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Getting Carbon Neutral Certified: A 2018 Guide

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

Climate leadership is the key to business success in the modern market of household goods, and the long-term economic growth largely depends on how well the companies understand the climate-related risks and implement appropriate mitigation strategies.

Climate change already has visible measurable impacts on our society: air pollution causes over 7 million premature deaths worldwide each year, and if we do not change our business practices urgently, the resulting health costs could amount to $4 billion per year by 2030. Any further increase in temperatures will pose major risks to human health, security, well-being, assets, economy, and ecosystems. Climate scientists predict that global warming of 1.5°C – 2°C will significantly disrupt human and ecological systems accelerating extreme weather events such as heat waves, heavy rains, floods, droughts, and wildfires, amplifying human morbidity and mortality, increasing the spread of vector-borne diseases, causing water and food supply shortages due to reduced crop yields and livestock.

Unabated climate change will also have devastating economic effects: the World Bank estimates the equivalent cost of extreme natural disasters globally as $520 billion loss in annual consumption, projecting that 26 million people would be pushed into poverty each year, and as many as 143 million people from developing regions could become climate migrants by 2050, especially communities that strongly depend on agricultural and coastal livelihoods.

Carbon Neutrality

Carbon neutrality implies achieving net zero carbon emissions by compensating the equivalent amount of greenhouse gases released during all the processes associated with energy consumption, industrial production, and transportation. Greenhouse gases (GHG) are measured in terms of their carbon dioxide equivalence reflecting the impact each GHG has on the atmosphere including methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).

To achieve carbon neutrality, we must adopt a new business approach using sustainable investment to develop adequate infrastructure and implement technological innovations that increase the resource productivity allowing lasting, balanced, sustainable, inclusive, and carbon neutral economic growth. Companies must reduce and avoid carbon emissions as much as possible by improving their resource efficiency and implementing energy conservation measures. The unavoidable emissions released from using fossil fuels can be balanced with producing a similar amount of renewable energy or switching entirely to renewable energy sources. Emissions can also be offset by paying other companies to remove or sequester the equivalent carbon dioxide, funding carbon projects that help prevent future greenhouse gas emissions, or buying carbon credits from recognised carbon trading schemes.

The 2018 Report of the Commission on the Economy and Climate concludes that limiting the cumulative global anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases will require an investment of US$90 trillion for developing climate neutral solutions and resilient infrastructure in the period up to 2030 in order to stay in a secure total global carbon budget. A big share of this investment will be programmed in the next few years, and the International Finance Corporation estimates that the climate investment opportunities will total $23 trillion in emerging markets by 2030.

Carbon Policies And Regulations

As the regulators are placing increasingly stringent restrictions on the industrial emissions and hazardous material use, companies have a higher risk of legal liability and litigation. are becoming more vulnerable to litigation and liability risks. To ensure compliance and stay competitive on the market, businesses must implement proactive strategies and sustainable work practices to make their products carbon neutral.

The 1997 Kyoto Protocol signed by 192 parties became the first legally binding intergovernmental agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that obliged industrialised countries to reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases. Countries that ratified the Kyoto Protocol were assigned maximum carbon emission levels and could participate in the Clean development mechanism (CDM), Joint implementation (JI), and Emissions Trading designed to help stimulate green investment and meet emission targets in a cost-effective way.

In 2016, Kyoto Protocol was officially replaced by the Paris Agreement ratified by 183 Parties (174 countries and the European Union) with the aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the global temperature increase to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F) above pre-industrial levels by the year 2100. The Agreement acknowledges the urgent need for governments, cities, regions, businesses, and investors to scale up the global response to climate change and provides an international framework to reach a net-zero carbon market obliging countries to set ambitious goals for driving GHG emissions reductions and implementing national decarbonisation plans.

In 2015, China has declared an official commitment to the greenhouse gas reduction accord under a plan submitted to the United Nations in support of the Paris Agreement aiming to cut its greenhouse gas emissions per unit of gross domestic product by 60-65% from 2005 levels. The Chinese government is now introducing strong national policies, action plans, and regulations to combat climate change and minimise environmental degradation. The objectives for reducing the carbon emission intensity have been specified individually for different provinces and cities across China ranging from 12% to 20.5% by 2020. The long-term goal is to lower the carbon intensity of GDP by 60%–65%, increase the share of non-fossil energy carriers up to 20% and grow the forest stock volume by 4.5 billion cubic metres compared to 2005 levels by 2030.

