ESG - Karsten.nl

ESG: We care

As a leading company in the development and trade of non-food consumer goods for European markets, Karsten International understands the critical impact of our operations on people and the planet. We firmly believe that true leadership extends beyond product innovation and market presence; it demands a proactive and integrated commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles.

Our dedication to ESG is embedded in our core values and daily practices. We work to the highest attainable standards for quality, safety, and compliance, driven by a strong internal understanding of global regulations and the drive for continuous improvement. While the landscape of sustainable business and regulations presents evolving challenges, our confidence stems from our rigorous processes, transparent communication, and the expertise of our dedicated teams. This page outlines our efforts and ongoing progress, reflecting our commitment to building long-term value for our retail partners, consumers, and all stakeholders by ensuring responsible and ethical practices across our entire value chain.

Our people

At our company, we believe in creating a sustainable balance between high performance and personal wellbeing. Our people are our most valuable asset, and we are committed to fostering a culture that supports physical, mental, and professional growth.

We are a growing international team, with offices in Amsterdam, Zhuhai, and Guangzhou. Our workforce has expanded rapidly: from 51 employees at the start of 2023, we reached over 100 in 2024 and now exceed 150 employees in 2025.

People-Centric Culture

Our company culture is the foundation of our success, defined by our shared values, how we collaborate, and our commitment to fostering an environment where every employee feels valued, respected, and empowered. We believe that a strong, inclusive culture drives innovation, resilience, and ultimately, our ability to deliver on our promises to customers and stakeholders. Our employee handbook forms the foundation of our company culture, code of conduct, and all other HR-related policies. The following paragraphs is a selection from this handbook and more about Our People.

Employee wellbeing

To promote physical health, we offer weekly yoga sessions, bootcamps, and monthly massages. For mental wellbeing, we’ve partnered with Praatuit and OpenUp, providing all employees with access to an external person of trust and confidential, professional mental health support whenever they need it. Our employees are allowed to bring their dog to the office, as studies have shown that this can lower stress on the workplace.

Beyond personal wellbeing, we foster connection and community through regular team events, from our weekly Friday afternoon gatherings to outdoor activities, seasonal celebrations, and more. Employees also enjoy exclusive discounts on our products, and we have a lease plan for bikes and solely electric cars; encouraging healthy, sustainable commuting.

Employee development

Professional development is a key pillar of our ESG strategy. We collaborate with Lepaya to offer targeted trainings in areas such as project management and professional effectiveness. We actively track training hours, conduct surveys on employee training feedback and needs and have set ambitious goals to increase participation and learning outcomes in the years ahead. This year, 70 employees have registered for 11 hours of training from Lepaya, and more will follow.

In everything we do, we aim to create an environment where our people can thrive, because when our team feels their best, they perform at their best.

Employee Happiness

Beyond our efforts to make employees feel supported and valued, we regularly check in on their happiness and overall experience through surveys. This helps us understand what’s working well and where we can get better.

Every year, we ask our team about their overall satisfaction with Karsten as an employer. In our latest survey, we achieved an overall satisfaction score of 7.8 out of 10. This feedback is essential in further shaping our workplace.
We also conduct shorter, more frequent ‘pulse’ surveys every quarter. These surveys help us quickly understand current feelings and emerging needs. Due to how often we run these, we don’t share specific scores on the website, but they are crucial for our internal adjustments.
We want every new employee to feel welcome and supported from day one. Our introduction week includes an assigned buddy to help them settle in. We also do a first-month evaluation to check in and see how we can improve as an employer for newcomers.
To gain insight into the experiences of our departing colleagues, we conduct exit interviews accompanied by a confidential feedback form. The purpose of this is to understand their journey within the organization and the reasons for their departure. This valuable feedback is enabling us to improve the work environment and processes for both our current and future employees.

Inclusiveness

Given our international presence in the Netherlands and China, we actively work to bridge cultural divides and promote understanding. We commit to fair hiring, promotion, and development practices, ensuring equal opportunity for all.

While we celebrate our rapid growth and the diversity it naturally brings, we acknowledge that having truly inclusive practices across all levels is an ongoing journey. For example, last year we have introduced a multifunctional private room at the office for breast pumping, praying or meditation.

We follow our corporate culture as stated in the employee handbook, so we treat each other with respect and support each other when necessary. For that reason, no form of sexual harassment, discrimination, bullying or physical violence will be tolerated.

We have a direct, open, and no-nonsense way of communicating.
We treat each other with decency and respect regardless of background, gender or beliefs.
We help each other when needed and use each other’s strengths.

Diversity

We are proud of the diversity within our growing team:

Across our offices, our workforce has a strong female to male ratio, with 60% female employees and 40% male employees.
We are especially pleased to report that 60% of our management positions are held by women. At the highest level, our C-suite consists of the CEO, COO, and CFO, with 33% of our C-suite roles currently held by women.
Our international environment truly shines through with more than 11 different nationalities represented in our offices. This rich mix of backgrounds brings a wide range of insights and strengthens our global approach to business.

We are continuously working on further strengthening diversity in all areas of our company and will share our progress in future reports.

Our products

At Karsten International, we are dedicated to ensuring that the products we offer meet the highest standards for quality, safety, and compliance. Our commitment to safety and responsible production is backed by robust testing, certifications, and continuous improvement efforts across various product categories.

BRC Certification

Karsten International’s Quality Management System includes BRC accreditation. Our organisation works to the highest standards attainable for quality, safety, and compliance. We hold a grade AA BRC certification for Consumer Products. Our organisation is audited on an annual basis, and we have clearly defined goals for continuous improvement. The BRC certification is recognition for the quality we deliver and our commitment to both retailers and consumers.

