With a bold shift to a holistic ESG strategy, we are integrating environmental sustainability, social impact and governance into our core business – ensuring long-term resilience, responsibility and future-proof growth.
Our holistic CWS Workwear CER strategy (Circular, Empowering, Responsible) is built on a strong foundation of three ESG pillars
Our service model incorporates circular economy principles. The CWS Workwear service model is is designed to support more efficient resource use and slowing down the materials cycle. Use and reuse instead of buy and replace.
The Responsibility Report 2025/26 presents CWS Workwear and CWS Healthcare’s approach and measures across environmental, social and governance topics.
Explore our emissions calculator to estimate greenhouse gas emissions savings by comparing the CWS Workwear service model with home-washing scenario.
The Circular Advantage Study (CAS) found that a circular textile service model cuts the environmental impact of workwear by more than 70% on average - considering the repair and reuse cycles - compared to a linear model.
This equates to average C02e savings of 550,000kg per year and 10,000 employees.*
At CWS Workwear we believe that a fair, ethical, and safe workplace is the foundation of a sustainable business. With our new Fair Employment Code, we reaffirm our commitment to our employees as our most valuable asset. The Codesets out clear principles that guide how we treat all our direct employees and reflects our shared responsibility to create a workplace where everyone can thrive. By embedding these standards into daily operations, we ensure that fairness and integrity are lived values – not just policies.
Discover and download our key documents, which underline our commitment to ethical conduct and sustainability and reflect our principles of transparency, integrity and environmental responsibility.
Explore our approach to sustainability and responsible business. Access general company certifications such as ISO norms, our Sustainability Principles, and our Compliance Helpline—providing transparency and support in our ongoing commitment to responsible and ethical business practices.
Since 2013 CWS Group has been a member of the UNGC the largest global initiative for sustainable cooperation.
Gold award 2026 for environment, labor and human rights ethics and supply chain management
CWS has been following the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct since 2013 and aligns its Code of Conduct with its requirements. Suppliers in high-risk countries are externally audited every two years.
Some items of workwear are certified to the OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100. This certification confirms that the textiles in question have been tested for the presence of harmful substances, in accordance with the requirements of the standard.
In some of our workwear collections, we use polyester that contains a proportion of recycled materials. These materials are certified to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), which monitors the use and traceability of recycled materials.
Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) promotes sustainable farming and improves African farmers' livelihoods. Supporting CmiA-certified cotton strengthens environmental practices and creates a more ethical supply chain.
We use cotton from the Fairtrade® black label cotton colloberation in our workwear and thus support fair wages and production processes in the production countries. Since July 2024, the Fairtrade®-supported Cotton Program was discontinued.
Click here to get an overview of all current news, guides, information and updates on the topics of workwear, workwear services and sustainable workwear.
*Disclaimer: The results of the CAS are based on approximate values and assumptions, which are explained in the study. CWS internal data from the 2021 financial year and external data references were used for the calculations.
