Responsibility

Principles for Responsible and Ethical Business

Könitz Porzellan GmbH is committed to responsible, fair and ethical business practices. This applies to our own locations as well as to affiliated companies, suppliers and production partners involved in the manufacture of our products.

Our activities are guided by internationally recognised principles relating to human rights, working conditions, occupational health and safety and social responsibility. In particular, we take into account the principles of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and are guided by ISO 26000 on social responsibility.

We expect our suppliers and production partners to comply with the following principles.

1. Compliance with Laws and Regulations

All applicable national and local laws, regulations and official requirements must be complied with.

Where this Code of Conduct provides a higher level of protection for employees or the environment and this does not conflict with applicable law, the higher standard should be applied.

2. Prohibition of Child Labour

Child labour is not accepted.

The minimum age for employment must not be below the minimum age permitted by national law and, as a general principle, must not be below the age at which compulsory schooling ends. The principles of the relevant conventions of the International Labour Organization, in particular ILO Conventions No. 138 and No. 182, must be observed.

Persons under the age of 18 must not perform work that may endanger their health, safety or development.

3. Humane Working Conditions and Equal Treatment

All employees must be treated with dignity and respect.

Discrimination or unequal treatment, in particular on the grounds of origin, ethnicity, gender, age, religion or belief, disability or other characteristics protected by law, is not accepted.

Any form of forced labour, involuntary labour, human trafficking, physical punishment, threats or intimidation is prohibited.

Employees' legally protected rights to freedom of association, employee representation and collective representation of interests must be respected.

4. Working Hours, Remuneration and Rest

Working hours must comply with applicable legal and collective bargaining requirements.

Regular working hours and any necessary overtime must be organised in a manner that protects the health and safety of employees. Overtime should generally be voluntary and appropriately remunerated.

Total weekly working time, including overtime, should generally not exceed 60 hours. Exceptions may only be made in justified circumstances and within the limits of applicable law.

Employees must be granted appropriate rest and meal breaks as well as regular days off.

Remuneration must meet at least the statutory or otherwise binding minimum requirements applicable at the respective place of employment. Statutory entitlements to paid leave, public holidays and other benefits must be observed.

5. Occupational Health and Safety

All workplaces and operating facilities must provide a safe and healthy working environment.

This includes in particular:

• safe and readily accessible escape and emergency routes,
• suitable and fully operational fire protection equipment,
• adequate first-aid equipment,
• access to appropriate medical care in the event of occupational accidents,
• regular training on safety and emergency procedures,
• suitable lighting, ventilation and, where necessary, heating of working areas,
• hygienic working and sanitary facilities.

Health and safety hazards should be prevented or reduced wherever possible through appropriate technical and organisational measures.

6. Safe Work Equipment and Materials

Machinery, equipment, tools, materials and substances must be suitable and safe for their intended use.

Employees must receive adequate information and instruction regarding their safe use and any associated hazards.

Any required personal protective equipment must be provided free of charge and must be suitable for the respective activity.

Statutory limits, safety requirements and prescribed procedures for handling machinery, hazardous substances and other materials must be observed.

7. Product and Material Requirements

All raw materials, materials, auxiliary substances and components used in the manufacture of KÖNITZ products must comply with the applicable legal requirements and the agreed KÖNITZ quality standards.

Where relevant to the respective material or product, this includes in particular the requirements of the European REACH Regulation.

Suppliers must provide the information required to assess material and product safety and must inform KÖNITZ without undue delay of any relevant changes or known deviations.

8. Implementation and Monitoring

Our suppliers and production partners undertake to implement these principles within their area of responsibility and to work towards ensuring that any subcontractors they engage also comply with them.

KÖNITZ reserves the right to verify compliance with this Code of Conduct to an appropriate extent. This may include requesting information, documentation or evidence concerning production sites and working conditions.

Where there is reasonable cause, inspections of production facilities may also be carried out subject to prior coordination.

Any identified deviations should be jointly assessed and remedied within an appropriate period. In the event of serious or repeated violations, KÖNITZ reserves the right to take appropriate further action.

Our Commitment

We understand responsible business conduct as an ongoing process. Together with our employees, suppliers and partners, we aim to contribute to safe working conditions, fair cooperation and responsible production processes throughout our supply chain.

Our mugs, cups, plates and other tableware products are food contact materials and articles. They are intended to come into contact with food and are therefore subject to specific requirements regarding materials, manufacturing, safety, labelling and traceability.

Legal Framework

Our products made of porcelain and Basic Bone are subject in particular to the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food, Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006 on good manufacturing practice, the relevant provisions of German food and consumer goods legislation, including the German Food and Feed Code (LFGB) and the German Consumer Goods Ordinance (BedGgstV).

In addition, Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on general product safety (GPSR) applies to safety aspects and risks that are not already covered by more specific European legislation.

Food contact materials and articles are products that are intended to come into contact with food, are already in contact with food for their intended purpose, or can reasonably be expected to come into contact with food under normal or foreseeable conditions of use.

Testing and Quality Assurance

The material, shape, decoration and intended use of our products are taken into account from the development and manufacturing stages onwards.

