Sustainable Sourcing
REBO creates market demand for sustainable solutions...and the market supplies!
Maybe you’ve heard the phrase: voting with your wallet? Every time we buy something, we send a signal to the market. Demand. The more demand there is for something, the more companies deliver it. Supply.
The reverse is also true-- the fewer mediocre, landfill-destined products we buy from status-quo, companies, the less the market supply these products.
It’s a big feat. But we believe we have to start somewhere. That’s why at REBO we chose our suppliers very carefully. It’s important to support companies who have values aligned with ours: reducing, reusing and rethinking consumer goods.
Finding value-aligned suppliers starts withour Code of Conduct and Equality Policy
We care about more than cost
So many sourcing groups prioritize one thing above all others. Cost. While cost is an important factor in delivering value, it’s far from our only consideration.
Would you knowingly buy clothes made by the hands of a child laborer who could be in school? Appliances manufactured in a factory where women are sexually harassed? What about products made in an environment where workers are discriminated against because of their origin, religion or sexual orientation? Abused and treated poorly. All because it has a lower price tag?
We wouldn’t either!
That’s why REBO created an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy. To communicate our expectation to treat everyone with respect.
Only in a world free from discrimination can economies expand and communities reach full potential.
All of our suppliers have committed to uphold the principles in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
Supplier Certification
To demonstrate supplier’s commitment to solving environmental and social challenges, REBO suppliers have been 3rd party assessed, audited and certified. The manufacturing site where REBO Bottles are made earned ISO14001, OSHA 18001, and ISO9001 certifications.
Designed in Switzerland, manufactured with care in China
REBO smart bottles were designed by our team in Switzerland. As part of our founding promise and commitment to you, we sought out the best. And, the best place to manufacture a high-quality stainless steel bottle is China. It is where we found the best manufacturing capabilities, technology and access.
China upped its game in terms of environmental standards and regulations. It is the world’s largest producer and consumer of renewable energy and pledged to be Carbon Neutral bt 2060.
While it may feel counterintuitive for a REBO to manufacture and ship from China, we’re comfortable with our supplier partners and we offset all carbon in our pledge to make REBO carbon neutral.
If you know of viable solutions to localize our supply chain, please contact us at hello@rebo-bottle.com
Environmental Impacts: What gets measured, gets improved
The International Organization of Standards (ISO) is a well recognized-- and respected-- organization that develops standards. These standards span industry, function and the globe.
ISO 14001 is the relevant standard when looking at a manufacturing site’s environmental performance.
To earn an ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Certification, our suppliers identify manufacturing impacts on the environment. It requires investing in systems that can accurately track inputs and outputs. Waste, Water, Energy, Carbon…Raw Materials. But tracking and knowing isn’t enough
The ISO 14001 environmental certification requires our supplier to have an established environmental policy. And goals. metrics on which to improve.
Worker health and safety is #1
Like ISO, Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Specifications (OHSAS) is another body of certifying standards- only OSHAS is more narrowly focused on Healthy and Safety. It recognizes international best-practices for worker-well being.
REBO Bottle Supplier is OHSAS 18001 certified, meaning they have a system in place for health and safety management of their employees. This is beneficial and desirable for us in that it:
- Establishes a positive culture of health, safety and caution,
- Reduces workplace accidents,
- Conducts accident investigation -- if an accident does occur.
To earn this certification, our supplier developed policies and step-by-step procedures to create the best possible working conditions to optimize the health and safety of everyone.
Delivering consistent, high-quality products
The most common ISO certification is ISO 9001. It’s a quality management system certification that ensures suppliers can deliver consistent, high-quality products. Simply put, it means you can trust the products you’re buying.
To be ISO9001 certified, a supplier needs to maintain:
- Properly working equipment,
- Recordkeeping,
- Ongoing Training, and
- an Internal audit program complete with corrective action