RESPONSIBILITY
Responsible operations are an integral part of the day-to-day work at Nokian Footwear. We are committed to developing and promoting responsible practices in all our operations. The majority of our boots are manufactured in Europe, and our European contract manufacturers are EN ISO 9001 quality management certified and 14001 environmental management certified. In the Far East, where some of our products are made, all our boot manufacturers have valid Amfori BCSI certificates.
All our contract manufacturers have undertaken to adhere to Berner’s Code of Conduct, and they are obliged to comply with the applicable local and international legislation pertaining to issues including the employees’ status, occupational safety, equality, non-discrimination, privacy, bribery and corruption, competition, environmental protection and product safety.
Read more about responsibility at Berner.
Materials
Most of Nokian Footwear’s products are made of natural rubber mixtures from the rubber harvested from cultivated rubber trees. The natural rubber used by our contract manufacturers is sourced from Vietnam. We continually strive to develop and deepen our knowledge about the origins of our raw materials and the transparency of information.
No banned substances or any substances hazardous to human health are used in Nokian Footwear products. The products are manufactured from materials and raw materials approved by EU legislation.
Vegan boots materials
Boots made from natural rubber mixtures are suitable for vegans, unless any materials of animal origin are mentioned in the product details on our website. Such materials may include leather or felt made from wool. Our production process uses renewable natural resources and any leftover material is recycled back into the process. When boots made from natural rubber are no longer used, they can be disposed of as mixed waste or energy waste.
Products in the Nokian Light line are made of a thermoplastic synthetic EVA rubber compound. Products made of the EVA rubber compound are extremely light and soft. The material withstands temperatures down to -40°C but not heat in excess of +40°C degrees. Thermoplastic materials become moldable at a certain elevated temperature, which means that heat may, for example, cause shrinking in the products. The products in our Nokian Light line do not contain any banned substances or substances of very high concern (SVHC) included in the Candidate List under the REACH regulation. After use, Nokian Light products can be disposed of as mixed waste or energy waste.
Product packaging
All packaging used for Nokian Footwear and the Haicolours line are recyclable cardboard and plastic. The boxes for the boots are made of coated or recycled corrugated cardboard and the printing inks and surface varnishes do not contain any banned substances or substances of very high concern (SVHC) included in the Candidate List under the REACH regulation. Any plastic packaging used for the products is made from recycled plastic. Our aim is to only use recyclable, recycled or reusable packaging materials. Furthermore, we strive to reduce the use of secondary fibres and unnecessary packaging.
Transport
The overland transport route of the products made in Europe is short and carried out by road from the factory to Finland. The products made in the Far East are shipped as sea freight, and some are transported by rail overland. We aim at full loads in all transports in order to avoid wasted space.
Production
We strive to promote responsible operation methods among our subcontractors. All our contract manufacturers have undertaken to adhere to Berner’s Code of Conduct, and to develop their operations in an ethically sustainable way.
New suppliers in risk countries are required to have valid Amfori BCSI auditing or commit to SA8000 certification or another social responsibility programme compliant with the Global Social Compliance Programme (GSCP). We expect that all our suppliers are prepared to develop their operations to pass the audits. We also regularly visit factories that manufacture goods for us.
Our contract manufacturers: The best contract manufacturers in the industry manufacture products for us. In Europe, our rubber boots are manufactured by two long-term EN ISO 9001 and 14001 certified partners, both leading companies in their field. Both factories are also committed to developing their operations on the basis of the SA8000 certification standard.
The factories manufacturing our boots in China are all Amfori BCSI certified:
- Baoding Sinyang Shoes Co., LTD in Xushui and province of Hebei
- Handan Qicai Shoes Co., in Qushou and province of Hebei
- Ci Xian Dao Plastic and Rubber shoes Co., LTD in Ci Xian and province of Hebei
- Quanzhoushi Sansheng Xiangsu Keji Co., LTD in Jinjiang and province of Fujian
The Haicolours products are manufactured by the following companies:
- Rain capes – Dongguan Rainwear House Rainwear Garment Mfg.Co. Ltd
- Backpacks – Quanzhou Dezhong Bags Co. Ltd (Amfori BSCI sertifikaatti)
- Canvas footwear – Zhong Wei Xie Ye Co. Ltd
- Sneaker footwear – Ganzhou Lanye Shoes Co. Ltd (Amfori BSCI certificate)