Every standard we hold
is a promise, kept.

Our company has built a management approach that reaches from the quality of what we make to the health and safety of the people who make it. In line with that approach, we hold ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certification.

ISO 9001 — Quality Management System

A standard built around the discipline of an effective quality management system. Certification confirms that our products are manufactured consistently, in line with an internationally recognised standard — run after run, order after order.

ISO 14001 — Environmental Management System

A standard that ensures the systematic organisation, reduction and continuous review of our environmental impact. Holding this certificate confirms that our efficient use of natural resources, our control of waste, and our commitment to minimising risk operate within an internationally recognised management system.

ISO 45001 — Occupational Health & Safety Management System

A standard focused on identifying and controlling workplace risk in order to protect our people. This certificate documents, at an international level, our commitment to a safe and healthy working environment for every employee.

Differing local standards can quietly become a technical barrier to trade. This is where ISO's role matters most: by setting internationally recognised standards for quality, environment and occupational health & safety, it removes that barrier and lets trade move freely between markets.

Through ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, we hold our commitments to quality, environment and workplace safety to an international standard — and treat every one of them as a live, continuously improving practice, not a certificate on a wall.

SEDEX certification represents a commitment to raising ethical and social responsibility standards across global supply chains. SEDEX is also the name of the organisation itself — a global network with more than 50,000 member companies across 150 countries.

"SEDEX: Supplier Ethical Data Exchange"

It's one of the world's largest collaborative organisations of its kind — and, given its membership and geographic reach, holds one of the largest shared data platforms anywhere.

Tens of thousands of companies holding SEDEX certification show ongoing progress in workers' rights, health and safety, environmental care and business ethics. Data shared between members keeps that progress continuous: companies commit to joint initiatives that support one another's development, weighing shared standards and certifications as they make key decisions.

One of the biggest risks companies face today is operating within highly interconnected, complex supply chains — mapping that chain, and staying aware of the risk each supplier may carry, is genuinely hard. SEDEX's tools keep companies informed as they decide, so that workers' rights and safety sit alongside ecological and ethical considerations at every stage.

SEDEX Advisory & the SMETA Audit

SEDEX coordinates thousands of auditing bodies worldwide throughout the certification process. Audits are carried out against SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) criteria — one of the most widely used ethical audit formats in the world, built on the universal principles of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) Base Code. SMETA audits focus on working conditions, workplace safety, ethical business practice and environmental standards, and are updated periodically — the current version is SMETA 6.1.

Membership Categories

• Buyer (A) Members — retailers at the end of the chain who manage their own suppliers within the SEDEX database.
• Supplier (B) Members — manufacturers who publish their SEDEX reports through the database.
• Buyer/Supplier (AB) Members — companies in the middle of the chain that both manage supplier reports and submit their own to buyers.

Why It Matters

Being registered on the SEDEX database shows our partners that our production methods align with ethical and social sustainability practice — a trustworthy first impression, backed by data. Companies that complete the SEDEX audit process are also better prepared for other, similar certifications that follow, saving the time and cost of repeated audits, while reducing risk across social responsibility and sustainability.

As Acar Group, we commit to the following as our quality policy:

• Being a known and trusted company in our sector, by completing every practice on time and in line with all applicable legal and sector requirements.
• Serving as a reliable, leading company by tracking and adopting current technology, meeting customer expectations through customer focus and leadership, and offering accessible, secure services.
• Reaching company and departmental goals in a spirit of teamwork, grounded in our organisational culture and customer focus.
• Reviewing our processes through performance measurement, monitoring and analysis, and adopting corrective and improving actions wherever they raise our performance.
• Continuously improving efficiency across every process, in line with international practice.
• Building and applying our ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 systems under a single Integrated Management System — documented, certified and continuously improved in a sustainable way.
• Acting as one team, in line with our mission and vision, and in accordance with applicable law and legislation.
• Understanding our customers' needs and expectations, and focusing on their satisfaction across every activity — including the best possible after-sales support.
• Applying a transparent management system, open to continuous improvement, at every stage of our operations.
• Recognising quality as a team effort, and supporting our people's continuous development through training that strengthens that teamwork.
• Raising our quality while keeping our products competitive on price and on time — so that we remain the preferred choice among our peers.
• Identifying and monitoring environmental factors and product life cycles.
• Taking every measure needed to protect our employees' health and workplace safety, and staying prepared for any adverse situation.
• Adopting risk-based thinking when planning and applying our Integrated Management System — the union of our Quality, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety systems.
• As senior management, leading our Integrated Management System with a customer-first mindset, and extending that leadership across every employee.
• Encouraging leadership across our internal and external processes, and planning and sustaining the training that builds our people's competencies.
• Managing our activities in full integration with our Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety systems, so that we remain an example of quality leadership in our sector.

