The Path to Our Sustainability Strategy
Anyone visiting our Sustainability Platform today will find clear goals, defined focus areas, and our sustainability strategy. But sustainability has been part of our journey for much longer.
Sustainability Shaped Our Actions for Decades
Responsible resource management has been part of Sandler's business for decades. The company's roots lie in the processing of reclaimed textile fibers used in the production of wadding for upholstery and quilting. Even then, the reuse of materials was a central principle.
Over the following decades, this approach was continuously developed through closed-loop recycling in production, participation in the Bavarian Environmental Pact, and the implementation of environmental and energy management systems. Through certifications such as ISO 14001, EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme), and later ISO 50001, Sandler established environmental and energy management processes early on. Projects such as the restoration of the Lamitz Valley and the maintenance of company-owned biotope areas are further examples of our long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship.
As expectations from markets, society, and regulatory frameworks continued to evolve, it became increasingly clear that sustainability must be approached holistically.
And that continues to shape us today: Sustainability is not a new trend for us. It is an integral part of the way we do business, guiding our decisions, our development, and our commitment to taking responsibility for the future.
The Journey Began with a Question
How can we integrate sustainability even more deeply into our company's development?
To explore this question, we launched a company-wide process that brought together employees from different functions, generations, and organizational levels. From apprentices to members of the executive board, they contributed their experience, perspectives, and ideas. Together, we developed a shared understanding of what sustainability means for Sandler. This common foundation became the starting point for developing our sustainability strategy.
Gaining New Perspectives
Workshops, analyses, and external expertise helped us further refine and sharpen this shared understanding. Along the way, we confirmed our ambition to take a holistic approach to sustainability.
In addition to environmental and climate protection, this approach encompasses topics such as corporate culture, collaboration, innovation, energy supply, and the development of future-ready products.
Four Focus Areas Emerging from Many Perspectives
Throughout the process, numerous discussions, evaluations, and analyses ultimately led to the definition of four key focus areas. Today, these four focus areas form the foundation of our sustainability strategy and help us systematically embed sustainability throughout our organization.
Field of Action: Energy
Field of Action: Product
Field of Action: People
Field of Action: Mindset
Sustainability needs People
One of the most important insights along this journey was that transformation can only succeed when we work together.
Diverse perspectives, open discussions, and a shared sense of responsibility helped turn many ideas into a strategy for the future. Sustainability is therefore not the responsibility of individual departments alone, but a commitment shared across the entire company.
Looking Ahead
Through our Sustainability Platform, we bring together our focus areas, goals, and initiatives, making our sustainability journey transparent.
We view sustainability as a continuous process of development. Economic, environmental, and social considerations must be viewed together and balanced responsibly time and time again.
Our values of Reliability, Responsibility, and Openness provide guidance along the way. They shape how we make decisions, work together, and build our future.
The development of our sustainability strategy was an important milestone - but it was not the destination. We see sustainability as a long-term commitment that we will continue to advance.
Our sustainability strategy provides the foundation for systematically embedding sustainable development within our company. It provides direction for the years ahead and helps us consider economic success, environmental responsibility, and social contribution as interconnected goals. Through our Sustainability Platform, we make our objectives and initiatives transparent, show the initiatives we implement, and how our sustainability journey progresses step by step.
