Responsibility
Certifications provide assurance
As a member of amfori BSCI, we are committed to improving human rights and working conditions. We are FSC®-certified, and several of our products carry the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. 90% of our suppliers are affiliated with amfori BSCI, while the rest—primarily European—are members of SMETA. We work with external partners to ensure that all approvals and certifications are valid. Locally, we collaborate with Vivi Schytt, Help2comply, Altox, and Per Holst from FMC-Testing.
FSC®
Black:Cotton is FSC-certified with certificate number SCS-COC-005763-CG and FSC logo license code: FSC® C132484. The FSC label on our products means they are made from materials sourced from FSC-certified forests. Protecting our forests and keeping them full of life is important to us – so that both current and future generations can enjoy them. At Black:Cotton, we therefore offer a wide selection of FSC-certified products. Please contact us for more information about our FSC-certified products.
EPR – Extended Producer Responsibility
We understand the importance on selecting the right materials. That’s why we use recycled plastics, bamboo, and FSC-certified wood and paper for both products and packaging. We continuously work to minimize waste—for example, by printing directly on packaging instead of using multiple labels. We also use water-based ink without harmful metals. We design all our packaging ourselves, enabling us to find the best solutions. We have certificates from all our suppliers, ensuring full traceability of material sources. Most of our company vehicles run on electricity, and we strive to minimize our CO2 footprint by optimizing transport and logistics. We believe sustainability is the way forward and are dedicated to making a difference for the environment.
Returns/Extended Producer Responsibility
For several years, we have reported our battery consumption to Elretur, now called RETUR. In 2024, we entered into an agreement with Emballageretur to report all our packaging in compliance with the new packaging fee regulation—a regulation that will expand to include additional categories in 2025.
AAA - Highest Creditworthiness: We are AAA-rated
We are proud to have received the AAA rating—the highest level of creditworthiness—for the fifth consecutive year.
For you as a customer or supplier, this means:
- Financial security: We are a solid company with very strong payment capacity.
- Long-term stability: We are a reliable partner who will still be here tomorrow.
- Professional operations: The rating is only awarded to companies with a sound financial history and structure.
Why is this important?
Only a small percentage of Danish companies achieve this rating. It serves as proof that our “engine room” is in order, creating trust among banks, suppliers, and new customers alike.
Amfori
As a member of amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative), we take active responsibility for the people who produce our goods.
The main reasons for our membership:
- Social responsibility: We aim to ensure that our suppliers comply with ethical standards such as fair wages, safe working conditions, and the prohibition of child labor.
- Supply chain transparency: Amfori provides access to audits of factories worldwide, giving us documented assurance that production is carried out responsibly.
- Continuous improvement: We don’t just set requirements—we actively collaborate with our suppliers and factories to improve standards over time through training and dialogue.
In short, amfori BSCI ensures that our growth does not come at the expense of other people’s rights or safety.
Børsen Gazelle 4 Years in a Row: A Journey of Growth and Stability
We are incredibly proud to have been named a Børsen Gazelle for the fourth consecutive year. It proves that our strategy works and that we consistently deliver results year after year.
What does it mean to be a Gazelle?
To qualify, a company must meet strict criteria set by the Danish financial newspaper Dagbladet Børsen:
- Continuous growth: Revenue or gross profit must have increased every year over the past four financial years.
- Doubling: Total growth must exceed 100% over a four-year period.
- Positive results: Operating profit must be positive every year.
Why have we won four times?
Winning once requires speed—but winning four years in a row requires endurance and sound judgment. For us, this award is recognition of our entire team and a guarantee to our customers that we are a solid and ambitious partner, continuously evolving.
Elretur
We have chosen to work with Elretur to ensure that all end-of-life electronics and batteries from the products we sell are handled correctly and in an environmentally responsible manner.
The main reasons for this partnership:
- Responsible recycling: Elretur ensures that valuable raw materials are recovered and reused, helping conserving the Earth’s resources.
- Environmental safety: They guarantee that harmful substances (such as heavy metals) are removed and treated safely, preventing them from entering nature.
- Regulatory compliance: As a member, we fulfill the legal “Extended Producer Responsibility”, meaning we take responsibility for the waste phase of our products.
In short, we use Elretur to support a circular economy and ensure that our electronic waste causes as little harm—and as much benefit—as possible.
FSC
We use the FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) label as your assurance that wood and paper products come from responsibly managed forests.
Why we choose FSC-certified products:
- Nature and wildlife: No more trees are harvested than the forest can regenerate. Endangered species and waterways are protected.
- People: Forest workers have proper working conditions, safety equipment, and the right to organize. The rights of indigenous peoples are respected.
- Traceability: Every step in the supply chain—from forest to store—must be certified, ensuring full traceability back to a responsible source.
- Implementation: The label appears on everything from garden furniture and flooring to milk cartons, packaging, and paper products.
In short, FSC helps preserve forests for the benefit of the climate, biodiversity, and local communities.
Danish Veterinary and Food Administration
We are registered with the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration because we import products that come into contact with food. This ensures compliance with all applicable safety and regulatory requirements.
See our report here
Danish Medicines Agency
We are registered with the Danish Medicines Agency enabling us to offer a wide range of bandages and over-the-counter medicines, ensuring that our products comply with applicable legislation and high standards for safety and quality.
This provides both us and our customers with confidence that the products are properly registered, documented, and handled in accordance with regulatory requirements.
Nordic Swan Ecolabel
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel on our napkins is your guarantee that the product is among the most environmentally friendly in its category. When our napkins carry this label, they have undergone strict evaluation throughout their entire lifecycle.
Key reasons for choosing Swan-labeled napkins:
- Strict chemical requirements: The napkins are free from substances harmful to health and the environment, such as optical brighteners, fluorinated compounds, and harmful dyes.
- Sustainable fibers: The wood fibers come from sustainably managed forests or recycled materials, with strict requirements for legality and traceability.
- Low environmental impact: Production involves low energy consumption and limited emissions of greenhouse gases and wastewater.
- High quality: The label also sets functional requirements, ensuring the napkins perform effectively (e.g., absorbency and strength), so fewer napkins are needed.
In short, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel ensures that a disposable product like a napkin has minimal environmental impact from forest to waste.
Öko-tex
OEKO-TEX® is an international certification system for textiles that ensures products are tested for harmful substances and are safe for human use. The most well-known standard is OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, which sets requirements for everything from raw materials to finished products.
This certification means that the textile is free from—or contains only very low levels of—chemicals that may be harmful to health. It is widely used as a mark of quality and safety for clothing, home textiles, and other textile products.
Green Transition, UN Sustainable Development Goals
All Black:Cotton employees have participated in a workshop on green transition, aimed at increasing awareness of our role in sustainable change. Here we worked with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals and jointly selected two goals to focus on.
Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
This naturally applies to men, women, young people, and people with disabilities. For example, we collaborate with a special workshop, a municipal employment and rehabilitation facility.
Black:Cotton is a member of Amfori, as are 90% of our suppliers. The remainder are members of SMETA or another auditing organization to ensure responsible working conditions.
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. We prioritize working with suppliers who also focus on using our shared resources more sustainably.
Through innovation and close collaboration with our partners, we continuously develop products and packaging with longer lifespans and lower environmental impact.
Black:Cotton ApS, Hæstvej 46C, 1. sal,
DK-8380 Trige
CVR: 37584061