Medline is both a manufacturer and distributor, offering numerous products to our customers in Europe. Our global manufacturing and supply chain operations comprise Medline-owned assembly and manufacturing facilities, as well as third-party manufacturing subcontractors and direct suppliers.
Medline is committed to sourcing products from ethical and socially responsible factories around the world.
Medline has a multi-faceted ethical sourcing programme, based on the United Nations Guiding Principles (UNGPs) on Business and Human Rights. We emphasise a risk-based approach to allow us to identify and act on the most important labour and human rights risks in our supply chain.
Elements of our ethical sourcing programme include Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) certification audits, the Medline Supplier Code of Conduct and external reporting through our annual Modern Slavery Statement.
WRAP Certification
Medline is gradually rolling out WRAP certifications to selected first-tier suppliers in our supply chain, focusing on suppliers of medical textiles and wearables. This is a multi-year project that we believe will have a significant and positive impact on supply chain practices in the medical device industry. Our customers can be confident that products manufactured in a WRAP-certified facility are manufactured under humane and safe working conditions.
What is WRAP?
WRAP is an independent, objective, non-profit team of global social compliance experts dedicated to promoting safe, lawful, humane and ethical manufacturing around the world through certification and education.
WRAP is the world’s largest independent facility certification programme, and it is mainly focused on the apparel, footwear and sewn products sectors. It seeks to independently monitor and certify compliance with its 12 Principles, which are based on the rule of law within each country and include the spirit or language of relevant International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions.
Learn more about WRAP here.
Supplier Code of Conduct
Medline’s Supplier Code of Conduct sets out the minimum standards that Medline expects its suppliers to adhere to regarding wages and benefits, worker health and safety, and working hours. It also explicitly prohibits slavery, involuntary labour and child labour.
UK Modern Slavery Act 2015
Medline is aware that slavery, forced labour and human trafficking are critical human rights issues. We monitor our own internal operations, as well as those of our suppliers to prevent and address such abuses of workers’ human rights.
Blog: #BeKind to Our Workers - Ethical Sourcing of Medline Exam Gloves
Fanya Malkan, Junior Product Manager for exam gloves, shares her view on the importance of promoting safe, lawful, humane, and ethical manufacturing in Medline's Exam Gloves supply chain.