Representative products and products with particular relevance to safety are tested in accordance with the applicable requirements. For ceramic food contact articles, particular attention is paid to the potential release of lead and cadmium.

In Germany, the applicable maximum release limits are defined in the Consumer Goods Ordinance. Testing and assessment are based, among other standards, on DIN EN 1388-1 and DIN 51032.

In addition, appropriate production processes and quality controls are used to ensure that the materials and manufacturing methods employed comply with the requirements applicable to food contact articles.

The required declarations of compliance and test documentation for ceramic food contact articles are maintained accordingly.

Labelling and Traceability

Our products are labelled or identified in a manner that ensures appropriate traceability. Where required, this includes information identifying the responsible company and its contact details, as well as clear product identification, for example by means of an article number, type number or batch number.

Additional labelling with the glass-and-fork symbol is not required for mugs, cups and plates where it is obvious from the nature of the product that it is intended to come into contact with food.

Below you will find an exemplary selection of products tested by us.

Risk Assessment in Accordance with Regulation (EU) 2023/988

As part of our product safety assessment, we evaluate potential risks associated with the normal and reasonably foreseeable use of our products. Appropriate design measures, quality controls and instructions for use are intended to prevent these risks or reduce them to an acceptable minimum.

Risk Area

Potential Hazard

Possible Cause

Possible Consequences

Risk Reduction Measures

Assessment of Residual Risk

Breakage and chipping

Porcelain may break or chip when subjected to mechanical stress.

Dropping, impact or improper handling

Cuts or injuries caused by fragments or sharp edges

Quality controls; damaged tableware must no longer be used; careful handling and transport

Low and acceptable residual risk when used as intended

Metallic decorations in microwave ovens

Decorations containing real gold, real platinum or other metallic components may cause sparking.

Use of metallic-decorated products in a microwave oven

Sparking, excessive heating or damage to the product or microwave oven

Products with corresponding metallic decorations must not be used in a microwave oven unless they are expressly identified as microwave-safe

Low residual risk when the instructions for use are followed

Migration of lead and cadmium

Substances from ceramic materials or decorations may migrate into food.

Unsuitable raw materials, glazes or decorations, or improper manufacturing

Exceeding permitted migration limits

Use of suitable and tested materials; controlled manufacturing processes; regular or risk-based testing in accordance with applicable requirements

No unacceptable risk is expected when the specified limits are complied with

Cleaning agent residues

Cleaning agents may remain on tableware after cleaning.

Improper cleaning or insufficient rinsing

Possible ingestion of cleaning agent residues via food

Use cleaning agents in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions; rinse thoroughly or use appropriate dishwasher programmes

Low residual risk when cleaned correctly

Hygiene risks

Microorganisms may multiply on insufficiently cleaned tableware.

Food residues, inadequate cleaning or damp storage

Hygiene impairment and possible health risks

Clean tableware thoroughly after use, allow it to dry completely and store it in clean, dry conditions

Low residual risk when properly cleaned and stored

Risk of burns

Porcelain may become very hot when in contact with hot food or beverages or during heating.

Hot food and beverages or heating in suitable appliances

Skin burns

Handle hot products carefully; check the temperature before touching; use suitable heat protection where necessary

Low residual risk when used as intended

Handling and weight

Large or heavy tableware items may be more difficult to handle.

Dimensions, filling volume and product weight

Dropping the product or physical strain

Select products appropriate for the intended use and handle them with suitable care

Low residual risk when used as intended

The backstamp on the products shows where the product comes from. The regulation EU 1935/2004 regulates this for porcelain, ceramics, bone china and is decisive for distributors. On the backstamp you find our name, postal address as well as product barcode and barcode number.

The REACH regulation is an EU chemicals regulation that came into force in June 2007 and stands for the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals. The regulation is equally and directly valid in all member states. Objective: To improve the protection of human health and the environment from the hazards of chemicals. Better risk management in the handling and processing of chemicals. The regulation bans and restricts certain hazardous substances and introduces an authorization procedure for specific hazardous substances. Implementation: Chemicals that are produced by a manufacturer in quantities of one metric ton or more per year must be registered and are therefore covered by the REACH system. Approximately 30,000 substances are involved. REACH requires manufacturers and importers to be responsible for the safety of their chemicals. List of substances subject to authorization can be found here.

Declarations of conformity are based on the Consumer Goods Ordinance and the European Ceramic Directives 84/500/EEC and 2005/31/EC as well as Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004. We also obtain these declarations from our suppliers for our packaging. They also confirm to us that they manufacture their products according to the valid REACH and ROHS and carry out the necessary tests according to DIN regulations in order to guarantee the promised product properties. In addition, the supplier declarations confirm to what extent the products are environmentally friendly and recyclable.

From 1 July 2024, the Consumer Goods Ordinance (Bedarfsgegenständeverordnung) will require ‘companies that manufacture, handle or place on the market food contact materials and articles as finished products to notify the competent authority’. This applies to manufacturers and distributors.

The competent authorities are the district food control offices. Corresponding registration forms are available from the office.