China plans to launch a national carbon emission trading market this year aiming to lower the cost of achieving GHG reduction goals using a total carbon emission cap and quota for enterprises with annual energy consumption of at least 10,000 tons of coal equivalent. The Chinese carbon market is estimated to become the largest in the world, double the size of the current EU Emissions Trading System. The new rules will cover eight industrial sectors including electric power generation, aviation, chemicals, petrochemicals, construction materials, iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, and paper production. Based in Shanghai, trading will involve 1,700 power companies covering over 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

Additionally, 13th Five-Year Eco-environmental Protection Plan has been adopted to promote a cleaner and greener economy by improving the air, water and soil quality, expanding forest reserve and coverage, and reducing key pollutant emissions. The main goal is to reach more than 292 days a year of excellent and good air quality by 2020 in major cities across China.

The Central People’s Government has confirmed that the Paris Agreement also applies to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. An ambitious carbon intensity target was set to achieve 65%-70% reduction by 2030 against the baseline from 2005. This is equivalent to 26%-36% absolute reduction and a decrease to 3.3-3.8 tonnes per capita. Meanwhile, Singapore has pledged to reduce emissions intensity by 16% from business-as-usual levels by 2020 and by 36% from 2005 levels by 2030.

Recognized Certifications And Labels For Household Goods

China Environmental Label is a governmental approval symbol that establishes environmental standards for electronics, cosmetics, textiles, vehicles, construction materials, packaging, and more. The Label is awarded to products that maintain high-quality standards and meet the environmental protection requirements during the production, use, and disposal phases. The labelled products are considered less harmful, less energy intensive, and more resource-efficient when compared with the same type of products on the market. Product categories for labelling include electronics and electric appliances, building products, cleaning products, cosmetics, and personal care.

Hong Kong Eco-label is a product certification that validates whether the environmental performance of the product conforms to the relevant technical environmental standards.

It has been developed by the Hong Kong Federation of Environmental Protection to mark products and their packaging that comply with the quality standards, conform to the certain environmental requirements in the process of producing, use and recycle, and are proven to have superior environmental performance compared to similar products on the market in terms of energy conservation, contamination, and damage to the environment. The categories of household goods eligible for the certification include household furniture, toys, television sets, air coolers, and more.

Hongkong Eco-label integrates China National Standards and international standards for eco-labelling including ISO 14021, ISO 14024 and ISO 14025 aiming to establish technical requirements for products, lift the technical barriers to trade, and promote the certification business in accordance with the international best practices. The requirements to conform with Hong Kong Eco-label standard vary depending on the standard following ISO 17025 Testing and Calibration Laboratories, ISO / IEC Guide 65 Product Certification.

The Hong Kong Green Label Scheme (HKGLS) is an independent voluntary scheme for the certification of environmentally preferable products launched by the Green Council. The Scheme sets out environmental standards and awards “Green Label” to products that qualify in terms of environmental performance. “Green Label” encourages manufacturers to supply eco-friendly products and promotes sustainable consumption, offering a convenient way for consumers to recognise environmentally responsible products. Applicants are certified against the standard’s criteria before using the label. Conformity is verified by an independent organisation following ISO 17025 Testing and Calibration Laboratories, ISO / IEC Guide 65 Product Certification. HKGLS is an ISO 14024 Type 1 label that requires compliance with applicable legislation and a third-party certification with considerations of life cycle impacts.

Products eligible for HKGLS certification include computers, monitors, fax machines, printers, electronic and electrical appliances, refrigeration appliances, air-conditioners, air cleaners, and small home appliances. HKGLS certification has been granted to various new green label products including the ECO Toner Cartridge developed by Print-Rite.Unicorn Image Products Co., Ltd. of ZhuHai), bizhub C220, C280, C360, Multifunction Devices by Konica Minolta Business Solutions (H.K.) Ltd., EC CLEAN by Green Concept Limited, 288 Liquid Biological Multi-function Micro-organism Additive (Pro-Digest) by Champion Chemicals Limited, verifying that these products are recognised as safe and environmentally friendly.

Business Benefits Of Carbon Neutral Labelling

Manufacturers, distributors, and marketers selling certified environmentally sustainable products enjoy significant benefits from reducing their carbon footprint and contributing towards sustainable development goals.

