Responsible behaviour.

Our sustainability strategy focuses on the SDGs from the United Nations.

Swabian Jura in the spring with a single, young tree in the foreground | mey®

The commitment to top quality defines every work step at mey.

This applies not only to the quality of the products, but also to the conditions under which they are produced. To ensure this quality, we hold ourselves to exceptionally high standards for the industry and assume social responsibility for our employees. We mainly produce in our own factories in Europe. Short transport routes are more environmentally friendly and safeguard good jobs.

Our entire company is a family. We communicate respectfully and as equals, recognising and greatly appreciating the contribution made by each individual. Our interactions with each other are open, honest and sometimes even emotional. Constructive criticism expresses how passionate we are about excellent products. We define our contribution to a sustainable society in terms of the following five viewpoints.

1. Product stewardship

People who buy our products wear them on their skin every day and, in doing so, make a statement about sustainability and quality. That is why all of the materials that are used in our products undergo strict quality control. Since January 2021, our entire volume of material has also been certified by external institutions. We proudly underscore our commitment to the environment and society with independent audits by GOTS and FSC®. This provides transparency and security when purchasing bodywear.

2. Environment

As a family-run company in the mountains of the Swabian Alb region, nature is particularly dear to our hearts. The regular calculation of carbon footprints for our locations in Germany, Portugal and Hungary, our support of climate projects, and a regional project for regenerative agriculture with positerra are proof that we back up our words with action.

3. Supply Chain

Excellent collaboration with our suppliers and partners is a prerequisite for our success. We are continuously improving our supply chain management and are in close contact with our partners. This includes a mutual understanding between us and our mainly European partners, as well as regular monitoring. These contacts, which to some extent were reliant on on-site visits, have changed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. With regular video calls and agreements, we maintain our standards, and we also cover ourselves through certifications from external service providers. Having been awarded “Grüner Knopf” (Green Button) certification, we have reached an additional, important milestone on our path to a transparent supply chain.

4. Employees

To live a sustainable lifestyle that also goes beyond our products, sustainability is a matter of course at our company locations. Sport, health and advanced training opportunities, like those offered at the mey Academy, inspire our employees to make a commitment today to the issues of tomorrow.

5. Society and social issues

Social involvement is firmly anchored in our corporate culture at mey. That is why we actively support projects that are close to our hearts. Long-term cooperation is of particular importance to us in this context. This allows us to make a valuable contribution to society beyond our core business activities and to ensure greater social equity over the long term.

All 17 icons of the UN Sustainable Development Goals with a number, graphic and German text | mey®

We take responsibility. Since 1928.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the UN include 17 goals to secure sustainable development on an economic, environmental and social level. It was adopted in the 2030 Agenda at the 2015 UN Summit. The key message as guiding principles are the 5 Ps: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, Partnership. (UN, 2019).

Go to the SDGs of the UN

Sustainability is a pillar which secures the foundation of our company

Here at mey, we see sustainability as a pillar which secures the foundation of our corporate success over the long term. By continuously improving our standards, production processes and goals, we will continue to make a contribution in the future by producing durable and premium quality products while also using less power and resources. Our sustainability strategy focuses on the SDGs from the United Nations with particular attention paid to goals 7, 8, 12 and 15. mey will be concentrating on these four selected SDGs until mid-2021 and continuously work on implementing relevant improvements in the company.

SDG No 7 affordable and clean energy | mey®

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

SDG No 8 decent work an economic growth | mey®

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

SDG No 12 responsible consumption and production | mey®

Ensure sustainable consumption.

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

Our Goals

Our sustainability strategy is guided by the United Nations SDGs, and a particular focus is on goals 7, 8, 12 and 15. Within this framework, mey has set itself the following goals.

1.

Intensification of research and development for sustainable product innovations and strong focus on circularity by the end of 2022

Development of recyclable products by spring/summer 2023
Appointment of a Special Representative for Circulatory Capacity
Establishment of a cooperation network for the recycling of offcuts in the own production

modern knitting machine in the knitting factory in Albstadt, Germany | mey®

2.

Reduction of CO2 emissions by the end of 2025.

The CO₂ emissions for the company's own sites are calculated by means of a CO₂ balance sheet. The knowledge gained from this is then used to rethink and optimise processes. Based on the analysis, concrete measures are defined to directly and sustainably reduce CO₂ emissions. The following measures are being pursued:

Development of a concept of measures by July 2022 for the avoidance, reduction and and compensation of CO₂ emissions
Installation of photovoltaic systems at all three mey sites
Integration of sustainability in the mey travel policy by the end of 2022
Increase the share of e-cars in the fleet and provide at least four e-fuelling stations by the end of 2022

3.

