What is often referred to colloquially as sustainability is for HORNBACH simply a matter of responsibility. In times of global warning and the energy turnaround, we aim to make our contribution towards protecting our environment.
We are committed to making customers aware of timbers bearing the quality seal of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®). Back in 1996, our company already provided the WWF and Greenpeace with a voluntary undertaking not to import any uncertified tropical timber. HORNBACH Baumarkt AG also requires suppliers to ensure that all timber products have valid FSC® certification if they are to be processed and come from countries outside the European Union. The same applies for timber from Romania. In this way, HORNBACH guarantees that all affected timber products come from certified sources. In 2007, HORNBACH was the first international DIY chain to be awarded the FSC® product chain certificate GFA-COC-002007 / FSC® C010062. It guarantees a controlled supply chain from the timber’s place of origin to the end product. Annual auditing by an independent testing institute ensures entitlement to carry the certificate.
One focus of the activities of our Quality Management & Environment department involves working to protect rainforests and promote responsible forestry that also meets social and work safety standards.
You can find further information about this topic here (German).
The conditions in which stone is hewn are often inhumane. By delisting hand-hewn products, HORNBACH Baumarkt AG has sent out a clear signal. It guarantees that it now only offers stone from responsible sources. All direct import suppliers and their manufacturing sites are audited by accredited, certified audit institutes at regular intervals, and at least every twelve months. We base the scope and contents of these audits on accepted BSCI, ISA 9001ff, ILO, ISO 14001, ISO 26001, and SA 8000 standards and reinforce these in line with our own stricter requirements. Upstream suppliers of our own suppliers – in this case quarries – are directly instructed by our suppliers to comply with our guidelines.