Governance | BSH Home Appliances Limited

Governance & Processes

We aim to strengthen ethical business conduct along the value chain together with our partners.

This is also reflected in BSH’s memberships in initiatives, such as the UN Global Compact, and in the commitments, we have made as a result.

BSH joined the UN Global Compact initiative in 2004. Its Ten Principles are aimed in particular at the protection of international human rights, the abolishment of forced and child labor, eliminating discrimination, and environmental responsibility. To manage the complex and heterogeneous supply relationships in around 80 countries with about 40,000 suppliers, BSH has been requiring its suppliers to implement the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact since 2006.

These principles are of essential importance for BSH. Therefore, they form a permanent part of the code of conduct that applies throughout the company and is mandatory for all employees worldwide – the BSH Business Conduct Guidelines. This code sets out binding rules for responsible business practices for all employees around the world. It applies internally and also in dealings with customers and business partners.

If you want to know more about the UN Global Compact, our Code of Conduct and our commitments to act responsibly and lawfully, please click here.

Beyond Selling – Our Sustainable Business Models

Thanks to new business models such as product leasing and sharing, we can put an end to wasteful mentalities and ensure that as many appliances and as much material as possible is reused or recycled. An added bonus is that these new business models give a wider range of consumers easier access to highly efficient products and services.

Whenever possible, our customer service offers remote diagnostics, telephone consultations and self-help tips to avoid unnecessary visits and expenses. If a technician visit at home is required, we optimize our scheduling and routing to reduce carbon emissions. In all of our countries of operation, we have expertly trained employees and service partners, who advise our consumers and provide competent support, even in more rural regions. We have an initial completion rate for repairs of over 82%. This means that 82% of the time, we only visit our consumers once to solve a problem. We support our 12,000 BSH technicians and service partners with trainings beyond the repair knowledge. Flexible, digital sessions on sustainability offer trainings on how consumers can be expertly guided to extend their appliance’s lifespan with easy-to-follow tricks and tips on the right cleaning and care routine. Seven logistical centers are located near BSH production sites in order to keep delivery routes short. They store more than 350,000 spare parts for large appliances for usually more than 15 years following production.

Product Innovations

At BSH, we inspire and support consumers to live healthier and more sustainable lives.

Our home appliances help in many ways to make everyday life simple and sustainable. By saving water, energy and detergent or by preventing food waste, consumers can at the same time save money and act sustainably at home. In addition, the proportion of recycled materials in our products is increasing and the design is becoming more modular. With some appliances, you can already see and feel this today.

A great example for durability and performance is the Bosch Series 4 vacuum cleaner. It comes with a 10 years motor guarantee, washable filters for longer usage, and a long availability of spare parts. What makes the Series 4 even more sustainable is the way it has been designed and manufactured. The black variant is made from 38% recycled plastics*, the other colors are made from 30% recycled plastics*. Moreover, the packaging consists of 95% recycled paper. The packaging material inside is recyclable and compostable. (*Evaluation done according to ISO 14021)

Already since fall of 2021, there is Bosch´s first sustainable Series 2 vacuum cleaner available. The appliance is made out of 64 percent recycled plastics that comes with 95 percent recycled packaging. Its Bosch Motor Technology guarantees consumers high performance made in Germany as well as a free 10 years motor guarantee. This fact not only pays off in terms of performance, but also in relation to durability.

We are breaking new ground in reducing CO₂ footprint with the Bosch Green Collection Fridge (KGN39VXBT & KGN49OXBT). Featuring energy efficiency class B, this new Bosch fridge-freezer (sold in Europe) has a material footprint that is one-third smaller than its predecessor’s (partly allocated by mass balancing). Thanks to the use of recycled, lower-CO₂ and CO₂-neutral materials, the CO₂ footprint of the Bosch appliance is 100 kilograms lower.[1] Read more on our Blog Stories.

[1] Partially attributed by mass balancing (according to ISO 22095). During production, CO₂-reduced material is partially mixed with conventional material, but attributed to the Bosch Green Collection fridge-freezer combination in terms of balance. The CO₂ reduction results from the use of CO₂-reduced steel and bio-based foam and plastic. The comparison refers to the Bosch KGN39VXBT fridge-freezer combination with conventional materials.