Our Commitments
From social to environmental initiatives, nothing is more important to us
than taking care of the communities we work in and serve.
A Message from our CEO
We believe small businesses can do big things and are committed to helping small businesses be their best and make a personal connection with their customers. That is why we are actively improving our business practices to deliver the most personal experience to our customers, team members and global community.
In addition to introducing an easier shopping experience, improved services and a fresh look, we are enhancing our policies and practices to better promote the well-being of society and the environment.
As a business, we take our social and environmental responsibilities seriously and we are committed to operating in a socially conscientious and environmentally sustainable manner.
Learn more about National Pen’s commitment to creating a better workplace through diversity and inclusion, taking care of the environment through long-term sustainability initiatives and giving back to communities around the world.
Best Regards,
Creating a Better Workplace
Our team members are what make National Pen special, and that’s why we focus on providing a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace.
Diversity & Inclusion
National Pen is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, military or veteran status, pregnancy, age, protected medical condition, physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, and local laws.
As a global organization, Diversity is a core strength of National Pen, and our workforce is comprised of team members from over 30 different nationalities and a range of different ages, genders, religions and races.
However, there is more we can do. We are developing a long-term strategy that will advocate for more diverse talent acquisition, a culture of inclusivity, ongoing learning and professional development, and a brand and customer experience reflective of our core beliefs and values (our PERSONA).
Safety
National Pen also provides a safe, healthy, and secure work environment for all employees and visitors. Our locations all comply with health and safety laws and ensure that adequate systems and administrative controls are in place to protect lives and prevent severe injury or chronic illness.
Code of Business Conduct
National Pen requires all suppliers to sign and adhere to our Code of Business Conduct (downloadable PDF), which aligns with PPAI’s industry practice for social compliance and ethical and responsible sourcing.
To ensure we meet all social compliance requirements, we have engaged a third-party firm in an ongoing process to audit our factories worldwide.
During these audits, the factories are checked for a wide array of issues, including, but not limited to:
- Labor: child and forced labor, discrimination, discipline, harassment or abuse, freedom of association, and employment contract.
- Wages and hours: working hours and wages and benefits.
- Health and safety: general work facility, emergency preparedness, occupational injury, machine safety, safety hazards, chemical and hazardous materials, and the dormitory and canteen.
- Management systems: comprehensive written social compliance policy, system to identify and monitor applicable labor and ethics laws, internal accountability standards for migrant employees, and controls to monitor suppliers’ performance on social compliance.
- Environment: written environmental policy statement and management system, required permits, licenses and/or registrations for discharge and/or disposal of waste, and compliance with the associate license/permit conditions.
Taking Care of the Environment
Our corporate commitment is to be carbon neutral by 2040. To reach this goal, National Pen is dedicated to continuously improving our operations in an environmentally sustainable manner. Here are our areas of focus:
Going Green(er)
With the goal of reducing our environmental impact, our energy reduction initiative is focused on creating energy efficient facilities in all our global locations. This includes projects like upgrading to LED lighting and switching from traditional laser machines to more energy-efficient fiber machines.
Adhering to Social & Environmental Standards
National Pen’s supply chain and logistics initiative includes everything from environmental improvements in our packaging and production capabilities to securing vendors that adhere to social and environmental standards.
To be better stewards of our Earth, we also follow the Environmental Sustainability Guidelines of our parent company, Cimpress. Cimpress has established and centrally funded a company-wide carbon pollution emissions reduction program to lower emissions at a rate in line with – or better than – science-based targets established in 2015 by the United Nations Global Compact (the “Paris Climate Accord”). Their plan includes investment in energy-reducing infrastructure and equipment and renewable energy sourcing.
Reusing Natural Resources
National Pen offers eco-friendly products, including those that are made from recycled materials and FSC-certified paper. FSC certification ensures that healthy forests are maintained, and the rights of forestry workers and forest dwellers are protected.
Our product and marketing initiative involves exploring new products that are more sustainable, creating a trade-in program to recycle existing products and reducing the printed materials we mail to your business.
Giving Back to Communities Around the World
In addition to our commitment to small businesses globally, we are also dedicated to helping our local communities. During COVID, we donated over 80,000 face masks to charities and organizations that need them most.
Since 2012, we have partnered with Spring Global Delivery Solutions to deliver and donate almost 900 pallets of product samples to various global charities—this amounts to over 4.5 million pens and other products that have gone to those who are in need.
In the US, we also contribute writing instruments to multiple organizations which prepare children to learn and succeed with free school supplies. This includes the Kids in Need Foundation, where our donations are delivered – free of charge – to teachers and students in underserved schools across the country. Each year we’re able to supply thousands of students with the writing instruments they need to participate and succeed in the classroom. With Kids in Need Foundation’s National Network of Resource Centers and direct relationships with under-resourced schools, our donated products go directly students and teachers nationwide.
We partner with local organizations and charities to donate products, food, clothing, pet supplies, and other must-haves.
In our headquarter city of San Diego, California, we have donated thousands of personalized pens to front-line workers at local hospitals, schools and the San Diego Fire Department.
In Dundalk, Ireland, team members vote annually for which charity they’d like to donate to—over the last four years, they have raised over €15,000 for local charities including Dundalk Dog Rescue, Birches Alzheimer’s Day Centre, Louth Hospital, and Rape Crisis North East.
