“We all need to play our part if we want to leave a better world behind.”

– Jan Hedenborn, CEO

Sustainability has always been part of who we are.

For us, it has never been about just collecting certificates – it’s about taking responsibility.
It means being present. Seeing reality with our own eyes.

That’s why, over the years, we have personally visited our suppliers again and again. We have built relationships that give us complete confidence that everything is truly in order – not only on paper with official stamps, but in real life, over time.

In the early 2000s, we chose to be certified under Svensk Miljöbas (a Swedish environmental certification framework) as a way to structure and clarify our environmental work. What started as a focus on our own operations has since grown into a comprehensive system covering the entire value chain. It also includes social responsibility within our supplier network. We work with clear goals in areas such as purchasing, transport, recycling, and waste management. Every year, we review our progress through internal checks and numerous external audits.

As early as 2004, we published our first sustainability report. We were early pioneers in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). We actively addressed issues that were far from common practice in many production countries at the time – such as safe fire exits, reasonable working hours, and proper overtime compensation.

A Low Price always Comes With a Cost

As part of this work, we developed our own CSR handbook based on our Code of Conduct and shared a clear message: “A low price also has a price”. To ensure it truly reached its audience, we translated the handbook into Chinese. For many years, we worked intensively with internal inspections, cultural awareness, and long-term improvement efforts.

In 2011, we carried out our first third party social responsibility audit, and since then we have reviewed our factories annually – both through our own follow-ups and through independent third-party audits. In recent years, our membership in BSCI/amfori has further strengthened this work. Independent assessors evaluate our suppliers against internationally recognised standards for working conditions, human rights, and ethical responsibility.

The next major step came in 2014, when we completed a full inventory of our product range based on chemical content. Together with our chemical consultant, we have since actively tested our products in professional laboratories. We go beyond standard requirements, using tailored analyses based on each product’s unique materials and risk profile. We take a deep and preventive approach, considering not only today’s regulations, but tomorrow’s as well.

Our long-term efforts also began to receive external recognition.

In 2015, the promotional products industry named us Supplier of the Year.

In 2017, the Municipality of Jönköping, Sweden, awarded us the “Initiative of the Year” award. The jury described our work as follows:

“AD Company is a company of our time that clearly demonstrates that it is possible to build commercial success on sustainability and social responsibility”

We continued in the same direction and deepened our work on traceability. Most of our suppliers have partnered with us for decades, which makes it easier to meet rising demands for transparency. At the end of 2022, we extended our responsibility to include not only our main producers, but also the actors behind raw materials and components. This gives us deeper insight and stronger control, as well as greater ability to influence every step – from raw material to finished product.

In 2023, we began a complete carbon footprint calculation for our entire business using the GHG method (Greenhouse Gas Protocol). Today we track the climate impact of each individual product annually across scopes 1, 2 and 3 of the GHG Protocol.

During 2024, we started phasing out standard materials, choosing recycled materials for all new purchases instead. It’s a concrete effort that reduces our climate footprint and takes our responsibility one step further.

In 2025, we took another important step by introducing PFAS-free products made from recycled materials. We became the first importer in Sweden – and likely in Europe – to stock PFAS-free umbrellas made from recycled materials.

For our reusable bags, however, we had already carried out extensive chemical testing many years earlier. As part of our ongoing work, we have also expanded these tests to include PFAS substances, even those not yet regulated. This ensures the highest possible level of product safety.

Research leaves no doubt: PFAS poses documented risks to both human health and the environment – and we take that extremely seriously.

Sustainability Award of the Year

In January 2026, we received the “Sustainability Award of the Year” for this initiative. The motivation read:

“The Sustainability Award of the Year is presented to an organisation that consistently leads the way in environmental and sustainability work. As a team, you take responsibility for the environment we all share, with truly ambitious goals. You work continuously with a genuine focus on a long-term strategy to improve the products brought to market – most recently with the objective of becoming PFAS-free.”

We do not wait for legislation or slow decision-making to catch up.
We act now – just as we always have in every part of our sustainability work.