Overview & Our Commitment 

Our intention is to enable sustainability within our industry, not just through the product we create, but also within the systems used to create it. Forever and Green is committed to upholding human rights, fair working conditions and environmental protection. 

In accordance with the expectations of the community, our customers and the law, we are endeavouring to operate responsibly within the community and expect the same from our suppliers. 

​

Forever and Green is introducing its Ethical Sourcing Policy to ensure it is sourcing its products responsibly and to provide a framework to work with its suppliers to improve their social and environmental practices. The Policy has been developed in order to reflect our core values, and we are committed to working with our suppliers to help improve these practices. 

​

1. Supplier Expectations 

Forever and Green expects its suppliers to demonstrate a commitment to implementing the ethical policies and practices consistent with this Policy with regard to workplace safety, environment, fair pay and employment conditions. 

The Policy sets out the standards that we expect all of our suppliers to comply with when producing and supplying products for Forever and Green, wherever they operate around the world. 

​

Forever and Green is committed to working in partnership with its suppliers to help achieve compliance with this Policy. We recognise that full compliance with these criteria may take time for some suppliers, and are committed to working with our suppliers to implement improvement plans and help them achieve compliance. 

Suppliers shall provide access to Forever and Green and/or third party representatives such as auditors, to enter and visit all parts of Production facilitie(s) including areas where Forever and Green products or components are not produced. Suppliers shall provide relevant authentic records and documents as required to verify working and/or health and safety conditions are being met. 

​

​

2. Ethical Standards and Requirements 

2.1. BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION 

Suppliers shall not engage in acts and corruption and shall not falsify documents and records. 

​

2.2. LABOUR STANDARDS 

We expect suppliers to have sound labour practices; we expect them to treat their employees fairly, in accordance with local laws and regulations relating to labour and employment. Employment should be freely chosen. 

​

2.3. CHILD LABOUR 

Suppliers shall not use child labour as per ILO Convention 138. ‘Child’ is defined as a person who is younger than the local legal age for completing compulsory education. Suppliers shall verify the age of their workers and maintain copies of their workers’ proof of age. Child labour refers to any form of economic exploitation of a child which involves performing any work that is likely to be hazardous to the safety of the chid, can negatively affect their mental, physical or social development; or interferes with their schooling (as defined by ILO Convention 182) by: 

● Depriving them of the opportunity to attend school; 

● obliging them to leave school prematurely; or 

● requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work. 

​

2.4. BONDED LABOUR OR INVOLUNTARY LABOUR 

Suppliers shall not use forced, bonded or involuntary labour. Bonded labour as defined by amfori BSCI and the ILO Convention 29/105 and refers to any form of servitude, forced, bonded, indentured, trafficked or involuntary labour. ‘Involuntary Labour’ is defined as work or services extracted from any person under threat or penalty of its non-performance, and for which the worker does not offer himself or herself voluntarily. Workers are not required to lodge deposits and must be free to leave once their shift ends and free to leave their employment after reasonable notice. Workers must be allowed to resign or terminate their employment per legal requirements, or to leave the Production Facility within the legal framework. 

​

2.5. IMMIGRATION LAW COMPLIANCE 

Suppliers shall only employ workers who have a legal right to work, including workers obtained through an employment agency. Workers’ legal rights to work must be validated by reviewing original documentation prior to commencement of work. Suppliers shall implement processes to enable adequate control over workers obtained through employment agencies. 

​

2.6. REGULAR EMPLOYMENT 

To every extent possible work performed must be on the basis of recognised employment relationship established through national law and practice. Obligations to employees under labour or social security laws and regulations arising from the regular employment relationship shall not be avoided through the use of labour-only contracting, sub-contracting, or home-working arrangements, or through apprenticeship schemes where there is no real intent to impart skills or provide regular employment, nor shall any such obligations be avoided through the excessive use of fixed-term contracts of employment. 

​

2.7. WORKING CONDITIONS ARE SAFE AND HYGIENIC 

Suppliers shall provide a safe and hygienic working environment. They shall also provide continuous monitoring to ensure compliance with applicable legislation, regulations and the ILO standards. Suppliers shall ensure that personal protective safety equipment is available and that workers are adequately trained in its use. Safeguards on machinery must meet or exceed local laws, and workers shall be provided with all appropriate protective equipment. 

Adequate steps shall be taken to prevent accidents and injury to health in the working environment. Workers shall receive regular and recorded health and safety training, and such training shall be repeated for new or reassigned workers. 

Accommodation, where provided, shall be clean, safe and meet basic needs of the workers. Access to clean toilet facilities and to clean and drinkable water. 

 

2.8. HARSH OR INHUMANE TREATMENT 

Physical abuse or discipline, the threat of physical abuse, sexual or other harassment and verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation shall be prohibited. 

​

2.9. WORKING HOURS 

All working hours will comply with national laws and benchmark industry standards, whichever affords greater protection. Overtime work should be voluntary, shall not be excessive, shall not be demanded on a regular basis and shall always be compensated at a premium rate. Suppliers shall guarantee breaks and days off in compliance with applicable law. 

​

2.10. WAGES AND BENEFITS 

Suppliers shall provide wages and benefits that comply with all local laws and regulations or match prevailing local manufacturing or industry rates, whichever is higher. Wages should always be enough to meet basic needs and to provide some discretionary income. Overtime pay shall be calculated at the legally required rate, regardless of whether workers are compensated hourly or by piece rate. 

​

All workers shall be provided with written and understandable information about their employment conditions in respect to wages before they enter employment and about the particulars of their wages for the pay period each time they are paid. 

Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure or any deductions from wages not provided for by local law shall not occur without the expressed permission of the worker concerned. All disciplinary measures should be recorded. Suppliers must not systematically pay wages which are below the legal minimum or downgrade all workers in their salary grades to avoid payment of higher minimum wages. 

​

2.11. SUBCONTRACTING 

Suppliers may have multiple Production Facilities and must specify all main facilities in its contracts with Forever and Green. Where multiple facilities and/or subcontractors, all addresses shall be disclosed. There shall be no subcontracting of production unless explicitly agreed with Forever and Green in writing. A subcontractor is a company appointed by the producer to take over part of the Supplier’s production processes. A sub-supplier is a company or individual that supplies the producer or its subcontractors with upstream products, raw materials, semi-finished products or other services. The supplier’s subcontractors and sub-suppliers shall be expected to comply with this policy. 

​

2.12. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE 

Supplier shall comply with national and local environmental laws and regulations. The supplier shall dispose of its production waste in accordance with local environmental laws and regulations. The supplier must have identified and documented its key environmental impacts and implemented controls to minimise its impact on the environment with respect to solid waste disposal, hazardous chemicals storage and management, air and water emissions (where relevant, both industrial and domestic wastewater). 

​

3. Compliance with the policy

Forever and Green expects its suppliers to comply with all aspects of this Policy and is committed to working in partnership with its suppliers to help achieve compliance with this Policy. In the event where any supplier is unwilling or unable to demonstrate continuous improvement towards full compliance with our standards, the trading agreement between Forever and Green and the supplier will be terminated. 

If you are an existing or prospective supplier with questions or comments, please contact us at info@foreverandgreen.co.uk

​

​

​

​