Vita Group’s Sprout accessories brand has been awarded two Best Practice ISO certifications, strengthening its reputation as a best-in-class manufacturer and leading provider of technology accessories in Australia.
The certifications – Best Practice Quality Management System (ISO9001) certification and Best Practice Environment Management System (ISO14001) certification – are based off international standards set by the International Organisation for Standardization. They demonstrate that an organisation’s product or service meet the expectations of its customers and reflect Sprout’s commitment to sustainability and creating technology that enhances the world not just today, but into the future.
To achieve ISO9001 and ISO14001, the business met a comprehensive set of requirements which it must now continue to meet to maintain certification. ISO certification delivers significant business benefits including improved customer satisfaction, cost reduction, improved legal compliance and risk management, and importantly, environmental benefits for Sprout and for its suppliers.
For Sprout General Manager, Ben Caddy, achieving ISO certification was an important step in the brand delivering its ten-year sustainability action plan which aims to address key elements across the end-to-end product value chain.
“At Sprout we are always aiming to improve our customer experience and quality standards, and ISO ensures we do that,” he said. “ISO9001 enables us to demonstrate our ability to provide products and services that consistently meet regulatory requirements, whilst ensuring the smooth operation of our business and exceeding our customers’ expectations. Another major focus for Sprout is to reduce our carbon impact,” Mr Caddy continued. “The standards in ISO14001 help us to define the right targets and measure and track our results to ensure that the business is constantly improving and meeting our environmental objectives.”
Sprout’s ten-year sustainability action plan involves implementing key initiatives including sourcing recyclable materials for packaging and product development, continuing to drive ethical and socially responsible supply chains, reducing carbon emissions, and designing more sustainable multi-use and eco-friendly products.
The brand is already underway in implementing these initiatives, recently launching a campaign in partnership with One Tree Planted that will see it fund the planting of ten trees for every product sold online from 21 March to 29 June. To date, Sprout has funded the planting of nearly 2,600 trees and is aiming for 10,000 trees planted by the end of June to help One Tree Planted’s reforestation efforts following the 2019/20 Australian bushfires.
Sprout is also set to move to 100% recyclable packaging towards the middle of 2021 which will include switching from foam to recycled pressed cardboard, removing non-recyclable plastic windows, and extensive use of bamboo pulp in packaging.
Compostable phone cases are also in development and due to launch later in the year. These cases will see 90% biodegradation of plastic material within 12 weeks in commercial compost systems or 12 months if composted at home.
Mr Caddy said ISO certification will ensure Sprout is held accountable for these environmental initiatives as well as its sustainability targets. It will also ensure the business is continuously improving its manufacturing and environmental management systems to the benefit of its customers and the world around it.
“ISO certification is extremely important to the business as it ensures we have the tools, processes and systems to meet our business targets,” he said. “ISO certification also places the business in a constant state of improvements so that we can not only show improvement year-on-year, but also regularly monitor our important sustainability objectives and put the processes in place to achieve them.”
