Responsibility.

Our responsibility strategy focuses on the SDGs from the United Nations.

Swabian Jura in the spring with a single, young tree in the foreground | mey®

Our commitment to high quality guides every step of the process.

This applies to the quality of our products as well as to our commitment to responsible production conditions. Our own facilities are subject to clearly defined social and environmental standards and are certified under GOTS and OEKO-TEX® STeP, among others.

All of our suppliers are also committed to adhering to our values and policies; we verify their implementation through external audits and a systematic risk management process. We manufacture primarily in our own plants in Europe, where modern production methods are geared toward the efficient use of resources and short transport distances help reduce environmental impact.

At mey, we treat one another as equals, with respect and appreciation for the contribution of each and every individual. We describe our contribution to a sustainable society in five areas of action:

1. Product responsibility

Quality and compliance with recognised environmental and social standards are key criteria for our products. All materials used in our products undergo internal quality controls with the aim of ensuring a long product lifespan. Since 2021, our material volume has been covered by external certifications, including OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100, GOTS and FSC®.

2. Environment

As a family-run business in the Swabian Alb, we explicitly take the environmental impact of our products and business activities into account in our management practices. We regularly prepare greenhouse gas inventories for our sites in Germany, Portugal and Hungary, and use these to identify measures to improve our environmental performance. We systematically monitor these measures and their impact through our environmental management systems.
At our two German sites, Albstadt-Lautlingen and Bitz, we have implemented an EMAS-certified environmental management system. The sites in Portugal and Hungary are certified to OEKO-TEX® STeP.

3. Supply Chain

mey takes responsibility throughout the supply chain. From the extraction of raw materials through to trade, we employ transparency and risk management processes to respect human rights and comply with defined environmental standards. To this end, we have established a risk management system based on the OECD guidelines and the United Nations Guiding Principles.

4. Staff

Sustainability issues also play a role in how we treat our staff. We create a supportive, diverse and safe environment for our staff. We promote their health and development, as well as a healthy work-life balance. Through our awareness-raising and training programmes, we encourage our staff to address the issues of tomorrow today.

5. Society and Social Issues

As a family-run business, social commitment is firmly embedded in our corporate culture. Every year, we actively support projects that are close to our hearts. Through our involvement in local and international projects, we are committed to making a valuable contribution to society that goes beyond our core business activities. This also includes long-term partnerships, such as our collaboration with Aktion Hoffnung.

Sustainable Development Goals

mey bases its sustainability strategy on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) comprise 17 goals designed to ensure sustainable development on economic, environmental and social levels. These were adopted as part of the 2030 Agenda at the 2015 UN Summit. The core message, serving as guiding principles for action, is encapsulated in the five Ps: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership.

Go to the SDGs of the UN

Our sustainability strategy is specifically aligned with the following SDGs:

SDG No 7 affordable and clean energy | mey®

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

SDG No 8 decent work and economic growth | mey®

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

SDG No 12 responsible consumption and production | mey®

Ensure sustainable consumption.

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

Our Goals

Guided by these SDGs, mey has set itself the following objectives:

1.

Stepping up research and development into circular product innovations and placing a strong focus on the circular economy by 2030 (SDG 12)

In line with the principles of the circular economy and resource conservation, we are working to reduce and recycle textile waste, use materials as efficiently as possible, and promote the durability of our products. Specifically, we are pursuing the following objectives, amongst others:

Promoting the circular economy in the textile sector in Europe through involvement in various networks and funding schemes aimed at recycling offcuts from our own production
A 25 per cent reduction in our cotton textile waste by processing textile waste for recycling and to produce virgin fibres

Modern knitting machine in the knitting factory in Albstadt, Germany | mey®

E-car charging at a charging station in front of a modern building, symbolising CO₂ reduction and electric mobility | mey®

2.

Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption at our sites by 2030 (SDG 7)

At all our sites in Germany, Portugal and Hungary, we are constantly working to reduce our energy consumption and cut greenhouse gas emissions. To this end, we are implementing various measures, such as:

The expansion of renewable energy
Investment in more efficient plant
Measures to make commuting more sustainable

At our German sites, we have already achieved our target of reducing GHG emissions by 15 per cent by the end of 2025 compared with 2019.

3.

Increasing transparency in the supply chain by 2027 (SDG 8)

In order to continuously improve transparency in our supply chain and to ensure that social and environmental considerations are taken into account in a targeted manner, we are pursuing the following objectives, amongst others:

Identification and assessment of partner organisations in the lower tiers of the supply chain (Tier 2 and Tier 3) as part of risk management
Ongoing, comprehensive collection of relevant supply chain information
Continuous expansion of stakeholder consultation and dialogue

Worker carrying a large bag of raw cotton in front of a white wall, symbolising supply chain transparency | mey®

4.

Supporting the conservation of regional biodiversity by 2030 (SDG 15)

We are committed to preserving biodiversity at our sites. Our focus is particularly on:

Continuing our FRANZ beekeeping project in Albstadt-Lautlingen
Increasing biodiversity by promoting regenerative agriculture as part of a multi-stakeholder project

mey CR-Report 2024

You can also find all these and other action targets in our CR Report 2024 as a PDF file, which is available for download here:

Download CR-Report 2024

mey Code of Conduct

The behavior and requirements are defined in our Code of Conduct.

Go to code of conduct