ESG Sustainability

With a view to protecting natural resources, we take care to minimize the impact of our operations on the environment. We take full responsibility for our products throughout their life cycle, moving toward a closed-loop economy. We take care both to ensure that the raw materials we use come from controlled sources and to ensure that our products can be easily disposed of after use.

We are committed to the environment.

Resources and finished products:

• we have launched recycled tissue paper napkins
• our offer includes products for industrial and home composting
• we package products exclusively in recycled cartons
• we have certified the recyclability of napkin wrapping film

Energy transformation, for which we were awarded the title of Energy Transformation Leader 2024:

• we replaced traditional internal lighting with modern LED light sources - we received a White Certificate, which is confirmation of the amount of final energy saved,
• we have replaced the old compressors on site with new, more efficient ones,
• we have implemented advanced purchasing strategies for electricity and natural gas,
• we participate in the DSR (Demandy Side Response) programme, which is an innovative approach to energy management and supports the stabilisation of the operation of the energy system in Poland,
• we are leading the energy transition using renewable energy sources:
  • we have installed photovoltaic installations
  • we modernised the boiler room and installed heat pumps, eliminating gas consumption in part of the plant
  • we have started to use heat recovery in the production halls
• we replaced forklift trucks with electric ones.

Waste:

• we have implemented a comprehensive waste segregation program
• we have installed a wastewater treatment plant on production, which significantly reduces water consumption and minimizes the amount of industrial wastewater generated

Basis for our activities are, among other things, the conclusions of audits from certified institutions, including energy audits, which support us in identifying and reducing inefficient energy consumption and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants.

Check out our certifications.

From the beginning, our mission has been to activate the less privileged. Currently, nearly 20% of our employees are people with disabilities.

In 2022, we joined Social Investors. By supporting the activities of the Academy of the Future, POL-MAK becomes part of positive changes in the neighborhood. This is our contribution to helping children most in need. The Academy equips the child with the resources and experiences to overcome previous obstacles and cope with adult life.

We support local initiatives that are related to our social mission, such as the 23rd Festival of the Art of Our Children, organized by the Julian Tuwim Special School Complex No. 105 in Poznań and the "Trwanie" Association, or the 3rd Chess Tournament under the patronage of the Head of Tarnowo Podgórne Municipality.

We have implemented a Code of Ethics among our employees. We provide our employees and other stakeholders with the opportunity to provide comments via a whistleblowing platform. Employees also have the opportunity to use internal boxes to make comments to the employer.

We have developed a Code of Ethics for suppliers, which defines and describes the company's key values and principles and is the basis for business cooperation. We expect our suppliers to treat their employees fairly and with dignity, to provide safe working conditions and to take care to protect the environment.

The Code of Ethics for Suppliers is the basis for our business relationships.

POL-MAK has been a Sedex participant since 2013. As a result, our Polish plant has become part of an international community dedicated to responsible business, responsible sourcing and improving ethical standards and working conditions in the supply chain.

To maintain SEDEX membership, POL-MAK undergoes the SMETA (SEDEX Member Ethical Trade Audit) - the most widely used ethical audit in the world.

The EcoVadis Medal is one of the most important international awards in the field of sustainability assessment. Based on international standards, the EcoVadis assessment confirms that POL-MAK operates according to best practices in sustainability and ESG.

The EcoVadis survey examines business practices in terms of: social responsibility, environmental protection, supply chain business ethics. The methodology of the study is based on international standards such as the Global Reporting Index (GRI), ISO 26000 and the tenets of the Global Compact and the UN goals.

To date, more than 100,000 companies from over 175 countries and more than 200 industries have been globally assessed by EcoVadis.

The Energy Transformation Leaders competition aims to promote innovative and scalable solutions, products, technologies and services related to climate and environmental protection, as well as innovative projects that can have an impact on accelerating Poland's green transformation. The competition's jury includes the National Energy Conservation Agency and the National Centre for Research and Development. The competition accompanies the Polish Climate Congress, which takes place in Warsaw.

The multi-phase energy transformation between 2020 and 2023 at Zaklad Poligraficzny POL-MAK included a number of projects to improve energy efficiency, such as replacing lighting with energy-efficient lighting, installing renewable energy sources and heat pumps, and implementing advanced purchasing strategies for electricity and natural gas, among others. The company also actively participates in the Demand Side Response (DSR) programme, which supports the stabilisation of the operation of the energy system in Poland.