Improved customer perception: a credible and independent ecolabel allows consumers to easily identify and distinguish your products among your competitors, highlighting your commitment to the highest environmental and quality standards.

Effective branding and marketing tool: an ecolabel improves your corporate image, brand recognition and reputation, demonstrates your social responsibility, confirms the product’s safety and superior environmental performance, giving your brand a strong competitive advantage.

Reduced production cost: commitment to improving environmental performance during manufacturing typically leads to significant financial savings resulting from more efficient resource use, waste minimisation, material recycling, reduced risks, and legal compliance.

Sustainable procurement: greening the production process and establishing a sustainable supply chain uncovers new opportunities for business expansion and partnership with governments, commercial organisations, and industry associations.

Industry Leaders In Sustainability

The household goods industry is experiencing an increasing demand for eco-friendly products and smart home solutions. Successful companies strive to stand out through smart brand management, sustainable innovation, improved product quality, and environmental safety. Leading companies proactively implement sustainable business models focusing on climate stewardship, operational eco-efficiency, sustainable material sourcing, enhanced transparency, environmental certifications and product labelling, as well as implementing end-of-life solutions for waste management.

In 2018, Electrolux AB and Essity AB have become the global sustainability leaders in the Household Products and Durables category of the RobecoSAM’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment based on their Total Sustainability Score. The Assessment identifies companies that create the most long-term sustainable shareholder value, evaluating crucial factors that impact a company’s value drivers, competitive position, and long-term financial performance, such as capabilities for innovation, environmental management, product stewardship in social dimension, and operational eco-efficiency improvements.

How To Make Your Business Carbon Neutral

Adopting a carbon neutral business strategy will send a powerful message to your customers, investors, employees, and other stakeholders about your commitment to environmental protection and industry best practices.

Start by introducing a carbon management strategy with clear measurable goals and action plans to assess, reduce, avoid, or compensate your GHG emissions. This involves calculating and tracking the total carbon footprint from your business activities, implementing a cost-effective carbon reduction program, conducting ongoing monitoring and evaluation of your environmental performance, and obtaining environmental product labels and certifications. You will also need to educate your managers and employees about sustainable business practices, and incorporate sustainability aspects into your marketing and communications strategy to promote your environmental achievements.

To learn more about the implementation of environmental regulations and best practices in the household goods industry, please see our sustainability section.

Expert Sustainability Services

API is a leading specialist in quality assurance for household goods with profound knowledge of sustainable manufacturing processes and a rich practical experience in environmental management and certification preparation. Our sustainability experts and specialists in household goods can help you develop and implement carbon reduction strategies, ensure legal compliance with environmental legislation, obtain recognised certifications, and implement long-term carbon management strategies.

We provide a comprehensive range of sustainability services focused on the evaluation of manufacturing processes, product life cycle assessment and carbon footprint calculation, independent verification and validation for environmental certification, sustainable supply chain management, and professional environmental training.

Tags Supplier Relationship Management

Blogs

Mold: The Unspoken Supply Chain Issue

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

Managing supply chain risk and disruption is currently one of the key priorities globally. In addition, many companies are rethinking their entire supply chain model, from raw materials to finished products. In that context, mold remains one of the issues that, while sometimes overlooked, may have an irreversible impact on different product types such as furniture made out of wood or natural materials, leather furniture and decorative items or soft and stuffed toys.

Mold is not a new problem for suppliers, brands, and retailers, yet it has been accentuated since the ban on chemicals and anti-mold agents such as 2-Naphthol, P-Nitrophenol, pentachlorophenol, sodium arsenite, copper arsenite, chromate, dimethyl fumarate, etc. Additionally, there remains a lack of preventive measures in many factories, leading to the identification of the issue when it is too late.

In the current context of uncertainty, factories and brands are increasing their stocks of materials, components, and finished products and storing them for longer, leaving them ill-prepared to tackle mold prevention. The level of risk varies depending on the area and factory, but it remains a topic worth addressing when working with a new supplier. One additional variable to take into account is the type of product. Some materials need the right balance between dryness and humidity; for example, wood and bamboo require a certain humidity to avoid cracks. If the level becomes too high, it might lead to mold generation and potentially ruin the entire production.

Mold was among the top 10 most common microorganisms in non-food product recalls between 2005 and 2018
Source: FEMS Microbiology Letters, Dec 2019, Oxford Academic

Mold Formation: A close-up What is mold?