Compliance with Regulations

Karsten International is fully committed to ensuring that the products we bring to market are safe, responsibly made, and aligned with the latest regulatory standards. As regulations continue to evolve—especially within the European Union—we recognise that staying compliant is not always straightforward. That’s why we are continuously working to improve our internal testing protocols, compliance processes, and supplier monitoring systems.

Our approach is rooted in transparency and a genuine effort to meet the expectations of our customers, retail partners, and regulators.

Our key compliance areas include, but are not limited to:

REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals)
RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU (Restriction of Hazardous Substances)
Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC
CE Marking

Factory audits and product testing

Karsten International ensures that the quality and safety of our products begins from the introduction of the supplier. Our minimum requirement for suppliers’ quality management systems is ISO9001 or ISO13485 for Medical Devices and GMP for food contact materials.
We conduct regular supplier reviews and follow up on results to ensure that we consistently bring customers right first-time product quality. This includes:

Technical factory audits.
Third-party laboratory pre-production, in-line and end of line product testing.
In-house laboratory testing at our Head Quarters.

Our Quality Team and third-party provider work in partnership to carry out monitoring and inspections from concept right the way through to mass production. Our inspections are based upon risk assessment and category specific checklists, with defined defect specification per product type. Any modifications needed during these assessments are fed into the product development cycle to ensure continuous improvement.

Testing laboratories and partnerships

To ensure robust product safety, quality, and full compliance with evolving regulations, Karsten International works closely with a network of trusted global testing laboratories. Our dedicated quality team develops precise testing protocols tailored to each product category. Furthermore, recognising the unique needs of our retail partners, we adapt our testing procedures to align with their specific requirements, customizing our process flows for each customer to meet their exact demands. These strong collaborations allow us to manage risks effectively and consistently enhance our working relationships with suppliers.

QIMA is our trusted partner for product and factory inspections. Their expert teams provide essential quality checks throughout our global supply chain, helping us to identify issues early and meet our high standards. With QIMA, we ensure consistent quality and drive innovation, supporting our growth every step of the way.
We collaborate strategically with SGS on developing comprehensive testing protocols and delivering advanced training for our internal teams and suppliers. This partnership is integral within our quality framework for changing regulations and supports the consistency and reliability of our testing approach across all product lines.
As a central digital platform, Qarma is instrumental in streamlining our supplier onboarding, auditing and inspection processes. It provides our quality and sourcing teams with a structured system for managing checklists, inspections, tracking corrective action plans, and centralising audit results at both the supplier and product levels. Qarma strengthens our quality control framework and improves our ability to follow up on identified issues with precision and speed.

Material use and waste management

PPWR

The newly revised Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) introduces stricter rules for recyclability, recycled content, and the reduction of packaging waste. To ensure full readiness, Karsten International will conduct a comprehensive baseline analysis. This assessment will precisely evaluate our current packaging against these new requirements, identifying any existing gaps and areas for improvement.

We understand that our customers and retail partners increasingly require detailed packaging data, often using specific tools like KIDV. Recognizing that much of this crucial information relies on our suppliers, we are systematically streamlining data collection through our Vendor Portal. This dedicated platform is designed to gather and verify accurate data directly from our supply chain partners.

Karsten International is systematically increasing the use of more sustainable materials in our packaging. This includes the integration of FSC-certified materials, Kraft packaging, and GRS-certified recycled plastics. While significant improvements have already been made, achieving fully recyclable packaging for all products remains an ongoing strategic focus. Our commitment is to implement meaningful changes while always ensuring that our packaging consistently provides essential product protection and meets rigorous quality standards.

Our concrete targets for packaging include:

2025: Full implementation of a digital system for packaging data in the Vendor Portal (type, weight, recycled content, certification, EPR data).
2028: Minimum 75% of all new product orders will be compliant with PPWR requirements for recycled content and recyclability.
2030: 100% of all primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging will be designed for reuse or demonstrably recyclable in the EU, in accordance with PPWR criteria.

FSC

We are committed to protecting the forests on our planet. That’s why more and more of our products and packaging are FSC® certified. Currently, about 80% of our packaging is FSC certified. As we are busy setting up our baseline report, this number will be more exact. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) ensures that the wood comes from responsibly managed forests, helping to protect nature and wildlife.

By choosing our FSC® certified products, you support sustainable forestry and a healthier planet. Look for the FSC® label on our packaging.

Stichting Open

Our company is registered with Stichting OPEN, to contribute to the proper collection and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) that we introduce to the market.

Stichting OPEN is the authoritative body responsible, on behalf of all producers and importers in the Netherlands, for the collection and recycling of discarded electrical appliances, lamps, batteries, and bicycle batteries. The foundation is committed to a circular economy in which these products do not end up as waste but serve as a valuable resource for reuse.

Substances of Very High Concern (SVCH)

At Karsten International we always try to avoid working with dangerous substances and the use of these substances in our products. We ask our suppliers to actively watch out not to use or work with substances of very high concern (SVCH) as stated by The European Chemical Agency (ECHA).

We take this into account in our selection process to find the perfect supplier. In many cases there are multiple suppliers to choose from. In such case we only select suppliers who do not use SVHC.

Packaging

Packaging is a waste, but since it is necessary for the protection of the product, why not pack it sustainably? Wherever possible, we use bio-degradable materials to make sure the packaging can always be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

RSPO

Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil is an organization that promotes the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through credible global standards. Because we use sustainably produced palm oil as an ingredient in many of our products, our manufacturers are RSPO certified.

We care about the environment and labor conditions

Questions?

Do you have questions or suggestions, or would you like to learn more about social responsibility? Don’t hesitate to contact us.