Going for Gold: The EcoVadis Process

Since we first opened our doors almost 50 years ago, Fixfast has been committed to making better, safer buildings. We've lived up to this by supplying quality fasteners and components for the building envelope, coupled with the advice and service that ensures the right product is used for the right application.

Underpinning that mission is the culture of 'becoming better' - a relentless quest to improve what we do, and how we do it. Recognising our role as an industry leader, this commitment also extends to considering our impact on the wider world - in particular, our environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and ethical governance.

This is why we decided to pursue EcoVadis accreditation for our business. EcoVadis is one of the world's most trusted and recognised providers of business sustainability ratings, offering a comprehensive platform for evaluating and improving environmental and social practices.

In fact, last year our management team unanimously agreed that we should build on our silver status and go for gold. Achieving a Gold rating from EcoVadis places a company in the top 5% of all businesses evaluated, underscoring exceptional performance in areas ranging from environmental impact reduction to labour and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. We were determined to set a new standard for operational excellence and responsibility within our field.

Our journey began with a holistic re-evaluation of our operations, from raw material sourcing to production processes, energy use, and waste management. We have always been mindful of our environmental footprint, but this endeavour encouraged a new level of scrutiny across our operations - from our own offices and manufacturing facilities to the operating practices of our supply chain partners.

It necessitated placing even more emphasis on sustainability within our culture, further embedding the right mindset into the DNA of our organisation, and aligning our business strategy with the principles of sustainable development.

Environmental Stewardship: Beyond Compliance

A key focus area in our pursuit of EcoVadis Gold has been environmental stewardship. We recognised early on that achieving excellence in sustainability meant going beyond mere compliance with regulatory requirements. We doubled down on initiatives to educe our carbon footprint and waste, optimise energy efficiency, and transition towards renewable energy sources where possible. We have developed a number of products that increase durability well above legal baselines, and have introduced a product design philosophy that minimises environmental impact during their production, installation and lifetime.

Social Responsibility: People at the Core

Social responsibility formed another cornerstone of our strategy. For us, sustainability is inextricably linked to the wellbeing of our employees, the communities we operate in, and the broader societal impact of our business activities. We strengthened our labour practices, ensuring fair wages and a broad suite of benefits for our employees, safer working conditions based on detailed risk assessments, and fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion.

Ethical Governance: Building Trust

We also place a strong emphasis on ethical governance and rigorous compliance with national and international standards. We have anti-corruption and anti-bribery measures in place, and policies to guard against human trafficking and modern slavery. Importantly, we go beyond internal adherence to ethical practices, but also ensure that our suppliers and partners share these values.

Sustainable Procurement: A Shared Journey

We work closely with our suppliers to encourage sustainable practices, integrating environmental and social criteria into our selection, management, and evaluation processes. The introduction of a new Supplier Code of Conduct and our Sustainable Procurement Policy have been key to this.

As a result of these activities, and the important contribution of everyone at Fixfast, I'm proud to say that we achieved an EcoVadis Gold rating earlier this year. But we have more work to do. This achievement is not the end of our sustainability journey but a milestone, serving as both a recognition of our efforts and a reminder of the work that lies ahead.

We're setting even higher standards for the years to come. Fixfast remains committed to advancing sustainability within our operations, our industry, and the global community, contributing to a better, more sustainable future for all.

Learn more about our overall sustainability journey here