Sustainable sourcing

Many of our products are made using natural materials. We have a responsibility to use these resources in a sustainable way. More than 99% of all cotton, cocoa, timber, coffee and palm oil used in Action’s private and white label products is certified sustainable.

In most instances, these certifications are printed on product labels or packaging, allowing our customers to instantly recognise that the materials have been sustainably sourced.

By working with independent and recognised certifiers like the Better Cotton Initiative and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, customers can be confident that our cotton is produced without using hazardous pesticides, for example, and that our palm oil comes from plantations that protect the world’s forests and other vital ecosystems.

Cotton
Cotton used in our products is sustainably sourced under the Better Cotton programme, organic or recycled. A key example is our own Hotel Royal towel range, which is made from 100% cotton or blends with cotton satin or jersey. All materials are more responsibly sourced through Better Cotton.*

Timber
Timber used in our products comes from sustainably managed forests, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).*

Cocoa
Cocoa used in Action products is certified as sustainable by Fairtrade International, or by other recognised standards.*

Palm oil
Our Zenova sun care products, including sunscreen, aftersun, sun lotion and sun milk, are either made with 100% RSPO-certified palm oil (and derivatives) or do not contain palm oil at all. *

* These certifications apply to more than 99% of Action’s private and white label products in scope based on type, volume sold or weight.

Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence Policy

Our commitment to ethical business practices is founded on the principles outlined in the OECD guidelines. These international standards serve as the bedrock of our commitment to ethical business practices, ensuring that every aspect of our operations aligns with the standards of human rights and environmental responsibility. The Human Rights and Environmental Due Diligence Policy reflects our approach, commitments and governance. Explore how we integrate social responsibility and environmental sustainability into every aspect of our work.

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Ethical sourcing Policy

Standards for suppliers are set out in Action’s Ethical Sourcing Policy. This policy is based on UN principles and international labour standards. We require our suppliers to comply with these standards and we expect them to share the standards with their own suppliers and business partners. In this way, we help protect the rights of workers in the wider industry.

Our Ethical Sourcing Policy includes zero tolerance for child and forced labour, among other things, as well as provisions for health and safety, non-discrimination, and fair pay.

When sourcing from countries with an elevated risk of human rights violations, we align ourselves to UN and key NGO partners’ recommendations and governance, and comply with applicable economic sanctions and trade restriction laws and regulations.

We regularly assess our suppliers to ensure compliance with our standards. In risk countries, we take additional measures, including social audits and spot checks in factories, to make sure workers’ rights are respected.

Throughout this process, we work with our suppliers, providing training and advice, so they can make necessary improvements. As a last resort, we may exclude suppliers or delist products if we believe the risks to workers are too great. If a factory fails an audit, we do not place new orders until we can be sure the problem has been resolved.

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Critical Escalation Policy

Action has set clear guidelines in our Ethical Sourcing Policy regarding the responsible sourcing of products that meet our standards of quality while respecting human rights and the environment. This Critical Escalation Policy outlines our commitment and approach to remediation when certain severe (i.e. critical) instances of non-compliance are identified in our value chain.

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Child Labour Policy

As a retailer with global supply chains and sourcing goods from countries where there is an increased risk of child labour, we recognize our responsibility to identify and protect children from any form of child labour within our supply chain. Action suppliers are therefore required to comply with our Child Labour Policy, which specifies clear commitments and responsibilities if child labour is identified.

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Responsible Cotton Policy

Cotton used in our products is sustainably sourced under the Better Cotton programme, organic or recycled. This policy addresses direct suppliers and importers and includes commitments to critical topics, such as human rights, transparency, water management, pesticides and herbicides, just to mention a few. Action is also working on partnerships with strategic expert partners and relevant institutions. All cotton used in our products (except A-brands) is now sustainably sourced under the Better Cotton programme, or it is organic or recycled.

Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)

A key example is our own Hotel Royal towel range, which is made from 100% cotton or blends with cotton satin or jersey. All materials are more responsibly sourced through Better Cotton. BCI is the largest cotton sustainability program in the world, providing training and support for farmers worldwide to develop environmentally friendlier and socially and economically more sustainable farming methods. Better Cotton is not physically traceable to end products. However, BCI Farmers benefit from the demand for Better Cotton in equivalent volumes to those we ‘source’. Please find more information about BCI here.

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Responsible Timber Policy

Timber is a sensitive resource that affects the environment and communities. Action developed a timber policy that aims to achieve a higher level of transparency, sets goals and defines procedures to ensure that products imported directly or via importers fulfill or exceed the requirements of the EU timber regulations. With this policy, Action focuses on non-commercial goods, permanently available products in the categories household, stationery & hobby, and decoration, as well as cardboard transit packaging materials. Part of this policy is the agreement with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) we signed in 2017. In the long-term, Action envisions that all timber products procured by Action are self-evidently certified by a sustainable source such as FSC or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

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Responsible Plastic Policy

Plastic as a material plays a major role in modern society, as can be seen within Action’s product range. From household goods to multimedia and decoration, plastic can be found throughout our assortment.

Unfortunately, the benefits brought by innovative, lightweight, durable plastic products that help reduce carbon emission have recently been overshadowed by realisation on how extensive the negative effects of plastic (waste) pollution on the (marine) environment and society actually are when not recycled properly.

Therefore, it is necessary to address the challenges of plastics use by reducing the diversity of materials used for the same applications, scaling up effective collection and recycling of plastic products and increasing the use of recycled content. Only then can plastics deliver added value to a more sustainable, new circular economy and help in realisation of the UN Sustainable Development goals.

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Responsible Cocoa Policy

As a fast growing European retailer we recognise our responsibility to ensure that the cocoa used for chocolate products originate from responsible sources.

All cocoa used in Action products (except for A-brands) is certified as sustainable by Fairtrade International, or by other recognised standards. Providing cocoa farmers with a better income, dignified working conditions and the possibility to invest into their communities. At the same time we want to ensure good farming practices which mitigate any harmful effects on soil and biodiversity.

This allows us to have measurable insights to impact for cocoa farmers in West Africa based on our growing sourcing volumes.

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Responsible Packaging Policy

We are committed to reducing packaging waste by decreasing both the amount and weight of our packaging. We have eliminated all non-recyclable packaging and are replacing plastic where possible with more sustainable materials, such as fibre-based materials or FSC or PEFC-certified paper and cardboard.

To achieve this, Action has introduced its Responsible Packaging Policy in 2021. This policy refers to all packaging within Action supply chains to which Action has a legal title, to product packaging and transport packaging at the Distribution Centre (DC) and on store level as well as for food packaging, where additional requirements of Food Contact Materials legislation apply. The policy states clear goals, measures, and standard criteria for packaging.

In 2025, we also phased out the use of hard-to-recycle PVC and black plastics in our packaging, and we are working with suppliers to ensure compliance with the EU’s future packaging regulation.

All Action’s primary packaging (the packaging in direct contact with the product) is now fully recyclable, and all cardboard used in the packaging of Action’s private and white label products is certified sustainable.

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Responsible Chemicals Policy

Chemicals may be one of the most critical product components. They pose a risk to workers in the production process, to the product safety for our customers and to the environment. At Action, we aim for responsibly produced products that are safe and fulfill all legal obligations. But we want even more: We want to go beyond legal compliance and support new technological, chemical and manufacturing processes when these are available. With its chemicals policy, Action provides an action plan for a safe and responsible approach with chemicals. Amongst those are for example measures that increase transparency in the production process. Furthermore, testing programs, partnerships with respective industry partners and plans to list and define restricted substances, are part of this policy. The policy explains Action’s expectations towards suppliers and puts suppliers clearly under responsibility.

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Responsible Palm Oil Policy

At Action we have products in various categories containing palm oil or palm derivatives. As part of our sustainable sourcing commitments it is important to us that the palm in our products is sourced sustainably.

Therefore we have become a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). This policy sets out our direction and commitments for the coming years.

Click here for our Responsible Palm Oil policy