- Energy transformation allows us to increase our competitiveness. Thanks to projects implemented one after another, we are improving the energy efficiency of individual production processes and building and constantly updating energy media purchasing strategies, which translates into optimising electricity and gas fuel costs while increasing production capacity. No less important is the environmental dimension of these activities, which is becoming an important aspect of the prepared ESG strategy of the POL-MAK Printing Plant. As a family company, we feel a daily responsibility for our environment and future generations, so I can assure you that our multi-stage energy transformation is not yet complete. We would like to thank you for appreciating the measures already implemented," said Dariusz Makowiak, member of the management board of Zakład Poligraficzny POL-MAK Sp. z o.o.

The 10 Principles of the UN Global Compact

Human rights

Principle 1: Support and respect internationally accepted human rights

Principle 2: Eliminate all human rights violations by the company

Labour standards

Principle 3: Respect freedom of association

Principle 4: Eliminate all forms of forced labour

Principle 5: Abolition of child labour

Principle 6: Effective anti-discrimination in employment

Environmental protection

Principle 7: Preventive approach to the environment

Principle 8: Undertake initiatives to promote an environmentally responsible attitude

Principle 9: Use and disseminate environmentally friendly technologies

Anti-corruption

Principle 10: Address corruption in all forms, including extortion and bribery

Sustainability is key for us, especially in the context of building a responsible supply chain, where our suppliers and their suppliers play an important role. We take steps to implement social and environmental due diligence at all stages of the value chain. We do not tolerate violations of human rights, labour laws or environmentally harmful activities at any stage, especially at raw material producers and suppliers. We consider any violations of human rights and labour laws or environmentally harmful actions at any stage of the value chain to be unacceptable.

ur 2024 Value Chain Code of Conduct reflects the requirements for all our suppliers, indicating the standards of behaviour we expect in terms of sustainability. The Code builds on the ideas set out in the Supplier Code of Conduct introduced in 2023, which has been fully accepted by all our business partners.

Zakład Poligraficzny POL-MAK is proud to announce its commitment to sustainability and environmental protection through the reduction of Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions.

Base year and emission reduction targets

In order to effectively measure our progress, we have set 2022 as the baseline for our actions. This year we recorded:
- Scope 1: 283 (tonnes CO2e)
- Scope 2: 2641 (tonnes CO2e)

Our target is to reduce these values:
- Scope 1 by 75% before 2030
- Scope 2 by 100% before 2025

We believe these are ambitious but realistic plans towards reducing our carbon footprint in the ranges indicated.

Scope 1: Direct Emissions

Our aim is to minimise direct GHG emissions from our controlled operations. We focus on reducing emissions from the combustion of fuels in our facilities and from the use of production equipment. As part of this activity:
- We invest in modern technology and equipment with improved energy efficiency.
- We use innovative energy sources, reducing the use of fossil fuels.
- We support training and initiatives for our employees to promote environmentally friendly practices.

Scope 2: Indirect Emissions from Purchased Energy

At the same time, we are working to reduce indirect emissions associated with the purchase of electricity and heat. Our actions in this regard include:
- Switching to renewable energy by investing in solar panels and purchasing certified green energy to reduce our carbon footprint.
- Optimising energy consumption at our sites by continuously upgrading infrastructure and implementing energy management systems.
- Engaging in long-term partnerships with energy suppliers to support sustainable practices.
We believe that these steps will contribute to achieving significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and help us in our role as a responsible representative of the printing industry. We are committed to continuing our efforts towards a more sustainable future, while working together with our stakeholders to create a world where environmental care is a priority.

Thank you for your support and trust.

Management Board of Zakład Poligraficzny POL-MAK

Statement_Carbon_Foodprint_Zaklad-Poligraficzny_POL-MAK_2024.pdf

The purpose of implementing the whistleblower protection procedure at Zakład Poligraficzny POL-MAK is to encourage people with knowledge of certain irregularities at POL-MAK to report them to POL-MAK by providing these people with a due guarantee of confidentiality, data protection and non-disclosure. In doing so, we fulfil the obligations imposed by the Whistleblower Protection Act implementing Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law.

The procedure defines the rules for whistleblowers to report violations of the law and for POL-MAK to follow up on the reports. The content of the procedure is available on the website in Polish: wiemipowiem.pl/polmak.