FAQS

What are the effects of BIC® products on
the environment?
BIC appointed an outside firm to carry out life
cycle studies on its flagship products.
This research revealed that:
- End-of-life counts for little in the environmental
impact of BIC® products;
- Outside the use phase, the environmental impact lies
mainly in the use of plastics, which contributes to crude
oil depletion;
- The utilization phases (use of water and shaving foam
for shaving) have by far the most impact on the environment.
For further details, consult BIC® Products and the Environment.

Does BIC have an "environmental" approach to its products?
Yes. BIC has always sought the right balance in its product design. Since the launch of the BIC® Cristal® pen, both design and choice of materials have only one objective: perfect balance between the form and function. Nothing superfluous is added. Ecodesign, which is being integrated in our Research and Development process, will be an efficient tool to help us make improvements in the environmental quality of our products.

Does BIC intend to make wider use of recycled materials, coming from renewable raw materials, or even biodegradable ones?
BIC closely monitors evolution in these technologies and their spin-offs. It sometimes uses recycled materials (the BIC® Evolution™ product range is an example). Wider use still raises problems of cost, quality and availability. To begin with, these materials may imply significant additional costs. Their use thus becomes difficult to justify, faced with our consumers’ expectations. Furthermore, although these materials generally benefit from a positive image for the environment, the reality of their advantages for the environment is not systematic. The ecodesign approach taken by the BIC Group makes it possible to measure the impact of such materials across the entire life cycle of a product.

Does BIC foresee launching re-usable or renewable products?
Certain BIC® stationery products (fountain pens, mechanical pencils, ballpoint pens, etc.) are refillable. The necessary consumables are sold at specialized stationers or in supermarkets. In the U.S., BIC set up in 2000 a Web site dedicated to selling refills in the American marketplace (www.bicrefills.com). That said, experience seems to indicate that the refill solution, at the end of the day, does not have wide appeal with today’s consumers. Moreover, for simple products like ours, a refillable model does not necessarily have less of an impact, mainly because of the environmental costs of distributing refills.

Are BIC® products recyclable?
To be recyclable, products at the end of their life must offer significant potential in both weight and volume, as well as be easy to disassemble, such as automobiles, glass, paper and most packaging. BIC® products do not meet these criteria. They are small, and therefore light in weight, scattered, and made of different materials, sometimes difficult to disassemble for safety reasons, such as lighters. Consequently, BIC® products are generally not designed to be recycled.

What is the industrial policy regarding the Environment, Health and Safety?
BIC’s industrial policy regarding the environment, health and safety is based on the introduction of comprehensive Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) Management Systems, which will be operational in all sites in 2007.
These systems have simple, pragmatic objectives and are under the responsibility of plant directors. In this way, each plant can respond to its specific challenges (products, resources and raw materials, production processes, geographical location, etc.), while contributing to the Group’s overall performance.

What is BIC’s outsourcing policy?
BIC has prepared a Code of Conduct, sets the rules to be followed by all contract manufacturers. This Code forbids, for instance, child labor, animal testing and discrimination.

How does BIC ensure that sub-contractors are respecting the BIC Code of Conduct?
In order to work with BIC, each sub-contractor must sign the BIC Code of Conduct and commit the Company to comply with it. Independent auditors verify compliance with the BIC Code of Conduct in the factories and implement corrections, if necessary. For more details, visit our Annual and Sustainable Development Report.

How is BIC dealing with packaging?
The bulk of BIC® products are sold to the end-consumer without packaging or in small packages.
Moreover, BIC has introduced an ecodesign approach, which includes the goal of reducing packaging. This international approach aims to ensure that all BIC packaging in the marketplace is optimized.

What role does sustainable development have in BIC’s Human Resources policies?
Our employees benefit from career management and a variety of training programs through BIC University and People Development (Visit: Human Resources).
In addition, the employees at all BIC factories are committed to complying with the BIC Code of Conduct, which promotes a safe and healthy work environment.