Mold is a destructive fungus that can grow in a high number of materials and be highly damaging if not adequately treated. Mold is reproduced by spores that can travel great distances and affect products from the early stages of development or even during shipping.

What are the main categories affected in the hardlines industry?

Leather items
Wood and natural materials
Soft toys
Packaging

What are the main associated risks?
Depending on the degree and the stage at which mold is identified, it can lead to:

Product damage (bad smell, stains, material damage…)
Product recalls
Negative brand impact

What are the main reasons for mold formation?

Process (ex. finishing line cooling units malfunctioning or non-existing)
Lack of environmental control in factory or warehouse
Raw materials / finished goods subjected to hot and humid conditions
Transportation conditions
Climatic conditions (ex. countries with high temperature and humidity are ideal for mold growth)

Climatic Conditions in Some Countries Favor Mold Formation

Ideal conditions for mold formation: pH 5, Temperature (25 – 37 degrees), humidity (56 – 90% RH), 3-7 days growth period. Environmental conditions combined with mold spores naturally occurring have a big impact on mold generation, making June to October critical months

Mold remains one of the unspoken issues of the supply chain. There are many factors to consider, but is mold an issue that can be prevented? The answer is yes. There are many solutions available to tackle the problem, and the earlier in the supply chain the problem can be addressed, the lower your chances of affecting your production.

API can support you in your mold prevention from the early stages of development. Our solutions include:

Technical audit: review of the whole factory at system level to evaluate general conditions leading to mold formation
Warehouse assessment: visual control and humidity measurements of warehouse conditions, storage and dispatch of goods, etc.
Training on mold formation: tailor-made training based on actual factory and warehouse processes
Testing and risk evaluation
Re-inspection of long-term stored raw materials, components or finished goods

Interested in learning more about how our mold prevention solutions can help prepare factories and suppliers avoid mold generation, even in the critical monsoon season?

Blogs

Sourcing Diversification: New Countries, New Risks

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

With the outbreak of COVID-19, it became clear for many companies that there was a need for diversification in their supply chain-sourcing base. Businesses worldwide have become dependent on China, but leaving the country is not an option for all of them. The trend of avoiding trade war-related tariffs that had already started a few months earlier is persisting and brings new options to the table.

China’s advanced role in global manufacturing makes it almost irreplaceable in the short term. Although the diversification of manufacturing options mitigates the risk of one central point of production, the challenges of new developing sourcing locations are to be assessed within the development of a new sourcing strategy. Vietnam, India and Indonesia seem to be some of the preferred destinations for upper-end furniture goods, while Malaysia is typically targeted for promotional to lower-middle price wood and upholstery items. Other industries, such as toys and DIY, are also changing their focus to other sourcing locations, with India a top destination followed by other SEA countries such as Vietnam.

what are some of the challenges to keep in mind?

China has been an industrial superpower for the last decade, accounting in 2018 for 28% of global manufacturing output. The mature industrial setup developed by the manufacturing powerhouse is yet to be replicated by some of the new manufacturing countries. In many occasions, a shift or sourcing diversification is not supported with the addition of local teams on-site, which combined with the current travel restrictions, lack of knowledge of the local manufacturing practices, and the impossibility to replicate the systems already functioning in China due to its inadequacy with the local situation, increases the risk of compromising the production’s safety and quality.

68% of companies considering sourcing out of China think of product quality as the greater risk
(Source: PwC ‘Global Sourcing Shifting Strategies’ report)

Some of the main challenges of the new sourcing destinations include:

Lack of parts and components locally
As an example, the furniture industry may face shortages of some metals and stone when producing in Vietnam, limited access to some wood species and components in Indonesia, or inadequate access in India to some hardware.

Less globally qualified workforce
Although some areas benefit from a highly skilled workforce, some countries present challenges when compared with China’s mature market, such as more limited finishing capabilities or limitations when working with some materials.

Lack of traceability of process and engineering changes
Reduced visibility in terms of product development and adjustments in the manufacturing process increases the need for a more accurate and standardized manufacturing process when compared with China.

New setups and lack of previous experience
The new processes make it difficult for the local workforce to prevent inadequate factory practices and anticipate risks.

Systems not adjusted to real risks of quality and safety
Limited risk mitigation before design and production results in products of potentially lower quality, and longer lead times.

