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Our approach– The WENKO CODE

The WENKO Code describes the principles and standards that guide our actions within the company and throughout our business relationships. Find out more here.

Our fields of action

The following topic areas show where we review and further develop measures and processes within our company. You can find our four key areas here.

Our certificates

Below you will find an overview of our certifications. The individual certificates relate to different requirements and areas of assessment. You can find more information here. 

You are hereHomeSustainability

OUR APPROACH – The WENKO CODE

Sustainability and environmental topics are becoming increasingly important in our society. At WENKO, too, we address the impact of our business activities on the environment and society.

That is why we have set up an interdisciplinary team that regularly reviews measures and development opportunities in the areas of products, packaging, logistics and supply chain, and prepares proposals for improvement.

Together with our subsidiaries, we have committed ourselves to a certain catalogue of values, not only within our own global activities, but also throughout our entire supply chain. Our values are reflected in the principles of acknowledged global social and ecological standards; such as the United Nations’ Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP), the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

In order to ensure that everything from production to delivery is performed according to our standards, we have developed our own WENKO Code, which suppliers and service providers must sign and adhere to.
This is the way in which we as a company ensure that everything from production to delivery is in line with our values and standards.

Click here for the WENKO Code

 

Should you wish to report a possible adverse human rights impact or initial suspicion to WENKO Wenselaar GmbH & Co KG, one of its subsidiaries or one of our suppliers, please use the following contact option to seek redress. We will always treat your concern with the utmost discretion. If you have any questions or comments about the WENKO Code, please contact csr@wenko.de.

​​​​​​​INFORMATION ON MATERIAL AND PRODUCT PROPERTIES

Every customer sets different priorities when choosing a product. That is why we provide information on selected material and product properties of our products.

The symbols used show at a glance whether an item, for example, contains recycled materials, is recyclable or is made from rapidly renewable raw materials. Below you will find an overview of what each marking means.

Rapidly-growing raw materials:
The product contains rapidly renewable plant-based raw materials such as bamboo or jute.

Recyclable:
The materials used can be sent for recycling after use.
This allows raw materials to be kept in the material cycle.

Recycled materials:
This item contains recycled materials. Their use can help conserve resources and reduce the need for new raw materials.

FSC® certified:
In particular in the timber industry, 
environmentally-friendly cultivation is important.
Therefore, we rely on FSC®-certified wood.

OUR FIELDS OF ACTION

Produkt

Measures within our product range
We continuously review materials, products and packaging and keep developing them.

Examples:

  • Future-oriented packaging concepts: 44.3%* of our sales packaging already consists of 100% recycled materials such as paper, cardboard or carton. (*DSD data 2025–2026)
  • We continuously examine alternative materials to further develop existing products. For example, chrome has been replaced by stainless steel in numerous standard items.
  • By redesigning packaging, material use was reduced. Over a period of five years, the use of plastic fell by 39% worldwide and the use of cardboard packaging by 14% (DSD 2021–2025).
    Logistik

    Measures in the area of logistics

    For example:

    • Worldwide storage and production locations, including those in Europe, shorten transport routes all over the world.
    • We continuously strive to improve our transport packaging. For example, recycled cardboard is replacing polystyrene. This already saves 14 tonnes of polystyrene every year and reduces the transport volume by 40%.
    • We are constantly replacing the poly bags we use to protect our products with paper, and are, as a result, able to save 6,290 kg of plastic per year with the measures taken.
    • Deliveries to our direct customers are packed exclusively with filling material made of recycled cardboard and paper, which is certified with the Blue Angel, the German label for environmentally friendly products.
    Unternehmen

    Measures within the company

    For example:

    • The power supply for our head office in Hilden and our logistics centre in Hückelhoven comes largely from renewable energy sources
    • We do not scrap returns, unpacked photo samples or product samples: each item goes through an elaborate inspection process and, wherever possible, is returned to the goods cycle
    • We have installed seven drinking water treatment systems at our head office – every employee received a reusable water bottle
    • Switching from individual desktop printers to a centralised printing system saves 1.22 million sheets of paper per year
    Gesellschaft

    Measures for the environment and society

    For example:

    • Bee WENKO Since 2019, we have been hosting our own bee colonies on the WENKO premises as an employee project.
    • Clean-up campaigns: We regularly collect litter from around our premises.
    • We are a family business, and as such we take our social responsibility very seriously. Therefore, we provide financial support and material donations for regional projects with the aim of encouraging and supporting children.
    ProduktLogistikUnternehmenGesellschaft

    Measures within our product range
    We continuously review materials, products and packaging and keep developing them.

    Examples:

    • Future-oriented packaging concepts: 44.3%* of our sales packaging already consists of 100% recycled materials such as paper, cardboard or carton. (*DSD data 2025–2026)
    • We continuously examine alternative materials to further develop existing products. For example, chrome has been replaced by stainless steel in numerous standard items.
    • By redesigning packaging, material use was reduced. Over a period of five years, the use of plastic fell by 39% worldwide and the use of cardboard packaging by 14% (DSD 2021–2025).

      Measures in the area of logistics

      For example:

      • Worldwide storage and production locations, including those in Europe, shorten transport routes all over the world.
      • We continuously strive to improve our transport packaging. For example, recycled cardboard is replacing polystyrene. This already saves 14 tonnes of polystyrene every year and reduces the transport volume by 40%.
      • We are constantly replacing the poly bags we use to protect our products with paper, and are, as a result, able to save 6,290 kg of plastic per year with the measures taken.
      • Deliveries to our direct customers are packed exclusively with filling material made of recycled cardboard and paper, which is certified with the Blue Angel, the German label for environmentally friendly products.

      Measures within the company

      For example:

      • The power supply for our head office in Hilden and our logistics centre in Hückelhoven comes largely from renewable energy sources
      • We do not scrap returns, unpacked photo samples or product samples: each item goes through an elaborate inspection process and, wherever possible, is returned to the goods cycle
      • We have installed seven drinking water treatment systems at our head office – every employee received a reusable water bottle
      • Switching from individual desktop printers to a centralised printing system saves 1.22 million sheets of paper per year

      Measures for the environment and society

      For example:

      • Bee WENKO Since 2019, we have been hosting our own bee colonies on the WENKO premises as an employee project.
      • Clean-up campaigns: We regularly collect litter from around our premises.
      • We are a family business, and as such we take our social responsibility very seriously. Therefore, we provide financial support and material donations for regional projects with the aim of encouraging and supporting children.

      AT A GLANCE – OUR CERTIFICATIONS

      We have been active on the market for more than 63 years and want to continue to earn the trust of our customers in the future.

      That is why we work with recognised certification and testing programmes. The respective certificates relate to different requirements, for example in the areas of product quality, social standards or supply chain requirements.

      You will find information on the individual certifications and their scope in the respective certificate descriptions.

      We have been FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) certified since 2017! The FSC® label on our wood or paper products is a clear indicator that the product originates from responsible forest management. Products bearing the FSC® label ensure that forests are used in line with the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations.

      Please look out for FSC®-certified products in our online shop. Our licence code is
      FSC-C135059.


      Since October 2010, WENKO has been a member of the BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) and has committed itself, its suppliers and sub-suppliers to the adherence to the Code of Conduct for Social and Environmental Standards such as the prevention of child labour, fair working conditions and safe waste management.