Acar Group exists to satisfy our customers, use natural resources efficiently, deliver products and services to universal standards, and contribute to economic and social development. In doing so, we aim to be a symbol of reliability, continuity and respect for every stakeholder — customers, shareholders, employees and suppliers alike — nationally and globally, and to comply with the law wherever we operate.

• Our customers are the reason we exist.
• Being the best is a non-negotiable goal.
• Our people are our most important asset.
• We exist to keep creating the resources to keep improving.
• We aim to add strength to the economy that gives us ours.
• High business ethics and honest work are our guiding principles.

This Code of Ethics exists to guide the decisions and conduct of everyone who works at, or represents, Acar Group. All employees — including temporary staff — are expected to uphold the group's cultural integrity, protect the Acar name, and act consistently with global ethical values. Where a situation isn't explicitly covered here, we act within the spirit of these same values, consulting the Ethics Committee when in doubt.

Employee Relations

We aim to be the company every professional wants to be part of — one that values its people and respects their rights. That means equal opportunity in hiring based purely on merit, respect for the right to unionise and collectively bargain, fair and competitive pay tied to objective performance, equal opportunity in promotion and recognition, a clean and safe working environment, zero tolerance for workplace harassment, and care for employees' personal information beyond what the law requires us to disclose.

External Relations

Toward shareholders, we protect their legal rights and interests, distribute profit responsibly, and disclose material information fully, accurately and on time. Toward the law, we operate in every market strictly within local legislation and the international agreements Turkey is party to, keeping full and accurate accounting records. Toward customers, we create value, deliver consistent quality, act with fairness and professionalism, and protect personal data. Toward suppliers and distributors, we choose partners carefully, expect them to respect human rights and anti-corruption principles, and apply objective selection criteria. Toward competitors, we never engage in agreements or conduct that restrict fair competition, and we comply fully with competition law. We also uphold the ten principles of the UN Global Compact on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

Employee Conduct

Every employee is expected to comply with the law, act on core ethical and human values, deal fairly and in good faith with everyone they work with, and never seek or accept improper personal gain — including bribes in any form. No one may commit the company to an obligation without proper authority, and everyone is expected to treat company assets, information and systems with the same care they'd give their own.

Assets, Information & Confidentiality

We protect intellectual property — ours and others' — take confidentiality seriously across commercial, financial and technical information, maintain records accurately, and plan for security and crisis events so the business can continue safely. Employees represent the company responsibly on social media, in line with our social media guidelines.

Conflicts of Interest

Employees avoid using their position for personal gain, disclose personal investments or shareholdings that could create a conflict, and are careful about outside activity — including working with the company again as a supplier or partner after leaving — that could create a real or perceived conflict of interest. Insider trading, in any form, is strictly prohibited.

Anti-Corruption & Gifts

Acar Group opposes bribery and corruption in every form. Employees may not offer or accept gifts, invitations or hospitality that could create the impression of improper influence; gifts are never given or accepted in cash or cash-equivalent form, and no discount or favour that could appear improper is requested or accepted from any partner.

Health, Safety & Political Activity

We aim for full occupational health and safety in the workplace, and expect every employee to follow the relevant rules and take the necessary precautions. Company resources are never used for political activity, and the company itself does not make donations to political parties or candidates.

