Here you can test your company’s sustainability performance up against the requirements set by De Bijenkorf (today and in 2025). Please note that this is a generic tool made for educational purposes, and it will only give you an indication – not a final answer.
De Bijenkorf
CSR/SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY
A strategy creates a vision and direction for your company. It is important that everyone has clear goals and are following the same direction or mission. A strategy can provide this vision and prevent individuals from losing sight of the company’s aims.
Does your company have a CSR/Sustainability strategy?
De Bijenkorf requires that your company has a CSR/Sustainability strategy.
GUIDELINES & POLICIES
Guidelines and policies helps to make informed decisions and are the core of your company’s way of doing business.
In the following we will look at what guidelines and politices you have in place.
Guidelines on discrimination & gender
De Bijenkorf requires that you have guidelines in place regarding discrimination & gender.
Guidelines on child labour
De Bijenkorf requires that you have guidelines in place regarding child labour.
Guidelines on forced labour (modern slavery)
De Bijenkorf requires that you have guidelines in place regarding forced labour (modern slavery)
Guidelines on freedom of association
De Bijenkorf requires that you have guidelines in place regarding freedom of association.
Guidelines on safety & health
De Bijenkorf requires that you have guidelines in place regarding safety & health.
Guidelines on raw materials
De Bijenkorf requires that you have guidelines in place regarding raw materials.
Guidelines on water pollution
De Bijenkorf requires that you have guidelines in place regarding water pollution.
Guidelines on use of water & energy
De Bijenkorf requires that you have guidelines in place regarding the use of water and energy.
Guidelines on chemicals (REACH)
De Bijenkorf requires that you have guidelines in place regarding chemicals.
Guidelines on animal welfare
De Bijenkorf requires that you have guidelines in place regarding animal welfare.
MATERIALS
The use of more sustainable materials is a powerful way to reduce your company’s environmental impact as some of the biggest sustainability impacts and “hotspots” of textile production lie in the growing and extracting of raw materials.
In the following section we will look at your material mix and how you source it. This is high on the retailers' agenda.
What percentage of the cotton you use in your collection, is from sustainable sources like GOTS, OCS, BCI, CmiA, Fairtrade or recycled cotton?
If you use cotton, De Bijenkorf requires that min 35% comes from sustainable sources like GOTS, OCS, BCI, CmiA, Fairtrade or recycled cotton.
Please note that from 2025, De Bijenkorf requires 100% of the cotton comes from a sustainable source.
What percentage of the down you use in your collection is from farms without live plucking and forced feeding?
If you use down, De Bijenkorf requires that min 50% of the down comes from farms without live-plucking and forced feeding.
Please note that from 2025, De Bijenkorf requires 100% of your down comes from farms without live-plucking and forced feeding.
What percentage of merino used in your collection is from farms without mulesing practices?
If you use merino, De Bijenkorf requires that min 30% used in your collection is from farms without mulesing practices.
Please note that from 2025, De Bijenkorf requires 100% of your merino comes from farms without mulesing practices.
Leather: The issues linked to the leather industry are widespread: From working conditions, animal welfare and environmental issues. The conventional leather production often includes harmful chemicals (like chromium salts), hazardous waste-water, waste dumping, forced labour and poor working conditions.
The objective of The Leather Working Group is to develop and maintain a protocol that assesses the environmental compliance and performance capabilities of leather manufacturers and promotes sustainable and appropriate environmental business practices within the leather industry.
What percentage of the leather you use in your collection is sourced from The Leather Working group tanneries or similar alternatives?
If you use leather it is required that min 25% comes from a tannery member of the Leather Working Group or a similar alternative and have a policy on animal-welfare and working conditions.
Please note that from 2025, De Bijenkorf requires min 50% of your leather comes from a tannery member of the Leather Working Group or a similar alternative and have a policy on animal-welfare and working conditions..
Manmade fibers are made of cellulose-based materials that are dissolved in a chemical bath, leaving only the pure cellulose fibers. These fibers are then spun into yarns we know as viscose and rayon etc.