Specialized solutions, such as technical audits, can help mitigate these risks in addition to assessing new suppliers when shifting sourcing locations and helping to secure production.

A technical audit will allow you to identify whether the factory can correctly manage the supply chain and has an adequate setup to mitigate risks. A factory with good procedures, instructions, and a clear record will be more likely to run properly – even with a less experienced workforce – thus reducing the risk of product quality and safety.

Some of the common points checked during a technical audit will cover:

Quality management
Product development
Incoming quality control
Production process control
Finished product quality control
Resource management
Measuring and testing equipment control

Our Technical Solutions

At API, we support our clients in their relocation to new destinations, helping them assess their suppliers’ risk.

Our proven experience has strengthened our customers’ ‘out of China’ strategies, benefiting from our expertise and supply chain knowledge. For example, we supported one of our customers in the relocation of some of their furniture lines to India with a tailor-made program with eight key steps that allowed the brand to shift a significant part of its orders in less than six months.

“A tailor-made program with eight key steps allowed the brand to shift a significant part of its orders in less than six months”

Some of the critical points addressed were:

Identification of the local manufacturing specificities and inadequate factory practices
Product risk and quality improvement
Lead time improvement

Some of our solutions to support brands, retailers and manufacturers in their relocation to a new sourcing location include:

Technical Audits: Our technical audit solutions cover the critical points addressed by industry standards, and our expert approach combines product expertise and manufacturing knowledge.
Dedicated Local Support: A lack of local support from your own teams in a new sourcing location can be remedied with API’s Dedicated Local Technical Support Program. Benefiting from our experts’ support on-site will allow a smoother relocation and help maintain quality during production thanks to an adequate risk assessment, resulting in process amelioration and improved product quality.

Interested in learning more about how we can support you in shifting sourcing locations?

Blogs

Anticipating Toy Risks at the Early Stages of Development

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

The toy and children-related industries are responsible for guaranteeing the safety of their product categories to make ‘play safe’ for the little ones of the house. This presents the challenge of meeting stringent regulations while ensuring the timely delivery of finished goods that meet consumer expectations. A deeper focus on safety and compliance is already in place within most industry players, including manufacturers, importers and retailers.

Despite global authorities and consumer associations putting the safety of vulnerable young consumers first, many risks and non-compliances are still uncovered. In Europe alone, toys were among the most notified products in 2018, representing 31% of the RAPEX alerts.

Source: RAPEX 2018 Annual Report

Many precautions can be taken to secure the supply chain and help reduce risks throughout the production process such as factory audits, in-line inspections or in-production assessments. But there are some measures that can be adopted even before production starts, allowing brands to anticipate risks, including:

Toy / non-toy classification

Although toy regulations in different countries give clear guidance on the classification of a product as a toy, there are some borderline products that are occasionally difficult to classify. In some specific cases it is necessary to evaluate additional criteria in order to classify a product as a toy. For example, in Europe, the Toy Safety Directive provides the following criteria: ‘Any product designed or intended whether or not exclusively for use in play by children under 14 years of age’. A similar definition is used in the USA in the standard ASTM F963: ‘toy- any object designed, manufactured, or marketed as a plaything for children under 14 years of age’.

The main difficulty here relates to the concept of ‘use in play’ or ‘plaything’. Most objects have a play value for children, but this does not mean they fall within the toy category. The ‘play value’ must be intended by the manufacturer and not as a result of the child’s preference for an object. If the manufacturer labels the product as a ‘non-toy’ it needs to be able to support this claim.

Adequate age recommendation and corresponding marking

This indicates the safety of a toy based on following capabilities:

Physical ability of the child to play with the toy
Mental ability of the child to know how to use the toy
Play needs and interests present at various levels of the child development
Safety aspects of a particular toy

Consumers rely on the age recommendation provided by the manufacturer on the toy’s packaging when choosing a product that will match the interests and the skills of the child. The age recommendation also plays an essential role in guaranteeing the child’s safety, ensuring they are not exposed to toys that are too small and that can present a choking hazard.

One frequent issue in the industry comes from an inadequate age recommendation that is usually found prior to shipment during a Pre-Shipment Test. Identifying this issue at the end of the production once all the packaging has been printed will require either the reproduction of all packaging or a ‘re-sticking’ of the adequate marking on all existing packaging. This results in additional cost as well as a delay in shipping.

