OUR AMBITIONS

At DK Company, working towards solutions that foster sustainable development is a core part of our work and business strategy. We strive to better our practices day by day to contribute to a positive impact on both the environment and society through various initiatives and practices. Our Corporate Sustainability Team develops and monitors our strategy, addressing environmental, social, and ethical matters.

At the beginning of 2024, we set an ambitious material strategy called 80.80.30, focusing on our three largest categories: cotton, man-made cellulosic, and polyester, which account for more than 80% of our volume. Our goal is for 80% of our fibers and materials to be sourced from preferred sources by 2030. To help achieve this target, we work closely with suppliers and industry partners for continuous improvement and the implementation of long-term solutions.

As part of our work, we strive to protect the climate and preserve natural resources through partnerships, daily operations, and the increasing use of our preferred materials throughout our collections. Additionally, we actively participate in industry initiatives to advance sustainability across our supply chain.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AT DK COMPANY

DK Company collaborates with factories that are committed to increasing the sustainability of our supply chain and ensuring decent working conditions.
Most of our products are manufactured in developing countries, where the income families earn from the textile industry can be vital to their livelihood, and we are proud to contribute to job creation in these regions.

However, we acknowledge that challenges remain, and we believe in ongoing dialogue with our factories to improve working conditions and ensure they operate in accordance with the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct.

We have dedicated teams in Denmark, China, India, Bangladesh, and Turkey who work every day on sustainability.

If we all do our part, as companies and as individuals, to achieve these goals, we firmly believe that they can be reached.

At DK Company, we have chosen three specific goals:

GENDER EQUALITY

Because there are many women in our industry. Women make our clothes, a high percentage of our styles are designed by women, and our consumer segment is largely made up of women.
We are aware of cultural differences, but we want to do our part to empower the women working in our production chain by ensuring they are well informed of their rights and by continuously striving for greater gender equality across all aspects of our business.

RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION

Because we know we operate in an industry where there are challenges related to the production of the goods we sell. We work diligently to ensure that our production is responsible, and we want to clearly communicate to our customers what we are doing to maintain a responsible supply chain, so they can make informed choices when purchasing clothing (see the section “Factory Audits”).
In addition, we want to help raise awareness of the responsibility we all have as consumers regarding our environmental footprint, and how we can reduce it — for example, by making our clothes last longer.

CLIMATE ACTION

Because no matter how you look at it, the fashion industry is a polluting industry, and we want to do our part to make our supply and distribution chains less polluting.
We have set goals to use more sustainable materials (see the “Sustainable Materials” section) and to reduce our CO₂ emissions, water consumption, and use of packaging.

ETHICAL SUPPLY CHAIN

DK Company does not own any factories but puts a great deal of effort into ensuring that the factories it collaborates with meet its requirements regarding environmental issues and working conditions.

DK Company is a member of BSCI: Business Social Compliance Initiative. This is a Code of Conduct that all factories the group works with must sign and comply with.

As a result, BSCI inspections are regularly conducted at DK Company’s partner factories by BSCI members.

FACTORY VISITS

The DK Company audit program focuses on the group’s 100 most important suppliers, representing 80% of the group’s total purchases.
(This percentage has been measured based on turnover.)

Currently, the company requires its top 25 suppliers to comply with the BSCI Code. The remaining suppliers are monitored through a DK Company inspection program, which is organized in stages, with each level focusing on a specific subject. Between each level, the group provides training to suppliers to ensure progress toward the next level.

Level 1:Health and safety surveys are conducted to guarantee worker safety in the factory. Training on management systems is provided to ensure companies comply with health and safety standards.

Level 2:Inspection of the management system is carried out to ensure standards are properly applied.

Level 3:Environmental inspections are conducted to ensure factories strictly follow the company’s environmental rules. DK Company provides specific training, for example, procedures for proper wastewater treatment.

Level 4:Verification of working hours and wages. This is followed by training on production management and productivity. At this stage, factories also complete a questionnaire regarding their collaboration with DK Company aimed at improving wage conditions.

Final Level: Sensitive issues are inspected. This stage involves a very thorough but particularly challenging inspection. Issues such as employee harassment are very difficult to detect during an inspection.

It is important to emphasize that DK Company takes every level seriously. Each level must be fully respected and validated before a factory can move to the next stage.

The health and safety of workers in the factories is of utmost importance to DK Company, and factories must above all be safe workplaces for every employee.

TRACEABILITY

DK Company aims to make a real difference in the fashion industry. That is why it is very important for the group to know the paths its products take — from the choice of fibers used to make them, all the way to the placement of the finished product in stores.

Today, the supply chain is mapped from the factory, meaning from the moment the garment is produced. The ultimate goal is to achieve a more transparent supply chain and to be able to create a map of its products tracing back to the origins of the raw materials.

It is a long journey ahead… but DK Company is very proud to have already completed the first steps.

Traceability is intrinsically linked to transparency. DK Company is committed to ensuring the highest level of transparency regarding its suppliers, its work with partner factories, and how the group addresses the challenges and opportunities that arise throughout its supply chain.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

DK Company believes in dialogue, training, and monitoring rather than immediately excluding a factory if an anomaly is detected that does not meet its standards.

For example, the group offers seminars to its suppliers, during which they receive training on its chemical restrictions. These seminars include a thorough review of all chemicals banned from its approved list. We explain why each chemical is prohibited or restricted, how it might enter the production process, and why it is harmful.

In addition, DK Company trains its employees in Denmark and at sourcing offices worldwide on its CSR policy, their role in the process, and how they can “think twice” during the creation of a design.