The process of the conventional manmade fibers such as Rayon, Acetat and Viscose from non-certified trees and bamboo includes a vast amount of hazardous chemicals. Chemicals that are often released into local environments. Deforestation is another critical issue for conventional Viscose. To use certified materials is a way of making sure that the production is made in a more sustainable way.
What procentage of the manmade fibers you use in your collection are from sustainable alternatives like Lyocell, Tencell, Refibra, or similar?
If you use manmade fibers in your collection, De Bijenkorf requires that min 15% of these comes from a more sustainable source.
Please note that from 2025, De Bijenkorf requires min 50% of your manmade fibers come from sustainable alternatives like Lyocell, Tencell, Refibra, or similar.
What percentage of synthetic fibers you use in your collection, are from recycled sources or bio-based?
If you use synthetic fibers in your collection, De Bijenkorf requires that min 25% of these comes from recycled sources or are bio-based.
Please note that from 2025, De Bijenkorf requires min 50% of your synthetic fibers comes from recycled sources or are bio-based.
Denim can be produced much more sustainable by reducing the use of water, energy and chemicals; this will significantly reduce the environmental impacts. On the other hand, the problems of the conventional denim production are mainly the vast amount of water and chemicals used and the following waste treatment.
What percentage of the denim in your collection is "Low impact Denim" with focus on water and chemical usage?
If you use denim in your collection, De Bijenkorf requires that min 35% of this is low impact denim.
Please note that from 2025, De Bijenkorf requires that 100% of your denim is "Low impact Denim".
Exotic skins are skins from animals such as: Snakes, Crocodiles/alligators, Lizards, and Ostriches.
Animal welfare, as well as conservation issues, remain the biggest concerns when it comes to the exotic skins trade, and many of the animals are skinned alive, mutilated and slaughtered primarily for their skins. That is some of the reasons why this issue is high on the agenda.
CERTIFICATES
Certificats can help ensure that your products are made accordinly to your requirements and can also be a useful guiding element to customers.
From 2025 De Bijenkorf requires that your cotton is either GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified or is BCI (Better Cotton Initiative) cotton. And all your down should be RDS (Responsible Down Standard) certified.
PACKAGING
Packaging has been an overlooked area for some time, but the impact of packaging materials should not be underestimated as the use of more sustainable materials has a great effect on the environmental impact.
In the following section we will look at your packeing and what materials you use.
What percentage of the carton and paper package is from a more sustainable source like FSC or recycled sources?
If you use canon or paper in your packaging, De Bijenkorf requires that min 75% comes from a more sustainable source like FSC or recycled sources.
Please note that from 2025 De Bijenkorf requires that 100% of your canon and paper packaging comes from a more sustainable source.
What percentage of your plastic packaging is from recycled sources?
If you use plastic packaging, De Bijenkorf requires that min 75% is from recycled sources.
Please note that from 2025 De Bijenkorf requires that 100% of your plastic packaging comes from recycled sources.
SOCIAL COMPLIANCE
One way of securing that both you and your suppliers are working to improve your responsibility and sustainable practices, is to be members of an ethical trading initiative.
What percentage of suppliers in high-risk countries are members of BSCI/SEDEX or a similar initiative?
If you produce in high-risk countries, De Bijenkorf requires that min 50% of your suppliers are members of BSCI/SEDEX or similar initiatives.
Please note that from 2025 De Bijenkorf requires that 100% of your suppliers in high-risk countries are members of BSCI/SEDEX or a similar initiative.
Failed
It seems there are things you need to work on to be compliant with De Bijenkorfo's sustainability requirements.
Please note that this is a tool developed for educational purposes, and it cannot give you the final answer.
Almost there
Based on your answers you are closed to be compliant with De Bijenkorf's requirements on sustainability. But there is still work to be done.
Please note that this is a tool developed for educational purposes, and it cannot give you the final answer.
Success
It seems you have everything it takes to be sold on De Bijenkorf.
Please note that this is a tool developed for educational purposes, and it cannot give you the final answer.