Risk management on design or prototype

Identification of the possible risks regarding:

Choking
Falling or drowning
Suffocation and strangulation
Other injuries

Additional added value: Performance and fit-for-play

When bringing a toy to the market, it is not only important to consider its expected use but also to simulate the actual and potential use by the child. While regulatory requirements ensure safety standards are met, there is still a risk that young children will misuse the toy. Identifying such risks is possible when evaluating the product from a performance perspective using adapted, tested protocols that take safety one step further.

For example, a product not adapted to the size of the child can bring some additional risks despite the item being compliant. In the case of a mask for instance, if the product is too large for the child it will most likely obscure its vision when wearing it, thus resulting in an increased risk of accidents occurring.

How to anticipate these risks?

Relying on third-party expertise can help you anticipate these risks through support from the early stages of development. An adequate risk evaluation from the stages of product design and prototype can help you avoid ‘fail’ results in pre-production tests, or even worse, in pre-shipment tests. This early intervention will save you time and money.

At API, our product and manufacturing expertise – acquired daily on-the-ground – allows us to identify and anticipate risks before they reach the production line. Our toy experts can guide and assess your teams from the design and prototype stages, helping you manage risks and make your products safer. We work closely with toy committees, staying abreast of changes in standards and regulations and receiving the latest news on the current areas of concern and hot industry topics.

Some of our preventive solutions for toys include:

Product Validation Report: Exhaustive report highlighting the specifications of the golden sample and flagging critical points that could represent a safety or quality risk. It includes an evaluation of the functionality and performance from an end-user perspective and in-depth evaluation of the toy marking.
Collection Review: Product review in showroom, allowing identification of risks and non-conformity of mechanical issues, and advice from our experts and recommendations on product amelioration.
Risk Assessment on design or prototype: Risk evaluation at the initial stages of development. It allows to identify critical points for improvement and to receive recommendations from our experts for increased product safety.
Marking verification: Review of regulatory marking and instruction manual adapted to the adequate age grade.
Recommendations on performance and fit-for-play: Adapted tailor-made protocols that simulate the toy utilization by a child.
Pre-production test

Talk to our experts to find the right solution for your needs in anticipating the risks in your toy production.

Blogs

Technical Compliance – API’s I-TCF solution

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

An end to spending hours gathering technical compliance documents, thanks to API’s I-TCF solution

Brands around the globe have an obligation to ensure their product’s compliance with its market destination standards and regulations. But guaranteeing the accuracy and validity of all documents proving your product’s conformity is an arduous task. Many factors weigh in the complex job of ensuring compliance:

Stricter regulation and increased picking in stores
Need for improved traceability and records
Large number of product references requiring time and technical staff…

Authorities scrutinize the non-compliance and associated risks of the products entering their markets, where stricter penalties have been imposed on products with incomplete and invalid documentation. In Europe alone, 2,257 alerts were sent in 2018 through the Rapid Alert System, with 4,050 follow-up actions.

The 5 most notified products were:

Rapid Alert System - Technical Compliance - API's I-TCF solution

The 5 most notified risks:

Raid Alert System Technical Compliance - API's I-TCF solution

Source: EU Rapid Alert System for dangerous non-food products 2018 results

API can help your company comply with strict requirements and gather documentation demonstrating that compliance with our +15 years’ experience developing Product Integrity Technical Compliance File (I-TCF) solutions that:

Define the relevant scope of compliance
Collect and quickly validate high volume of documents
Have a proven track record of starting a program of 1,500 items in 8 weeks – average close time of 36 days

The I-TCF is a digital ID of your product and its proven compliance with the latest applicable standards and regulations, showing:

Applicable protocols
Document validation / rejection
Validity over the time

The benefits for your brand of API’s I-TCF solution?

Technical Compliance - API's I-TCF solution

Interested in finding our more about how our I-TCF solutions can help your brand?

Blogs

Share your Quality Challenges With Us at ICPHSO Dublin

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

We’ll be exhibiting at ICPHSO’s International Symposium 2019 in Dublin on 24-25 October, a two-day symposium for product safety stakeholders to learn, network and share information.

Are you also attending the event? Come and discuss your unsolved quality challenges with our team and gain insights from our customers’ technical success stories!

A client’s example:

Icphso 2019
Share your Unsolved Quality Challenges With Our Team

Book your appointment to talk to our team!

