Safe wound care for people and planet

We believe it is our responsibility as a brand and business to contribute to creating a sustainable development. With measurable goals and actions, we aspire to drive sustainable growth and are constantly striving and working towards becoming a more sustainable choice for our customers.

Overall ambitions

We want to be a category leader in sustainability and provide solutions for a circular economy.

Our ambition is for sustainability to be integrated in all our products and processes by doing continuous sustainable improvements. Materials must be exchanged for more environmentally friendly options, the greenhouse gas emissions from production and transport must be reduced and recycling of used products must be facilitated.

We are communicating our environmental objectives, actions, and achievements and we wish to enlighten and inspire our customers on our journey.

Our aim is to guide our consumers and enable them to make conscious sustainable choices when buying wound care and foot treatment products. We will implement clear communication about our sustainability improvements for products and packaging material and their recycling.

The Orkla Wound Care Sustainability plan is built on Orkla’s Sustainability strategy which is based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Focus areas

We have set ambitious targets to improve our value chain and our products by 2025. We will focus on improving all sustainability aspects of our core products and have defined four focus areas.

Safe products

We will ensure safety in our operations and entire value chain. By securing safe, quality raw materials and products that are produced in a way that protects people and the planet, we can ensure outstanding customer confidence in smart and safe products.

Sustainable sourcing

We will reduce environmental footprint of packaging and products by offering products of sustainable raw materials and packaging based on renewable or recycled materials. We want to develop packaging solutions which contribute to a circular consumption of packaging materials and thereby reduce climate impact.

Environmental engagement

We will innovate our products and ways of working to reduce climate impact. By rethinking ways of working and make systematic efforts to reduce energy consumption, emissions and waste, shift to renewable energy sources and explore circular business models we will reduce climate impact and waste in all stages.

Care for people and society

We shall be a role model in society and evolve in a direction that we want others to do by being a responsible and caring employer. This means developing a safe and healthy workplace with an open culture and zero tolerance for discrimination. We shall be the change we want to see and, in that way, make a difference in society.

Objectives

Safe products

Our production processes are closely monitored to fulfil highest standards
We collaborate closely with our suppliers with focus on Safety and Human rights
Our products are compliant with requirements for safety and environmental impact

Sustainable sourcing

All packaging should be recyclable and with clear recycling instructions
Consumer boxes shall be made from at least 50% recycled material
Corrugated board boxes shall contain 80% recycled fibers
Increased amounts of plastics with origin from renewable or recycled sources in packaging and products
The total amount of packaging material shall be reduced

Environmental engagement

Reduce energy consumption and climate gas emission in own operations and during transports
Energy used in our factories shall be from renewable sources
Keep both pre-consumer and post-consumer waste at a low level
Initiate new business opportunities linked to circular economy

Care for people and society

We aim to be a responsible employer
We aim for healthy workplaces and no injuries
We aim for a working culture with high integrity, respect, and no discrimination

Examples of achievements so far

Safe products

Routine in place for assessing new products and materials routinely for safety and environmental impact
Weight and optical sensors implemented on our production lines for close monitoring of process quality
Plan for supplier audits in place and dialogue with suppliers ongoing

Sustainable sourcing

Major part of Salvequick’s packagings are recyclable.
50% of Salvequick’s products have instructions for recycling on the packaging. The aim to reach 100 % in 2025.
70% of Textile material in plasters is from a renewable source (cellulose based).
>80% recycled paper used in corrugated material.
15% of all plastics is from renewable or recycled sources.
2700 kg CO₂eq reduction per year* by replacing the plastic band of PVC around Salvequick’s trays with paper band from recycled fibers.
2750 kg CO₂eq reduction per year* by changing the plastic bags in the entire Salvequick Cover range from fossil to plant-based plastic (renewable sugar cane origin).

* Green polyethylen (PE) is produced using ethanol, a by-product in sugar production from sugar canes. It contains no fossil raw materials and can be recycled in existing recycling streams. Sugar cane, in turn, is a 100% renewable and help to reduce the CO₂ emissions. Green PE removes up to 2.15 tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere for each tonne produced (source: LCA study by E4tech & LCA Works)

Environmental engagement

5% decrease of greenhouse gas emissions in relation to revenue in our own operations in 2021 compared to the year before.
11% reduction of total waste in relation to revenue in in our own factories 2021 compared to the year before.
100% renewable electricity used in own factories.
First transport agreement in 2021 for using 50% bio-fuel for transports in Sweden. Bio-fuel saves 90% CO₂eq compared to fossil fuel.
Reduced transports by changing to local suppliers for textile plaster material, protective paper and printing of children’s plasters.
65% of our company cars are able to drive on fossil-free fuel. The goal is to reach 100 % in 2025.

50

Percent of Salvequick’s products have instructions for recycling on the packaging

70

Percent of Textile material in plasters is from a renewable source (cellulose based)

100

Percent renewable electricity used in own factories