Bechtle Logistik & Service GmbH receives the Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certificate, bolstering the sustainability of its own brand Articona’s portfolio. The GRS is an international, voluntary, full product standard that sets requirements for third-party certification of recycled content, chain of custody, social and environmental practices and chemical restrictions.
Bechtle has been selling its range of IT workplace accessories under its Articona name since 2018. “It’s our goal to offer our customers sustainable, quality IT products. This independent certification is testament to our efforts,” says Patrick Vorgerd, Member of the Board, Bechtle Logistik & Service GmbH, and Head of Articona.
Complex certification process.
Bechtle Logistik & Service GmbH at the Group headquarters in Neckarsulm, where the Bechtle-own brand is located, as well as other Bechtle sales companies in Germany and abroad were evaluated in an extensive auditing process, which laid the foundation for the certification of Articona products. To gain the seal of approval, each product is reviewed individually.
The aim of the GRS is to reduce the negative impact of the production process on both people and the environment. In addition, standardising the definition of recycling enables consumers to compare products and hence make more well-founded buying decisions. Manufacturers are also required to track recycled materials used in their products and make sure they amount to at least 50 per cent, and the certification also guarantees a transparent supply chain, from raw materials to the end product.
“This rigorous process is in line with our own sustainability criteria and made GRS an obvious choice for us. Sustainability lies at the heart of the Articona portfolio strategy, which is why we would like to continuously expand the number of products certified according to GRS,” says Julia Schneider, Senior Category Manager at Articona, who leads the company’s GRS project. So far, around 100 products, including notebook bags, backpacks, sleeves and smartphone cases have been certified with the GRS seal, all of which are made entirely of recycled materials. The smartphone cases are shipped in FSC Recycled-certified cardboard packaging with all other products protected by reusable and durable non-woven packaging bags.
