Münch Chemie International GmbH (hereinafter MCI) promotes innovation and supports a social, ecological and therefore sustainable economy. For this reason, the company has undertaken to be sustainable in all its actions. It is important to MCI that ethical standards are fulfilled and observed. This requires that our suppliers also be integrated into this system of sustainable and integrated operation, as they can significantly contribute to our sustainable growth and to the implementation of our ethical guidelines. For this reason, MCI requires the unrestricted observance of the following principles of ethics and sustainability by its suppliers.

Since the issues of sustainable operations and ethics are very important to MCI, MCI reserves the right to audit suppliers at any time, with an appropriate notice period. The supplier must ensure that this audit can take place.

A violation or the non-observance of these principles represents a severe disruption to the business relation in MCI’s view. In this context, MCI expects of its suppliers that they ensure that their suppliers in turn observe the standards set forth here.

Ethical behaviour and social responsibility
Regarding social responsibility, MCI expects its suppliers to uphold this responsibility and act ethically and with integrity.

Integrity in business relations
MCI’s suppliers should act against all forms of corruption. They should act consistently against blackmail, bribery, breach of trust and embezzlement in any form. MCI’s suppliers should not tolerate or practice such behaviour in any form. MCI’s suppliers should not resort to bribery or other illegal incentives in their business interactions with companies or authorities and should also not accept any such bribes or illegal incentives. Furthermore, they should not offer MCI’s employees any gifts or other benefits that represent a personal advantage from the business relation for the employees. They should also not allow third parties to offer MCI employees any gifts or benefits that could be viewed as undue benefits.

Fair competition
The suppliers should compete fairly in the market. They should observe applicable laws and anti-trust provisions (not mandatory), and should only use decent and truthful advertising.

Data protection
The protection of personal or commercial data is important to MCI and should therefore be unreservedly ensured by the suppliers. Data may only be processed and transmitted within the restrictions of the law.
When using the data, the rights of the individuals, the involved companies and the employees should be protected.
The suppliers should observe the relevant legal provisions and company regulations. Personal data that is no longer required should be deleted in accordance with the relevant legal provisions.

Reporting concerns
The employees of the supplier are called on to report illegal activities within the company to the company’s management. The same applies if employees suspect that such activities could occur in the company.
The supplier should provide a suitable communication channel and undertakes to check the report and take any necessary corrective measures.
Regardless of the result of the report, employees of the supplier should not suffer any disadvantages for making such reports. Threats of repercussions, attempts to intimidate, harassment or other disadvantages are not acceptable.

Human rights and labour rights
Suppliers should observe human rights within their company and are obligated to treat and pay their employees fairly, respectfully and with dignity. They should ensure equality of opportunity and freedom of expression for all and must promote diversity.
MCI expects an integrative and ethical corporate culture in harmony with the relevant conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Fair treatment
Suppliers should ensure that the treatment of employees in their company is ethical. No one should be discriminated against or disadvantaged based on the colour of their skin, their age, their gender, their sexual orientation, their ethnic origin, their disability, their religion, their political or labour union affiliation or their civil status.
Suppliers are expected to treat their employees fairly.
Sexual harassment, sexual abuse, physical punishment or torture, and mental or physical coercion, or the threat of such behaviours, are not acceptable and should be punished.

Work hours, salaries and other benefits
Suppliers should pay their employees fairly according to legal provisions or sectoral agreements. Minimum wages should be respected, overtime should be paid and employees should be provided with a timely and transparent presentation of their pay.
Legal or sectoral provisions regarding work hours, holidays and continued pay should be observed. Salary reductions as disciplinary measures are not permissible.

Freedom of association
It is expected of suppliers that they maintain an open and constructive communication with their employees and labour representatives. In harmony with local laws, suppliers should respect the rights of their employees to freely associate, join trade unions, nominate labour representatives, form a works council and participate in sectoral wage negotiations. Suppliers are expected to not disadvantage employees who are active as labour representatives.

Child labour
Illegal child labour in the supplier’s company is prohibited. The term “child” refers to any person that has not yet reached the minimum age for employment.
The legal minimum age for employment of the International Labour Organization (ILO) applies accordingly.

Human trafficking/forced labour
Suppliers must respect regulations that prohibit human trafficking and forced labour. They must also observe the relevant laws of the country in which they are active. They should also ensure the free choice of employment of every employee.

Illegal employment
Suppliers are prohibited from employing people illegally, in particular foreigners who do not have the documents and approvals required by local law (EU: Community law).

Occupational health and safety
Suppliers are obligated to maintain and promote their employees’ health by providing a safe environment that is low in stress and keeping harmful influences away from their employees at work.
This also applies for any accommodations provided by the suppliers.