Reporting a Concern

Any employee who becomes aware of — or suspects — a violation of this Code, or of applicable law, is expected to report it to their manager or, where appropriate, escalate it further, up to the Board. Reports are handled confidentially, and retaliation against anyone who reports in good faith is never tolerated. A dedicated Ethics Committee — drawn from senior management, HR and Legal — oversees how these principles are applied across the company, and every employee is expected to read, understand and uphold them.

We value people and the environment, and aim to run our operations with honesty, trust, and an eye on what the times require. Our production facility works in line with current law, our customers' partnership requirements, and recognised social standards. As a matter of humility and respect for people, we commit to the following principles across all our activities:

Child Labour

We act in accordance with Turkish Labour Law No. 4857 and the ILO conventions Turkey is party to, and expect the same of our suppliers. No one under 18 is employed at Acar other than for genuine educational purposes, in respect of children's healthy development and their right to education.

Occupational Health & Safety

We run regular training so every employee understands their individual responsibility for health and safety, provide the equipment that role requires, and take every legal measure to prevent workplace risk.

Forced Labour

No form of forced, bonded or indentured labour is used at Acar. Every employee is free to start or leave their role, is employed by their own consent under equal conditions, and overtime is always voluntary — never imposed.

Preventing Harassment & Ill-Treatment

We maintain a workplace free of verbal, physical or psychological harassment or coercion, so people can work with peace of mind.

Working Environment

We foster a collaborative, positive environment where people of different beliefs and views can work together harmoniously, and we work to prevent conflict.

Preventing Discrimination

All employees have equal rights. No one is treated differently — in hiring, pay, promotion, discipline, dismissal, access to training or retirement — on the basis of gender, race, nationality, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, political view, union membership, social class, marital status, belief or ethnicity. Ability to do the job is the only criterion that matters.

Wages & Benefits

Employees receive every social right the law provides, are never paid below minimum wage, and overtime is paid exactly as legislation requires. Equal pay for equal work applies without exception.

Working Hours

Working hours and overtime follow applicable law and regulation, and all overtime is on a voluntary basis.

Recruitment & Regular Employment

Technical and professional skill matter in hiring — but so does alignment with our rules and social compliance requirements. Regular employment and social security are guaranteed, and recruitment is entirely free of discrimination.

Freedom of Association

We respect every employee's right to organise freely, bargain collectively, be represented, and join civil society organisations, without exception.

Bribery & Corruption

Acar opposes bribery and corruption of every kind. Giving or accepting a bribe, for any purpose, is never acceptable, and we do not continue business relationships with third parties who attempt to engage us through bribery or corruption — a policy communicated and trained across the company.

Grievance Mechanism

Every employee can raise a request or complaint freely, with a system in place for timely, effective feedback. We guarantee no retaliation follows any complaint, suggestion or feedback — consistent with our open-door approach to management.

Environmental Awareness

We comply with current environmental legislation and work to prevent pollution, with reducing our carbon footprint and reaching zero waste among our sustainability goals.

Volunteering

In the spirit of corporate social responsibility, we contribute to our community's development and support employees who wish to take part in appropriate social and community initiatives.

Acar Group's core business spans printing and binding, boxes and packaging, leather goods, and publishing. Our Integrated Management System brings quality, environmental and occupational health & safety management under one governing structure — the handbook referenced by our ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications.

Mission

To produce the highest-quality product, at the right time, under the best possible conditions.

Vision

To be a brand with international credibility for both product quality and working conditions.

Values

• Honesty
• Customer focus
• Quality focus
• Employee focus (occupational health & safety)
• Environmental & social awareness
• Innovation focus
• Solution focus

How the System Is Structured

The manual governs seventeen linked processes — from understanding our organisational context and leadership, through risk and opportunity management, change management, HR, monitoring and measurement, internal and external communication, documented information and operations, to procurement, maintenance, customer service, the ISO 45001 and ISO 14001 requirements specifically, internal audit, management review, corrective action and performance evaluation. Each process feeds the next, mapped in a single process-interaction diagram (SEMA-002) that ties every certification back to one coherent system rather than three separate ones.