Attends has become one of the first companies to become a signatory to the Copenhagen Communique on Climate Change, reinforcing its commitment to becoming a sustainable company.

Previously Attends unveiled its new environmental initiative Attends: In Green which outlines the company’s ongoing commitment to continually search for new ways to reduce its environmental impact. The initiative is backed by a comprehensive website, Attends: in Green, for complete transparency.

The Copenhagen Communique on Climate Change is endorsed by businesses throughout the world and seeks to establish a global emissions cap and long-term reduction pathway for all greenhouse gas emissions and sources, for the period 2013 to 2050 (with interim targets). By becoming a signatory, Attends has demonstrated its support for these objectives.

In the last year Attends has invested over EUR15 million in state-of-the-art technology to develop new products, which use advanced production techniques to improve efficiency and make further reductions in waste. The new products provide a range of environmental benefits thanks to their smaller size as they use fewer raw materials, require less transportation and result in less waste but deliver optimum levels of product quality and performance.

Attends’ new products also offer a major breakthrough for incontinence sufferers and their carers as they are up to 50% smaller than their competitors, significantly easier to fit and apply, more discreet for the user and drier and more comfortable resulting in exceptional skin dryness.

Other measures that Attends has already put in place to reduce its environmental impact include careful use and monitoring of resources used, minimising emissions by choosing the right materials, using water effectively and protecting it from pollution, improving logistics by using rail where possible instead of road and reducing shipments thanks to more efficient packaging and gradually converting to renewable energy sources where possible.

Attends has also established an Environment Group, consisting of internal and external partners, which shares environmental best practice from other industries and business sectors. Employees of Attends will also be invited to make personal ‘green pledges’, such as reducing travel, using video conferencing facilities, or reducing printing of documents.

Attends employs over 400 people at sites in Newcastle, Glasgow, Norway, Belgium and Germany and at its manufacturing plant in Sweden which has already achieved ISO 9001, ISO 13485 AND ISO 14001 environmental manufacturing standards.

Chief executive of Attends, James Steele, said: “As a Europe-wide company Attends continually strives to be environmentally and ecologically responsible. We support the Copenhagen Communique on Climate Change and recognise the important role business plays in supporting and promoting environmental advocacy and best practice.

“We are constantly working to improve the efficiency of our manufacturing systems and have made significant investment in new state-of-the-art technology.

“Customers and partners now actively seek companies and products with sound green credentials so it is not only vital that we work to do more for the sake of the environment, but it is important on a commercial level as well."