Blogs

DIY & Home Improvement: Our 20+ Years’ Expertise

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

While the DIY and home improvement segment is growing at a considerable speed, brands and retailers face an increasing number of challenges. In addition to greater competition, diversification and the rise of e-commerce, market players must deal with the risks associated with production for a very large product range that still lacks harmonized and mandatory global standards. On the other side, consumers are expecting higher levels of product functionality and performance while maintaining the durability and safety of the products purchased.

With these factors in mind, at API we put at your disposal our 20+ years’ experience working with some of the industry’s top players. We can help you minimize risks and meet your consumers’ expectations with our in-depth quality solutions for DIY and tools covering all the stages of your supply chain.

Our solutions include:

https://campaign-image.com/zohocampaigns/180659000003544031_zc_v34_diy_solutions_api_aug.png

Interested in discussing your challenges with our experts?

Tags Preventive Quality Management

Blogs

Audits for Supply Chain Sustainability and Transparency

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

The supply chain is changing, with increasing consumer demand for sustainable products. Many large and small brands are struggling to adapt to this new demand for transparency at every stage of the product’s lifecycle: from the raw materials to the disposal or recycling at the end of the product’s life.

Sustainability is a key consideration influencing buying decisions together with quality, price, and health and safety:

Source: Accenture Survey April 2019 on 6,000 consumers in 11 countries
across North America, Europe and Asia

At API we can help you truly evaluate, verify and improve the environmental impact of your factories and processes to allow you to provide additional transparency to your consumers. Our team has more than a decade of experience in supply chain environmental sustainability across various products categories and a deep understanding of the different industry initiatives. We are, for example, one of the companies able to refer to the Higg Index* to provide verification and training solutions. We are uniquely positioned to understand the manufacturing process and its challenges thanks to our specialists being on the ground at the factories in real time.

We can support you from scratch in evaluating your supply chain with globally accredited assessment audit checklists or API’s tailor-made environmental audits checklists. Our personalized service, which follows API’s comprehensive environmental checklist and adapted corrective action plans, includes wide-ranging areas of assessment:

Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
Energy & Green House Gas Emissions (GHG)
Water consumption
Waste Water / Effluent Treatment
Emissions to air
Hazardous waste management
Hazardous chemical management

Interested in learning more about our environmental audit solutions?

Blogs

Improve Your Social Compliance

Post author By Admin
Post date June 23, 2022

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has evolved in recent years from being a ‘beneficial asset’ to a compliance requirement that’s also gaining influence in the buyers’ decision-making process. In 2018, 69% of consumers said they were influenced by brands’ ethical values and authenticity*. An adequate social compliance plan can support your brand in going one step beyond with associated benefits such an increased productivity. These benefits include, for example, an end to duplicated work processes or the implementation of better time management within your workforce.

At API, we offer tailor-made social audit assessments utilizing our experts’ knowledge in developing programs adapted to your needs, and implement ad-hoc plans based on the specific requirements that matter the most to you. We can help you meet your social compliance objectives and challenges that follow:

Global industry initiatives & local labor laws: Our experience, expertise and specialization ensure fast and comprehensive results
Your own code(s) of conduct: Our industry knowledge and on-the-ground know-how will evaluate and reinforce your objectives – because CSR could be a key asset for brand reputation and differentiation
API’s standard: We help you from scratch through personalized service specific to these areas

Looking to implement an effective corrective action plan after completion of a social compliance audit? You can benefit from API’s manufacturing experience and deep industry expertise that enables us to suggest informed and productive technical improvements. API’s technical experts will help you identify main factory issues and their root causes with a professional follow-up. You can increase your factory’s productivity with its available resources thanks to our experts’ recommendations on optimum corrective strategies.

Example: Increased supplier’s productivity based on its resources

Interested in our social audit solutions?

*Survey of 30,000 consumers in 35 countries, 2018 (Accenture)

Tags social compliance

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Getting Carbon Neutral Certified: A 2018 Guide

Carbon Neutrality

Carbon Policies And Regulations

Recognized Certifications And Labels For Household Goods

Business Benefits Of Carbon Neutral Labelling

Industry Leaders In Sustainability

How To Make Your Business Carbon Neutral

Expert Sustainability Services

Mold Formation: A close-up What is mold?

what are some of the challenges to keep in mind?

Our Technical Solutions

How to anticipate these risks?

An end to spending hours gathering technical compliance documents, thanks to API’s I-TCF solution

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