KÖNITZ, like every German company, is subject to various laws, such as the Working Hours Act, the Occupational Safety Act and the Youth Employment Protection Act. Thus, many things are fundamentally regulated by law. These include working hours, break times, the protection of employees' health or the employment of young people. The measures regulated by the Occupational Health and Safety Act are audited at regular intervals by the responsible office. Last site inspection by the Free State of Thuringia State Office for Consumer Protection Department of Occupational Safety Regional Inspection East Thuringia took place on 04.12.2024. Here it is checked whether the safety and health of the employees are effectively ensured. To ensure that all necessary measures are observed, we cooperate with the Ingenieurbüro Arbeitssicherheit. We are supervised by our partner according to ASiG and DGZV regulation 2. Within the scope of this cooperation, it was also checked during the Corona period whether all measures to protect health were taken and complied with. No deficiencies were found.

Environment is a hot topic, which of course does not pass us by. We think in terms of sustainable products, such as our to‐go cup, and already think about the environment when coming up with ideas. Also in our packaging ideas we pay attention to a production from recycled paper and we are part of the BellandVision. But not only that. We regularly have our emissions and water checked to ensure that they do not fall into a critical range. Our in‐house print shop has a recycling system for water and waste and a system that optimizes energy consumption. This is regularly audited by the district office. "There are no negative findings."But in the future, we want to do even more to keep our ecological footprint as green as possible. Therefore, we are planning to install a photovoltaic system to supply our buildings with renewable energy.

The German General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) protects individuals from discrimination on the grounds of ethnic origin, gender, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual identity. KÖNITZ is committed to upholding these principles and implements the necessary measures throughout the company.

In the past, KÖNITZ has been assessed as part of Sedex/SMETA audits. These audits focus in particular on working conditions, occupational health and safety, environmental aspects and business ethics. Key criteria include freely chosen employment, safe and hygienic working conditions, compliance with applicable minimum wage requirements and the protection of employees from inhumane, discriminatory or abusive treatment.

We have decided not to renew this auditing process, as the legal requirements applicable in Germany, together with our own company standards, already exceed the minimum requirements assessed in many of these areas.

For this reason, KÖNITZ has developed its own Code of Conduct for Responsible and Ethical Business Practices, which is guided by the principles of ISO 26000 on social responsibility.

Within this Code of Conduct, we commit ourselves, among other things, to complying with all applicable legal requirements relating to employment and working conditions. Child labour is not accepted. Employees and applicants are treated equally regardless of ethnic origin or any other characteristic protected by law.

Our Code of Conduct also defines binding principles relating to working hours, fair working conditions, and occupational health and safety. In this way, we provide a consistent framework for responsible conduct within our company and in our cooperation with business partners.

To comply with the Federal Immission Control Act, measurements of our continuous fire furnace are carried out on a recurring basis. During the test, flow velocity, static pressure in the exhaust stack, air pressure, exhaust gas temperature, water vapor content, exhaust gas density and volume flow are determined. Pollutants in the exhaust gases are also determined. NO2, formaldehyde, SO2, HCI, HF and the amount of dust are measured here. All values are well below the limit values. All tests were in order and no further measures were ordered.

At regular intervals, we have water measurements of the wastewater system carried out in our print shop, the Wiedemann print shop. The pH value of the water is measured and documented about twice a month. No deficiencies were found during the last measurement and therefore no measures had to be taken. Furthermore, the disposal of accumulated residues is measured. Thus the filter foam of approx. 5Kg/day is professionally disposed of by the company SM Metalle. Further it was examined whether disturbances or occurrences are present, which can cause an impairment of the operation of the waste water treatment plant or can have a negative effect on the change of the water. No deficiencies were found during this inspection. In addition, the wastewater is regularly tested by the Thuringia State Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation for pollutants, turbidity, odor, coloration, PH value, electrical conductivity and temperature. The last tests did not reveal any deficiencies and no measures were imposed.

We also ensure that our packaging is as environmentally friendly as possible. We regularly ask our suppliers to confirm this. This ensures that the supplier takes care to use resources sparingly, to process as few heavy metals as possible and to guarantee a high recyclability. The use of recycled materials is of great importance here.

Our to‐go cups are the sustainable alternative to conventional disposable cups. Thus, you can help to consume 320,000 cups per minute. To‐go cups made of porcelain avoid waste and also look good due to various finishing options. Several studies confirm that our to‐go cups are sustainable. Studies from Canada ("Life cycle assessment (LCA) of reusable and single‐use coffee cups" by CIRAIG (International Reference Centre for the Life Cycle of Products, Processes andServices) Montréal (QC) Canada) and from Sweden ("Life cycle assessment, A comparative LCA of ceramic cups and disposal paper cups", The Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden) show that ceramic and porcelain cups perform far better than paper cups in terms of environmental impacts such as water and resource consumption, climate change and health. Porcelain cups are also far less contaminated with harmful substances than, for example, bamboo tableware (Verbraucherzentrale NRW, "Schadstoff‐Gefahr in Bambus‐Geschirr," April 26, 2018). This, our porcelain to‐go cups are a real, healthy and sustainable alternative to disposable paper cups.