How are surplus goods reused?

Bik Bok is part of Varner. Christiane Fagertun, Global Quality Assurance Manager at Varner’s sustainability department, explains how we’re working to promote a more circular future by ensuring that waste and surplus products are given new lives and value.

Recycling products and reusing surplus goods are important initiatives when it comes to achieving a more circular future.

“We donate all surplus goods at present. Only garments that people can’t wear on account of reasons relating to health, safety and the environment are destroyed,” explains Christiane.

Partnership with Fretex

Varner has been working in partnership with the Fretex organisation since 2012. Anything Bik Bok is unable to sell through its own channels is donated to them.

“All faulty production runs and items that are the subject of complaints are sent to Fretex. Only clothing and products that we can’t sell or give away for safety reasons are destroyed.”

Bik Bok has hooked up with relevant partners in the markets in which the company operates in both Sweden and Finland thanks to the partnership with Fretex.

“Fretex is part of the Salvation Army, and our partnership with them in Norway has made it possible for us to establish partnerships with organisations in the rest of the markets where Bik Bok operates,” she adds. “In Sweden, we’re currently working in partnership with Myrorna, Fretex’s sister organisation. Their concept is similar to Fretex.” 

Find out more about Varner’s partnership with Fretex on page 85 of Varner Sustainability Report 2021.

Cornerstone investor for Norwegian Re:textile

“March saw the launch of the EU’s textile strategy, one of its main points being extended producer responsibility,” says Christiane. “This will mean that manufacturers producing clothing will take responsibility for their products even when they’ve been sold – and when they’re discarded.

 “We can see that solutions are in place for the reuse of textiles, but that there’s no infrastructure for dealing with them when they’re turned into waste,” she continues.

“This is why Varner has stepped in as a cornerstone investor for a sorting plant under the auspices of Norwegian Re:textile. The aim of this sorting plant is to eliminate all textiles from household waste, ensuring that they’re sorted properly for recycling or reuse.”

This initiative has to be in place if we’re to have a more circular future, and a sorting plant of this kind will make it possible to sort the waste it receives.

Would you like to know more about Varner’s work with clothing production, sustainability and the environment? In the Varner Sustainability Report 2022, the Varner Sustainability Report 2021 and the Varner Sustainability Report 2020 you will find everything you need to know, and a bit more.

You can also send an email directly to [email protected] if there’s anything else you’d like to know about how we work with sustainability.