Increase transparency in the supply chain by the end of 2022

Creating transparency in one's own supply chain means understanding how one's own supply chain is structured and which actors are involved. Supply chain transparency is thus a fundamental prerequisite for corporate due diligence - because only those who know their supply chain can shape it socially and ecologically.

The following measures to achieve the objectives have been and are still being carried out:

STeP certification of the three mey sites by the end of 2021
Implementation of the Sustainable Sourcing Standard for all contracting companies and HAWA partners from September 2021
Expanding transparency in the procurement supply chain: The goal is to know all Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplying companies by the end of2022 and all Tier 3 supplying companies by the end of 2025

Increase transparency in the supply chain by the end of 2022 | mey®

two open, ripe cotton flowers on a cotton plant | mey®

Expand the use of certified organic cotton to four product ranges.

mey currently offers two collections made of more than 90% organic cotton, both of which are GOTS certified. The women’s collection is Superfine Organic and is RE:THINK for men.

When it comes to procuring cotton of organic quality, we as a company face major challenges in terms of the quality available. Due to the exceptionally fine finish of our fabrics and highly precise knitting machines, our organic cotton must be free of extraneous fibres and any other contaminants while also having a particular staple length. This has proven to be the greatest obstacle to transitioning to organic cotton as a mere fraction of what is available meets our standards of quality for mey products.

Update:

In 2020, 4.35% of all items sold were already GOTS-certified.

In the Autumn/Winter 2021 collection, three women’s collections and nine men’s collections will be available with certified organic cotton. These collections have also been certified by the Grüner Knopf.

For women: SuperfineOrganic series

For men: RE:THINK series

Increase the percentage of sustainable/certified cotton to 90%.

mSustainable does not always have to mean organic: both of our most important suppliers, who we have worked with for decades, uphold the latest technological and social standards.

mey views sustainable cotton as a combination of certificates (such as STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, BCI, STeP by OEKO-TEX®) and long-standing partnerships with suppliers. Our cotton suppliers already have at least one of the listed certificates for the products they supply, and mey has been successfully working with some suppliers for more than 30 years.

Additional factors such as regional spinning in Europe and the resulting short transport routes, drip irrigation on family-run cotton farms in Greece as well as long-standing partnerships also play a major role and are part of our main focus. In 2019, we already reached a share of approximately 70% of sustainable/certified cotton.

Update:

Currently, more than 75% of the cotton used is BCI-certified (Better Cotton Initiative), which means it comes from verified sustainable farming. This is a figure we will continue to expand on.

Female model in an autumn forest wears a petrol-coloured fine ribbed top and briefs from the Superfine Organic series | mey®

herd of sheep on the Swabian Jura | mey®

Use only wool yarn that is harvested without mulesing.

Our wool products have always been knitted exclusively and 100% using wool harvested from sheep in South Africa.

These yarns are completely mulesing-free and we will continue to make sure that mulesing-free wool is procured in the future. Our suppliers have submitted the relevant certificates. The share of wool yarn amounted to approximately 1% of the total quantity in 2019.

Mulesing is a procedure to prevent sheep from becoming infested with fly maggots. It involves the removal of the skin around the tail, usually without anaesthesia, which is considered cruel.

Certify the entire volume of material at mey.

This refers to certifications such as STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX®, STeP by OEKO-TEX® or GOTS.

Update:

The entire volume of material at mey has been certified according to STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® since January 2021.

In addition to existing certifications, two new certifications were added in 2020: FSC® certification and the Grüner Knopf. Since February 2021, all wood-based yarns have been FSC®-certified.

Male model in front of a red background wears a sweatshirt from the Klamila series in mottled grey and shorts from the RE:THINK series with lettering in white | mey®

86% of our suppliers are located in Europe, 8% are in Asia, 5% are in Turkey and the remaining 1% are in South America.

mOur suppliers share all of our attitudes towards social, environmental and economic values. This is not only based on personal contact on site, but also on written values such as our mey Terms (purchasing conditions), Code of Conduct and legal provisions.

We adapted our mey Terms in 2019. They ensure optimal compliance with our quality and sustainability criteria. The mey Terms include not only technical specifications and quality guidelines, but also our Code of Conduct, which requires safe working conditions and environmental protection. Another important point is the honest and transparent communication of data in a business partnership.

The legal foundations and the standards of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) form the guidelines for our collaboration. The suppliers must particularly comply with the standards from the ILO regarding social issues and responsible economic activities and must conclude appropriate agreements with any upstream suppliers or sub-suppliers and also with further subcontractors. All of our approximately 120 suppliers, CMT (Cut Make Trim) partners, and FM (Full Merchandise) partners, must comply with the mey Terms and are committed to complying with our values and guidelines.

Update:

How chemicals are handled is very important in order to protect consumers and every individual involved as well as the environment during the production phase.

During Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX® certification in 2020, the mey RSL (restricted subtance list) was replaced with the requirements of Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX®.

Because our entire volume of material is certified according to Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX®, the requirements are fulfiled by all suppliers. This allows us to assure our customers that our products are free of contaminants.

More than 90% of our CMT (Cut-Make-Trim) partners are located in Europe.

The three mey company locations in Germany (Albstadt), Portugal (Celorico de Beira) and Hungary (Veresegyház) are in Europe, which means they are already subject to the strictest provisions in terms of social and environmental standards.

Update:

We have revised our goal and, as a result, drafted and implemented the first version of our Basic Requirements in 2020.

These requirements lay down the prerequisites and minimum standards for new and existing partnerships with mey. In addition to the FWF and the BSCI, additional certifications are also listed that we as a company accept from our partners.

The certificates that are accepted by mey are selected based on careful analysis as well as external resources and the expertise of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles. This allows us to ensure that both environmental and social standards are upheld along our supply chain.

Use only FSC® certified product packaging and hangtags.

All of our hangtags and cardboard for product packaging are FSC® certified. We do not use film lamination in our packaging, which increases the stability of the packaging (for example at folded edges and by preventing tearing).

We have significantly reduced the amount of box packaging with a film window and make sure as a general rule to use a minimal amount of finishing techniques, such as glossy films or UV coatings, as these pollute the environment and make recycling more difficult.

Update:

With the new packaging design, FSC® certification will be visible on our packaging and hangtags starting in May 2021.

Reduce the use of (non-recycled) film by 30%.

A number of trials are currently underway to completely eliminate the use of film, to reduce its use or to replace it with recycled materials. We already reduced the micron thickness of the films that are used to keep our hanger cycle products clean in 2019. That saved a total of 21% of film material.

We have also transitioned to using film that is 100% recycled for protective packaging for our nightwear products. Different in-house tests with several recycled films are currently underway to gradually replace other types of film with 100% recycled film, which will be used until we are able to do without film altogether.

Update:

To support recycling processes, the plastic waste that is generated in-house is sorted prior to disposal. Moreover, the introduction of a plastic baling press has optimised our waste management. Reducing the number of transport journeys and using significantly more resource-friendly recycling will improve our ecological footprint.

Reduce energy consumption by 5% at our three regional company sites.

At our headquarters in Albstadt (Germany), we have already been using 100% green power (hydropower from Scandinavia) since 2018.

The windows have also been replaced with new insulated windows, the rooftops have been reinsulated and lighting in the production hall has now been completely switched to LED.

Our on-site charging station at the outlet is also run solely on green power.

Update:

Energy consumption at our company locations has been reduced by 5%. With regard to heating, we took our own measures and even managed to reduce consumption by more than 5%.

sign and charging station for electric cars in front of the mey headquarters in Albstadt, Germany | mey®

Modern knitting machine in the knitting department in Albstadt, Germany | mey®

10.

Establish a carbon footprint for our three company sites.

To reduce CO₂ emissions, we are taking three steps:

1. Analyse the CO₂ emissions

For our company locations, CO₂ emissions are calculated in the form of a carbon footprint. The insights gained are then used to rethink and optimise processes.

2. Reduce and change

Based on the analysis, concrete measures are determined to directly and sustainably reduce CO₂ emissions.

3. Offset

To offset the remaining emissions, compensation projects will be implemented.

11.

Create and introduce a labelling concept.

We have defined internal guidelines for the testing and sourcing of materials. This is based on the use of certifications.

Update:

For our own products, mey has created a corresponding roadmap. In 2020, we implemented the Grüner Knopf, FSC® and Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX®. An additional certification is currently being prepared.

12.

Raise employee awareness and include them in the mey sustainability concept.

mIn January 2020 we welcomed a new colleague to the mey team who deals exclusively with the topic of sustainability at mey. At our location in Albstadt (Germany), we already provide various offers to encourage our employees to consider health, consumption and exercise in more sustainable and informed terms.

A water station is available for our employees’ water bottles, the coffee makers are equipped with ceramic mugs instead of plastic cups and the use of Eco-Takeouts™, a reusable container system, has been required for takeaway meals from our staff restaurant since January 2020.

mey also offers various sports programmes, including kick boxing, water gymnastics and yoga as well as the opportunity to use the company swimming pool and sauna outside working hours. With team challenges, we encourage our employees to create carpooling communities, to cycle to work or to switch to using public transport. Business trips, when feasible, are made by train.

Update:

Our employees are regularly informed about relevant sustainability topics on our intranet. Moreover, store managers are involved in our sustainability concept through training and webinars.

By implementing various types of internal projects, such as participating in the Baden-Württemberg Sustainability Days, we are actively raising in-house awareness.