We're delighted to share another important milestone in our sustainability journey: BC SoftWear has achieved ISO 14001 certification. This internationally recognised standard for environmental management systems provides independent verification of the work we've been doing to minimise our environmental impact and continually improve our sustainability performance.  

For us, sustainability has never been about following trends or ticking boxes. It's been at the heart of our business for many years, influencing everything from product design and packaging to manufacturing and supply chain decisions.

What does ISO 14001 mean?

An internationally recognised standard for environmental management systems, ISO 14001 covers everything from how we handle our environmental impact to how we train our teams, audit our processes and drive ongoing improvement. 

It’s an independently verified framework that’s recognised around the world as a way to manage and continuously improve environmental performance.

For our customers, it’s a clear, third-party assurance that sustainability is built into the way we operate and everything we do, not just how we talk about ourselves.

“Achieving ISO 14001 is real recognition of work we’ve been doing for years across our entire supply chain,” says Barbara Cooke, founder and CEO of BC SoftWear. “It gives our customers independent, third-party confidence that when we talk about sustainability, we really mean it. It demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices and will ensure we continue to reduce our waste and our environmental impact.”

A commitment that goes beyond certification

The certification reflects a wide range of sustainability initiatives already in place across our business.

Our principal manufacturing facility in Turkey operates using solar power and has its own water treatment plant. We've also developed innovative products such as SmartSoft®, helping customers reduce water and energy consumption during laundering, while removing tens of tonnes of single-use plastic from our packaging every year.

What comes next?

While we're incredibly proud to have achieved ISO 14001 certification, we're not stopping here.

Earlier this year we became a Certified B Corporation™, and more recently launched our partnership with textile recycling specialist Avena Group. Now, we're setting our sights on our next sustainability goal: achieving EcoVadis Platinum recognition.

Every milestone strengthens our commitment to doing business responsibly and helping our customers make more sustainable choices. ISO 14001 is another significant step on that journey, and we're excited about what comes next.