Sistema
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 5 sources
NZ maker of food containers and lunch boxes.
Sistema makes its plastic food storage containers in its own factories in New Zealand, where labour laws are strong and legal wages are about a living wage.
Also worth knowing
It publishes a modern slavery statement.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Sistema? Send a right of reply.
Compare Sistema with another brand
Why it's graded On Track
- Not met: Meets 6 of 7 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
Good requirements 6 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in New Zealand are about a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standardsPresumed from where it's made, not audited
- Not met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneA "Made in" claim can cover only the final stage. Earlier stages to show: materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 0
None found.
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Open supply chain |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Sistema's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Modern slavery statement
- "Made in New Zealand" only means the last major stage happened there: under customs and consumer law, materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics can be made elsewhere. It hasn't shown where those earlier stages happen, so where it's made counts towards On Track but not Good. Source
Research notes Sistema containers are made in the company's own factory in Auckland, New Zealand; Newell Brands agreed to keep production there when it bought the company in 2017, and about 100 factory jobs were cut in late 2024. Factory workers are covered by New Zealand employment law. Newell's modern slavery statement covers Sistema, but nothing specific is published about the Auckland plant's wages or its plastic resin suppliers.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Newell Brands' 2025 modern slavery statement (approved May 2026) names Sistema Plastics Limited among the entities it covers. View |
| Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (World Benchmarking Alliance) | Not covered | Newell Brands' household goods sector is not among the sectors assessed in the 2026 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Sistema - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Sistema still makes its products in New Zealand; owned by Newell Brands
- 1News: Sistema proposes more than 100 job cuts (Nov 2024) · search the archive · Sistema proposed cutting 102 of 407 roles at its Auckland factory in November 2024
- Sistema sold to US company, but will remain NZ-made (Supermarket News) · search the archive · 100% NZ-made; Newell agreed to keep manufacturing in NZ; Auckland facility; 700 staff in 2017
- Sistema Ultra Large Square Food Container 4L - Woolworths · search the archive · Sistema containers sold at Woolworths supermarkets in Australia
Published by Sistema or its owner
- Newell Brands Modern Slavery and Supply Chain Transparency Statement (2025) · search the archive · Covers Sistema Plastics Limited; 2025 audits and remediation; code requires legal minimum wages
Company details
- Owned by
- Newell Brands Inc. (USA)
- Headquarters
- New Zealand
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Sistema ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/sistema, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means
Better-graded cookware and tableware
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Sistema.