When considering a new product, we look at it from several sustainability-related angles and ask the questions laid out below, which also have health-related criteria mixed in. We consider both positive screening criteria – i.e., desirable attributes – and negative screening criteria – i.e., undesirable attributes. We verify these criteria through discussions with the supplier in question, ideally in person with high level company representatives, and when possible during an on-site visit to the supplier’s facilities. We seek to develop long-term trust relationships with suppliers who are actively and openly interested in helping the environment and who consider environmental criteria in the manufacture of their product(s).

For products sourced from local suppliers, but manufactured elsewhere, we rely heavily on discussions with, and representations of, the local supplier because it is generally not possible to contact the actual manufacturing facility directly (confidential business information). Again, we seek to develop long-term trust relationships with our local suppliers, and we choose suppliers who are actively and openly interested in helping the environment and who consider environmental criteria in the manufacture of their product(s).

For our in-house products, we have met most of the suppliers and have close trust relationships with all of them. For the ones close to us, we have visited their facilities.

Here are sustainability related questions we ask when deciding whether or not to source a product from a particular supplier: