Code of Conduct

1. Company history
CHANGE Sportswear GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 1985 by Karl-Heinz Gansbühler. The initial product focus - an innovative men's trousers collection - under the label "CHANGE" was expanded in 1987 to include a separate collection for women under the label "CAMBIO". Due to the great success of this collection, the company soon put all its energy into women's wear and steadily expanded its market share.

We are a private medium-sized company with headquarters in Wald/Roßbach, in the Bavarian Forest nature reserve, about 20 km east of Regensburg. The building, constructed from wood, glass and marble, blends harmoniously into nature and the environment. The lightweight construction offers plenty of air, light and creates space for the creativity of the approximately 90 employees.

CAMBIO is a high-quality, fashionable collection with an internationally trendy statement. The product stands for a very good fit, high-quality fabrics and sophisticated workmanship. In order to meet the needs of all customers, the collection is divided into three segments.

While the "Collection" area offers classic cuts combined with high-quality materials to find the right trousers for everyday business or evening events, the "Sporty" segment delights customers with casual, modern fits in washed cotton looks and other innovative qualities. The "Jeans" area stands for a wide range of washed denim qualities, colored five-pockets, and also in decorated versions. We only use first-class basic qualities and are constantly working on the use of innovative technologies and are gradually replacing goods and finishing processes with ecologically sustainable ones. We source almost 90 percent of our fabrics from Europe, with Italy being one of the main suppliers with 60%. Thanks to our proximity to Italy, we have short goods routes and a low ecological footprint.

2. Scope
In the Code of Conduct, we define CAMBIO's demanding standards for all areas of the company and thus assume ethical, moral, social and ecological responsibility for each of our work steps - cradle-to-fashion - from the cotton field to the boutique. The social and ecological standards defined in this Code of Conduct apply not only to our own company, but also to our business partners and production facilities in other European countries and in Tunisia. All CHANGE employees are informed about the content of this guideline in an appropriate language, so that it is guaranteed that it is implemented throughout the entire value chain.

We are aware of our social and ecological responsibilities – towards our colleagues, suppliers, customers, contractual partners and our environment.

3. Ethical business and integrity
We comply with applicable laws and regulations. We respect the different legal, societal, cultural and social circumstances of the countries in which we operate. We also respect the customs and traditions that are common there. We value fair treatment of our business partners and are mindful of legal business practices in compliance with antitrust and competition law regulations. We consistently reject unfair competition, corruption and bribery. In competition, we rely on customer orientation, customer satisfaction, competence, innovative strength and the quality of our products.

4. Human Rights
We are committed to the rights of each and every one of our employees, not only those working at our headquarters in Wald/Roßbach, but also those working at our affiliated production facilities in other European countries and in Tunisia. As a global company, our code of conduct is based on national laws and regulations as well as international agreements. These include the United Nations' "Universal Declaration of Human Rights", the UNICEF's "Guidelines on Children's Rights and Business Conduct", the United Nations' Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights", the International Labour Organization's "ILO Core Labor Standards", the "OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises" and the United Nations' "Global Compact".

4.1. Child labour
We strictly reject the employment of young people under the age of 15, who are considered children under international law. If national regulations stipulate a higher age, these apply. When it comes to young people under the age of 18, we pay particular attention to ensuring that all legal restrictions and regulations are observed.

4.2. Youth employment
Young people shall not be permitted to perform night work and shall be protected from working conditions that endanger their physical and mental health, safety, morals or development.

4.3. Prohibition of forced labour and disciplinary measures
CAMBIO is vehemently opposed to forced labor and any form of disciplinary action. The employment relationship is always concluded on a voluntary basis. We firmly reject any kind of punishment, be it mental or psychological.

4.4. Discrimination
CAMBIO is committed to opposing all forms of discrimination and harassment in the workplace: No one may be discriminated against or harassed because of their race, origin, skin color, physical constitution, nationality, political views, sexual identity, ideology, age, appearance, gender or religion, belief, illness or pregnancy. Sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace are expressly prohibited and will not be tolerated in any form.

4.5 Freedom of association and right to collective bargaining
All workers and employees have the right to form a workers' organization or trade union of their choice or to join such organizations for the purpose of collective bargaining.

4.6. Safe and hygienic working conditions
CAMBIO ensures a safe and healthy working environment. The company premises are regularly cleaned and maintained. Employees are regularly trained in occupational and fire safety to prevent accidents and health damage that could arise from carrying out their work. Escape routes and emergency exits are marked.

4.7. Fair remuneration
Remuneration is based on national labor law. Wages/salaries must at least meet the legal requirements and/or the standards of the local economy. Remuneration complies with all applicable regulations, and we ensure that wages are paid in a manner that is appropriate for employees. Wages and salaries must be paid regularly and on time. Employees have the right to a written wage/salary statement showing how wages/salary are calculated.

4.8. Working hours
We attach great importance to ensuring that working hours comply with the applicable national regulations and that days off are observed. Regular working hours must not exceed the number of hours prescribed by law. Overtime must not exceed the number permitted by law. Overtime may only be performed voluntarily and must be remunerated in accordance with the legal regulations.

5. Consumer interests
When developing our products, we are committed to the health of our employees in our production facilities by avoiding exposure to chemicals or manufacturing processes that are hazardous to health.
Our products are safe for the intended use and are perfectly toxicologically sound. Legal limits are complied with and, where possible, even exceeded. All products comply with the European Chemicals Regulation REACH. This regulates which chemicals may only be used to a limited extent or not at all due to health concerns.

6. Environmental protection
CHANGE stands for high-quality materials and a respectful approach to people and nature. Since 2019, CAMBIO has been focusing on sustainability because we see this topic as a daily challenge to continuously improve in all areas of the value chain - socially and ecologically.

Many of our products use significantly less water than conventional methods. We also use technologies that do not use chemicals that, if left unfiltered, can contaminate bodies of water and drinking water as toxic and harmful substances. We concentrate on a few selected production sites located in Europe and North Africa that meet our standards. The short transport routes ensure a transparent supply chain and protect our environment with lower CO2 emissions.

7. Use of sustainable fibres
The clothing market demands innovative, sustainable fabrics that are both environmentally friendly and made from renewable raw materials.

Organic cotton, hemp, Tencel (Lyocell) or Modal are fibers that are sustainable and are increasingly being used. Synthetic fibers are increasingly being made from recycled materials, e.g. polyester from recycled PET bottles, which replace the usual elastomers.

7.1. Increasing the organic cotton share according to OCS
Our goal is to switch the entire cotton portion of our JEANS collection to OCS (Organic Content Standard) certified organic cotton. The cotton used is grown exclusively organically, without the use of pesticides and other harmful substances. The manufacturers of this cotton use natural fertilizers and do not use any chemicals during the growth phase. They also do not use any chemical defoliants during the harvesting process.

This guarantees that the basis of our Sustainable Capsule, the certified organic cotton, is free from any harmful substances. Furthermore, the employees of our textile suppliers are not exposed to any unnecessary health risks.

7.2. Purchasing GOTS-certified goods
In addition to switching to OCS certified organic cotton, we would like to gradually increase the proportion of GOTS certified outer fabrics and ingredients. These are then made in GOTS certified sewing factories and washed or dyed in GOTS certified laundries. The aim is to be able to offer our end consumer a genuinely sustainable end product with the help of an externally audited, transparent, traceable production chain.

7.3. Ban on cotton from Uzbekistan
We expressly reject the use of cotton from Uzbekistan in our products, as it is harvested there under inhumane and socially unacceptable conditions, including by schoolchildren and forced laborers. This is a clear violation of human rights.

8. Reduction of water, energy and chemical consumption
CAMBIO uses the production technologies newly developed in recent years to reduce the consumption of important resources such as water and energy and to protect the environment sustainably with its collection.

8.1. Purchasing outer fabrics that reduce water, energy and chemical consumption
By using new finishing processes in JEANS fabric production (Kitotex), it is possible to reduce water consumption in the manufacture of the goods by up to 50% and save 30% energy. Up to 70% fewer chemicals are used in the manufacturing process. By purchasing these basic qualities, we are specifically focusing on sustainability and environmental protection.

8.2. Cooperation with ecological laundries
CAMBIO is committed to keeping the environmental impact as low as possible. With our Tunisian partner, we wash and dye our Sustainable Program in an ecological laundry. Only biodegradable chemicals are used here, so that the used water can be cleaned and reused through an intelligent purification cycle. Our goal is to gradually wash and dye our entire production ecologically.

9. Use of sustainable ingredients
We pay attention to sustainability not only when selecting our outer fabrics, but also when sourcing our ingredients. For the rivets and buttons that are so characteristic of our jeans, we have found an innovative manufacturer who uses a fully automated electroplating system to keep toxic fumes away from employees and reduce water consumption by up to 95%. When it comes to labels or applications made of leather, we make sure that they are manufactured using the "best available technology" in order to keep the environmental impact of production as low as possible. The leather may only be produced as a by-product of food production and may come from farm animals that are kept in species-appropriate conditions.

10. Labeling and packaging
We also think sustainably and conserve resources in the details. The materials used for packaging, hangtags, labels, etc. must comply with the European Trade Regulation (EUTR) and, in principle, always follow all existing national and international regulations.

11. Prohibition of sandblasting
Creating used effects through sandblasting is extremely dangerous to health and is strictly prohibited in all of our production facilities. We rely on innovative, ecological laser technologies or fully automated production machines.

12. Animal welfare
Our company places great value on animal and species protection in its business activities. Animal husbandry and use in a species-appropriate manner is important to us.

12.1. Ban on angora wool and mohair
We prohibit the use of Angora wool, which comes from Angora rabbits, and the use of mohair, which comes from Angora goats.

12.2. Prohibition of mulesing
When purchasing Merino wool, we attach great importance to mulesing-free animal husbandry and source our wool from trustworthy European weaving mills.