HAY focuses on developing long-lasting accessories that minimise our environmental impact, constantly researching innovative materials and methods to use from the initial development stages to the final product. We optimise the use of sustainable materials such as recycled materials, with a growing number of our accessories made in FSC-certified materials and featuring eco-labels, such as OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified products and the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Many of our accessories are designed as eco-friendly alternatives to virgin plastic or single-use products, such as our reusable shopping bags, straws and water bottles. We have strict regulatory requirements, and the majority of our products are tested to comply with international standards.
HAY always strives to use recycled materials in an attempt to minimise our environmental impact. The recycled materials we use are derived from a variety of different materials, including cotton, polyester, nylon, plastic, paper and glass. The plastic we use is derived from two sources; post-consumer, which is from households and commercial waste and post-industrial, which is leftover waste from manufacturing processes. By using these kinds of recycled plastic, we ensure plastic does not end as waste, instead it becomes a resource that can be used again by giving life to new products.
HAY strives to use as much FSC™-certified wood as possible in items produced using paper, cardboard and wood. Products made from FSC™-certified wood are sourced from sustainable forests with responsible management that reduces deforestation and ensures the forests’ future preservation. Certified products are your assurance that HAY has produced the item in a socially, economically and environmentally responsibly way.
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is the official Nordic ecolabel – and among the world’s toughest environmental certifications. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel works to reduce the overall environmental impact from production and consumption. The certification sets strict environmental requirements in all relevant phases of a product’s life cycle, as well as laying down strict requirements for chemicals. It certifies and verifies that all requirements are met before a product is approved, continuously tightening the criteria for goods and services to create sustainable development.
OEKO-TEX® is one of the world’s leading health labelling schemes for textiles. OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 is an assurance for HAY and the customers that the product does not contain any harmful levels of substances known as being problematic to health. When a product is marked with the OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, the whole product is tested for problematic chemistry – also including parts that are not made from textiles, e.g. zips, buttons and other accessories. The tests are conducted by independent OEKO-TEX® partner institutes.
