austrian Cancer Aid, Pink Ribbon Germany, Pink Ribbon Switzerland, The Pink Ribbon Foundation UK, The Pink Agenda USA and the Al Jalila Foundation/Brest Friends Dubai.
One in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Any woman, at any age, can be diagnosed. We are committed to the fight against breast cancer and support organizations around the world annually as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month October Pink Ribbon.
“For us, the well-being of all women is paramount. With our commitment, we would like to contribute to raising public awareness of the early detection, research and treatment of breast cancer and to helping sick women,” says Stephan Hohmann, HANRO Managing Director.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SINCE 1884
Environmental awareness and careful handling of the resources we use are important to us. We work actively and continuously to reduce the environmental impact of our production and products to a minimum. The protection of water, soil, air and the economical use of raw materials is therefore an integral part of our corporate culture.
WHAT WE DO
OUR GOALS
- Reduction of general energy consumption by changing the working time model in fabric production, optimizing water and energy-intensive processes, avoiding small quantities through optimized planning.
- Completion of the LED conversion in the entire production with 848 lights to reduce the annual CO 2 emissions by 14 tons.
- Reduction of the so-called “leftovers” (remaining fabrics and accessories) or further processing in processing programs (“reuse”, “repurpose”) in order to avoid unnecessary scrapping.
- Further emission reduction through less, more conscious and sustainable travel, more video meetings and home office opportunities in day-to-day business.
LCA JOURNEY
As early as 1989, we switched container shipping from trucks to trains. This has already enabled us to save more than 4 million truck kilometers.
In 1991, the new waste management concept with careful waste separation led to a reduction in residual waste by around 60%.
We switched from heating oil to natural gas as an energy source back in 2008. We were able to save 136g of CO 2 per kWh, which results in an annual reduction of 544 tons of CO 2 .
Through the continuous renewal and modernization of the dyeing machines, the water consumption per kilogram of fabric has been reduced by 50% since the year 2000.
We have had one of the largest roof photovoltaic systems in Vorarlberg since 2012 and obtain around 10% of the energy supply from our own solar power.
In 2013, the thermal renovation of the office wing led to CO 2 savings of 220 tons of CO 2 per year.
In 2014 we optimized the hall lighting in production and were able to reduce the number of neon tubes by 30%.
In 2018 we installed the first system of this type for the neutralization of flue gases. Flue gas or flue gas is a waste product of heat production.
96% of the water we use in production comes from our own wells. Thanks to an innovative, technological cleaning process without chemicals, our waste water is pH-neutral and can be reused thanks to a closed water cycle. The remaining water may be cleaned and discharged into Lake Constance.
SUSTAINABLE COLLECTIONS