Worker protection
Employees must be protected from all chemical, biological or other hazards. They must not be subjected to excessive physical stress. They should be protected from risks arising from the use of the infrastructure provided at their place of work.
Suppliers must ensure safe work processes, preventive maintenance and the necessary technical protective measures. Health and safety hazards in the workplace should be reduced to a minimum. Should measures to avoid over-exposure not be possible, or only to a limited extent, in individual cases, the employer should provide the necessary personal protective equipment and make sure that it is used.

Process safety
Suppliers should implement and maintain safety programmes to control and maintain their work processes in accordance with the applicable safety standards.
Suppliers should identify product-related hazards and their possible consequences in every phase of the production process, assess the risks and implement appropriate further safety measures.
For dangerous equipment, specific risk analyses should additionally be carried out and measures to prevent incidents such as the release of chemicals and/or explosions should be implemented. In any case, suppliers should have safety measures and emergency programmes in place to prevent or limit the release of large quantities of chemicals.

Risk assessment and emergency planning
Suppliers should determine the individual workplace risks, assess these and provide the assessment to the affected employee. The employees should be adequately trained to ensure an appropriate level of safety in the workplace.
Suppliers are obligated to create emergency plans for their company and to introduce reporting procedures to reduce possible risks to employees in the event of an incident to the absolute minimum. The plans should be displayed on the company grounds and the employees must be trained in them.

Legal compliance
Suppliers undertake to obtain all necessary approvals, licenses and registrations and to proactively ensure their continuation or validity. Furthermore, suppliers undertake to fulfil their reporting duties and to inform authorities and customers in full.
Suppliers should maintain all required product safety sheets with all the necessary information on site. They undertake to provide these to the competent authorities and to customers on a case-by-case basis.

Environmental protection and quality
Suppliers undertake to preserve natural resources and to be responsible and efficient with regard to the environment. Negative effects on the environment should be reduced to a minimum and measures for reuse or recycling should be promoted.

Waste, emissions and resources
Suppliers undertake to reduce waste and emissions to the absolute minimum. Natural resources (e.g. water, energy sources, raw materials) should be used sparingly. Reusing or recycling products should always be preferred to their disposal. For this reason, suppliers undertake to implement and operate a system that supports the achievement of these aims. Furthermore, they undertake to operate a suitable system that ensures safe handling of waste, air emissions and wastewater and that ensures their transport, storage, recycling, reuse and cleaning.
All activities that may have a negative effect on the health of humans, animals or the environment must be assessed and controlled before being implemented, in particular before harmful substances are released.
Suppliers must implement systems that prevent the unwanted or accidental release of harmful substances into the environment or that can keep it to a minimum.

Quality requirements
In addition to the systems to improve environmental protection, worker safety and risk minimisation, suppliers should maintain an adequate system to improve product and process safety. This is intended to help suppliers assure the quality and safety requirements for their products. It is expected that suppliers satisfy the globally recognised and/or contractually agreed quality requirements with their products and services so that these satisfy the requirements of MCI, work as assured and are safe for the intended purpose.

Management systems
To observe the principles above, suppliers are obligated to operate a Corporate Responsibility System (CRS) that assures the implementation of the principles above and promotes their continuous improvement.

Resources
Suppliers demonstrate their willingness to fulfil the obligations described in this Code of Conduct by allocating sufficient resources to implement this Code of Conduct.

Legal and other requirements
Suppliers must observe all locally applicable laws, provisions, contractual agreements and other instructions of their customers and generally recognised multinational standards.
In particular, the UN Guidelines for Business and Human Rights, the 10 Principles of the UN Global Compact, the OECD guiding principles for multinational companies and the multinational Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (ILO) should be observed and respected.

Notifying the sustainability criteria down the supply chain
Suppliers are obligated to integrate their suppliers in the observance of the rules of this Code of Conduct. This requires that they inform these of the contents of the MCI Code of Conduct and demand its observance.

Risk management
Suppliers should introduce processes to identify, determine and monitor risks in all areas addressed in this Code of Conduct and all other applicable legal provisions.

Documentation
Suppliers should maintain adequate documentation that allows them to demonstrate that they have integrated the principles and values of this Code of Conduct into their organisation and have obligated their suppliers to abide by them. If the parties agree to this, MCI may review this documentation.

Training
Suppliers should organise training measures to transmit to their managers and employees an adequate understanding of this Code of Conduct as well as of applicable laws, provisions and generally recognised standards and to ensure their observance.

Continuous improvement
Suppliers are expected to continuously improve the sustainability of their company through suitable measures. This includes setting goals and permanently developing these further. The results of internal and external audits and inspections should be taken into consideration when adjusting the sustainability goals.

Economic sustainability
Suppliers must carry out all price and contract negotiations with regard to the purchase of goods by MCI through MCI’s Purchasing. They are obligated to implement and recommend measures that generate added value for MCI.

 

Münch Chemie International GmbH

ADDRESS
Münch Chemie International GmbH Viernheimer Straße 70-76 D-69469 Weinheim

CONTACT
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+49 6201 99 83-66
info@muench-chemie.com

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