Responsibility: a much discussed and important topic in our modern society.
To us at BLACKROLL®, ‘to be responsible’ firstly means that we know why we are here.
The BLACKROLL® brand and organisation came into existence with the clear purpose to improve people’s ability to self-help in terms of wellbeing and health – by creating high quality, durable and easy-to-use tools that make sense. By sharing knowledge. Driven by people and research.
We are here to empower you. To live a movement inspired, pain-free life. We are a holistic organisation, therefore we rather speak of responsibility than sustainability: for us, this is an overarching definition. We think doing ‘business as usual’ is outdated. Sustainability therefore is a bottom line and included within responsibility. This means we are efficient and respectful towards the various resources, be it natural resources or (wo-)manpower, that we use in the process of running the BLACKROLL® organisation and creating products, with the knowledge available to us at the time.
While working diligently on our mission, we continuously innovate to stay on top of our game. We question and challenge our plans before taking next steps. In the light of responsibility, we have always felt that producing multifunctional products that are durable, and increase human wellbeing and health awareness, are clear standards. But as we grow and learn each year, our standards increase. Inspired by global movements and numerous companies that lead by purpose, and our own inner drive to be a forerunner in our field of wellbeing, therapy- and sports. A clear objective for us is to become the most responsible company we can possibly be.
To us, responsibility also means being transparent about our chosen way of doing things at BLACKROLL®. By means of making responsible decisions and taking suitable action which show what we are made of and telling you about them. This is where we specifically align with our suppliers, seek sustainable partnerships, and are communicative towards our broader community.
We have defined three focal areas of responsibility:
People come first. This is deeply rooted in our company's raison d'être and drives us to live our values every day. We are committed to people, their health, their development and their quality of life.
As a company, we do everything we can to treat the environment responsibly. This includes continuously reducing our CO₂ emissions and at the same time using our resources more efficiently. We think and act along the lines of longevity and minimalism, because we want to grow without harming the environment.
High performance not only means optimizing our products, but also shaping the entire value chain in a sustainable and responsible way.
Balancing these three foci builds onto the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as defined by the United Nations. Our fields of action contribute specifically to three of the seventeen SDGs:
Good Health and Well-Being
Firstly, good health and well-being. The health and wellbeing of all people is top priority for BLACKROLL®, and the number one reason we are here. Empowering people of all ages and fitness levels to move better, move more, and making space to recover is what we aim to do.
Responsible consumption and production
Secondly: producing and consuming responsibly. We require the highest quality standards of our production methods and partners. Here we consciously choose for partnerships that are located close to our home and biggest market, which is in the EU. Since about 50% of our product collection contains EPP (expanded polypropylene) as a main source material, here is where we particularly focus on minimizing the use of energy, water and crude material. About 96% (as of 2019) of our products are made in Germany.
Climate Action
Thirdly: climate action. We demand high performance of ourselves in this reach, that is measurable. We acknowledge climate change as a major environmental issue that needs solid collaborations and thoughtful decisions to be addressed and combatted. One such collaboration within our focus is with ClimatePartner to calculate our corporate and product carbon footprint according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. However, we not only want to calculate our carbon footprint, but also reduce or completely avoid CO2 emissions. And for all currently irreducible or avoidable emissions, we take responsibility by financially supporting international certified climate protection projects. Giving priority to certain action fields where we have the biggest ecological impact is our strategy of choice.
We know like no other: you never stop learning. Therefore, we continue our innovation path and let ourselves be inspired by these three global common goals for a more balanced society in which we clearly see our role and responsibility as a company. That being said: teamwork makes the dreams work to do better. In case you have any ideas, burning questions or remarks, we are always glad to hear from you.