Ensuring environmentally friendly practices throughout all aspects of an organization is no small feat. But making sure the business relies on a sustainable supply chain is even more complex as it introduces a much greater level of risk - and a seemingly decreased level of control.
Autex’s vision of a sustainable business means an active commitment to ensuring that the factories of the suppliers they purchase fibre from adhere to ethical practices throughout their production processes. As an organization that relies on a global supply chain, the brand recognizes the pressing - and ongoing - need to recognize and eliminate unethical practices within their own supply chain, particularly with regards to modern slavery. This umbrella term encapsulates illegal activity such as human trafficking, sale and exploitation of children, and forcing individuals to work illegally and against their will - all of them crimes Autex vehemently opposes.
This is why Autex not only ensures that no form of modern slavery is practiced within their organisation, they also thoroughly screen all their suppliers - and only choose to work with the ethical ones. ‘We carefully select the best suppliers to ensure we deliver quality products which have a responsible social and environmental track record,’ says Aidan Hill, Autex’s Group Technical & Sustainability Manager. ‘We have a robust screening process before we begin a partnership with any supplier. That includes an internal process which is managed by our procurement team and an independent assessment of our supply chain for material toxicity, ecological toxicity and worker safety that takes place every three years. Expert consultants do an assessment of the environmental hazards and how these are managed by suppliers. Safe work practices are also evaluated to check that controls are in place.’
With a Supplier Code of Conduct and Anti-Modern Slavery Policies that include details around the brand’s sustainability expectations from their potential suppliers as the firm foundation of their supply chain, Autex demonstrates a commitment to taking an active part in elevating only ethically sourced and produced suppliers. And that means not only an active and ongoing reassessment of their supply chain in line with those guiding principles and policies, but also providing relevant training to their own staff to ensure the appropriate decision makers within Autex’s business are aware of the risks and implications of unethical practices.
‘Modern slavery is a major point of ongoing focus. As the issue of slavery and slavery-like practices continue to change and develop further, our understanding of the issue, our practices and our response must follow,’ says Aidan. ‘We organise regular training for our procurement teams to ensure any updates to the Modern Slavery & Ethical Sourcing are fed back into our business and reflected in our practices,’ he adds and explains that making sure all Autex staff understand the concept of modern slavery and how it pertains to their business is just as crucial as keeping the procurement teams abreast.
In their commitment to prioritise sustainable practices throughout the business and the wider industry, Autex take it very seriously to hold both themselves and their partners accountable for fostering fair and ethical manufacturing procedures as means of not only offering the best quality products to their customers, but also to actively contributing to a fairer and more ethical world for all.
Find out more about Autex Acoustics here.
