28 April 2024

B. meaningful products

Our success is directly linked to the products we provide. In recent years, quality and pricing have been complemented by sustainability on the list of customer demands. Any ambitious brand that wants to leave a mark and stay successful, needs to take that into account when it comes to their product design, packaging and production process. As a leading brand of office supplies, Q-CONNECT® is ready for the next step in this impactful journey.

Our ambition

Q-CONNECT® AIMS TO BE A TRULY SUSTAINABLE EUROPEAN BUSINESS SUPPLIES BRAND IN TERMS OF PRODUCTION, PACKAGING, AND TRANSPORT.

OUR 7 Q-CONSCIOUS CRITERIA

For a Q-CONNECT® product to be considered sustainable and belonging to the Q-CONSCIOUS product range, it needs to comply with at least 1 of the 7 criteria described below. These criteria have been defined by an expert committee of our member’s corporate responsibility directors and lead buyers. They are all backed by evidence and certifications. As a given all products come from factories that have successfully passed a BSCI or SMETA audit.

 

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1. ECO LABELS

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A large number of our products comply with the highest ecological standards and have therefore been rewarded with one of the well respected Eco-labels. These labels certify that a product is either made from fibres coming from sustainably harvested forests, contains a high level of recycled materials or is produced in an ecological way and is therefore a better choice for the environment.

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2. USE OF AT LEAST 45% RECYCLED MATERIALS

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We encourage our suppliers to re-use raw materials for our products to limit the amount of virgin material in our products. When they can prove that a product contains at least 45% recycled materials, it is welcome in the range
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3. SWITCH FROM PVC TO SUSTAINABLE PLASTIC

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For over 20 years we have been pioneering the use of polypropylene or polyester instead of the commonly used PVC in some office products. The reason for that is because PVC is very difficult to recycle and hardly disintegrates when in landfill. On top of that there are health issues involved.

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4. BIODEGRADABLE OR EASY TO RECYCLE

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Biodegradable products made from organic materials or products constructed in a way that when reaching the end of live, they can be easily dismantled and effectively recycled, make it to our sustainable assortment

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5. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF PLASTIC IN PACKAGING

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It goes without saying that we eliminate single-use plastic that is not necessary to deliver our products in pristine conditions to the end-user.

But sometimes we are doing the extra mile to reduce plastic packaging material. For these products there is a place in the Q-CONSCIOUS range

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zero plastic box
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6. REFILLABLE OR RECHARGEABLE

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By offering refills or spare parts, we extend the lifetime of our products. They can be used multiple times. That earns them their place in the sustainable family

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7. EXTENDED LIFETIME

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If a product comes with an extended lifetime warranty, or if a product helps to extend the lifetime of another product, it is a sign of quality and long lasting reliability.

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zero plastic box

our goal

2023
2027

  • 40% 40%

BY THE END OF 2027, THE 80% RANGE OF Q-CONNECT® PRODUCTS
COMPLY WITH AT LEAST 1 OF OUR 5 Q-CONSCIOUS CRITERIA

WHAT WE’RE ALREADY DOING:

  • 1. ENVIRONMENTAL CREDENTIALS

    • Over 240 paper-based products are certified with an eco-friendly label, like FSC, PEFC, or Ecolabel, proving they have been harvested in an environmentally and socially
      responsible manner or have been made from recycled fibres.
    • More than 230 remanufactured toner cartridges and batteries are certified with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.
      These products meet high criteria in terms of health,
      environment, and quality.

  • 2.REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF PLASTICS IN BOTH PRODUCTS & PACKAGING:

    Since 2021 we have made 40 products completely plastic free, and for another 20 products the amount of plastic in the packaging has been reduced to an absolute minimum.

  • 3.USE OF RECYCLED & RECYCLABLE MATERIALS:

    More than 80 of our products containing plastics are made with between 20% and 80% recycled and recyclable materials.

  • 4.REPLACING PVC WITH ECO-FRIENDLIER PLASTICS:

    PVC is a material that is hard to recycle, dissolves very slowly in landfills, and can be carcinogenic. That is why we have started to replace PVC in our products with alternative polymers. We always give the customer the choice to go for an alternative product made from plastics that are easier to recycle, like PET or PP.

  • 5.RE-USE:

    All our toner cartridges are remanufactured originals that we give a second life. We also offer refills for our most popular pens, so you can re-use the barrel several times. Some of these pens are made from recycled PET bottles.

Sustainable development goals

Q-CONNECT® aims to be a truly sustainable European business supplies brand in terms of production, packaging, and transport.

SDG 12: RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

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Take urgent action to
combat climate change
and its impacts

Why SDG 12?

Companies that produce and sell products carry a large responsibility. Their business decisions have a direct impact on this planet, both in terms of production and waste disposal. Q-CONNECT® has been taking measures to reduce its ecological footprint, and we want to continue setting an example by creating more sustainable products and packaging. And that is a commitment we take very seriously.

Q-CONNECT®’s initial targets

  • In order to be considered sustainable we defined the standards a product needs to comply with. We named this product range Q-CONSCIOUS. To make this assortment known to our customers, we embarked on a pan-European sampling campaign.

  • With this Q-CONSCIOUS range we play a proactive role in the sustainability journey of our customers.

2024

  • 65% 65%
  • 80% 80%

SDG 13: Climate Action

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Take urgent action to
combat climate change
and its impacts

Why SDG 13?

Urgent action is needed to combat climate change and its devastating impacts. Therefore, we will focus on very concrete and specific changes we can make in our value chain that will have long-lasting positive effects on our planet.

Q-CONNECT®’s initial targets

  • We want to reduce single-use plastic in packaging, use packaging in the most
    sustainable way and reduce our ecological footprint by onshoring where
    possible.

  • 80% of all Q-CONNECT® products will be part of the sustainable product range mentioned as a target under SDG 12.

Q-CONSCIOUS PRODUCT RANGE GROWTH

Want to know more about our Q-Conscious range?

CONTACT US

Do you have any questions about our Q-CONSCIOUS product range or our sustainability approach? Mail us or fill in this form.