How we work with CSR
Efva Attling calls her design “Beauty with a thought”. For us at Efva Attling Stockholm, it’s important that the feeling of beauty doesn’t happen at someone else’s expense. That’s why we strive to contribute for a positive impact on both people and the planet throughout the whole process, from Efvas sketch table to the shiny new piece of jewellery around your neck.
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- CSR
Material
Recycled metal
Recycling and reused metal is one of the most energy-efficient measures to limit the impact of the industry on the environment. All our jewellery suppliers use recycled metal, only a few add a small proportion of newly broken metal to the production.
There are many reasons why it’s better to recycle gold and silver instead of mining new like Fairtrade gold for example. For instance, metals are not a renewable resource and also rare substances. The mining as it takes place today, also leaves a lot to be desired in terms of sustainability. In general, mining takes place in developing countries where both people and the planet are at risk of suffering from the process.
When the metal is recycled, it takes place in a closed process where no chemical substances are used. In addition, there will be no uncontrolled emissions, and the chemicals can be reused for optimal resource use. By choosing to work with jewellery suppliers who use recycled metal, we can place higher demands on environmental management, human rights and social responsibility as these suppliers have a better enforcement of legislation and more resources for control management.
The production
The jewellery produced in Sweden is created in a close collaboration between Efva Attling and our experienced gold- and silversmith, in our atelier in Stockholm. We also have collaborations with experienced suppliers in Germany, Estonia, Italy, Vietnam, Thailand and Switzerland (watches). All our suppliers have signed a strict set of requirements, a Code of Conduct, where they for example promises to maintain a safe working environment with decent working conditions, zero tolerance for child labor, that they doesn’t work with conflict diamonds, that they minimize their environmental impact and does not use hazardous substances and chemicals in their production. Read our full Code of Conduct here.
Almost all of our jewellery suppliers are also affiliated with the Responsible Jewellery Council, the world leading organization in setting standards for the jewellery and watch industry. Their work seeks to create a more sustainable future for the industry, and to make the customer feel confident that the jewellery they buy is produced in a sustainable way, for both other humans and our environment.
Diamonds & The Kimberley process
For an individual company, it’s almost impossible today to trace a diamond all the way from mine to finished jewellery. That’s why the Kimberley Process was founded in 2000 - a certification system that unites civil societies, authorities and the industry in order to complicate the market of so-called conflict diamonds. Conflict diamonds, or “blood- and war diamonds” as they sometimes are called, are rough diamonds, mainly produced in African war zones and illegally exported to finance wars and rebels.
The Kimberley Process certification system has high demands on its members to be able to certify and protect legitimate trade in rough diamonds. There are 56 participants in the Kimberley Process today, representing 82 countries, of which the European Community is a united participant. Today, 99.8% of all rough diamonds go through the Kimberley process. The process is also observed by the “World Diamond Council”, which represents the diamond industry. Their main task is to monitor the import and export of rough diamonds via a tracking system, to prevent exploitation for illegal purposes, such as war and inhuman treatment.
Thanks to the Kimberley Process, conflict diamonds are prevented from entering the market and reaching unconscious consumers. All diamond suppliers that we work with at Efva Attling Stockholm, are connected to the Kimberley Process, which means that we can guarantee that you buy diamonds that are conflict-free from us.
Natural vs. lab-grown diamonds
There are two different types of diamonds – natural and lab-grown/synthetic. We think it is crucial that you know what you invest in, and at Efva Attling Stockholm we have made an active choice not to offer synthetic diamonds.
It is not possible to see the difference between these with your own eyes, but when it comes to price, value, and sustainability they differ quite a lot. Here you can read more about the difference between natural and lab-grown diamonds.
The Responsible Jewellery Council
All diamonds we use in our pieces of jewellery come from suppliers who are certified members of the Responsible Jewellery Council. They seek to promote confidence in the global jewellery industry by ensuring that companies follow responsible business practices. The certification applies to the supply chain for gold, silver and platinum group metals, precious stones and diamonds. Their code of conduct is a standard for the jewellery supply chain and addresses a large number of problems in the industry; including business ethics, human rights, social and environmental performance.
Organic cotton
At Efva Attling Stockholm, we sell t-shirts in 100% organic cotton, which means that the cotton is cultivated without chemical pesticides and fertilizers, which makes it better for the environment. Organic cotton requires much less water in the production process, and there are also strict rules against the use of chemicals. Thanks to this, the work is more gentle for those who work on the cotton plantation as well as for the textile workers.
Colour stones
To ensure that our suppliers for coloured stones take social responsibility so that, for example no child labor occurs, our suppliers are certified with “SA8000”. This is a global standard that demonstrates that one takes social responsibility. The standard is based, among other things, on the UN universal declaration of human rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. “SA8000” gives us a measurable, transparent, and verifiable standard for our suppliers' capabilities in the following basic areas:
• Child labor
• Forced labor
• Health and Safety
• Freedom of association
• Discrimination
• Punishment
• Working hours & Salary
• Management
Perfumes
Our perfumes are developed together with Robertet in Grasse, a traditional perfume house in France, and a world leader in producing fragrances from natural ingredients. All our perfumes are vegan, which means that they do not contain any ingredients of animal origin, nor have they been tested on animals.
The perfumes are produced in France, with certain components from the US and Vietnam. All subcontractors for our fragrances, regardless of country, work in accordance with the REACH regulation. REACH is a regulation that works to strengthen the protection of human health and the environment, against the risks that chemicals can pose. It also aims to reduce the number of animal experiments, by promoting alternative methods for hazard assessment of various substances. The glass in the perfume's glass bottles is partially recycled and is certified with ISO 9001.
Packaging
All our cardboard boxes are Forest Stewardship Council-labeled (FSC), which means that the material comes from responsible forestry that takes people and the environment into account. When working by these rules, the following are protected: endangered animals and plants, the soil's future ability to bear forest, and safe and healthy working conditions for those who work in the forest.
The majority of the packaging we use is produced in Denmark, where we collaborate with suppliers who can live up to our requirements.
The packaging is delivered directly to both our own stores and retailers, to reduce the environmental impact from transportation. This also leads to shorter lead times, which means that we do not have to buy large stocks but can demand just the amount we need.
We at Efva Attling Stockholm are working continuously with reviewing our packaging to find alternatives that are even better for our climate.
Do you have any questions or do you want more information? Contact us at: csr@efvaattling.com
Behind Beauty with a thought
Efva was only eleven years old when she created her first piece of jewellery in silver. It was the first step into a world that later would become her unique design universe.
