RLX Releases Corporate Sustainability Report
RLX Technology presented its “Corporate Social Responsibility Report.” The report outlines the firm’s annual progress in fulfilling various corporate social responsibilities, including rural revitalization, product-related responsibility, corporate governance, environmental responsibility and employee responsibility.
According to the report, as of 2023, RLX has invested a total of CNY44.3 million ($6.2 million) in areas such as biodiversity conservation and rural revitalization. By the end of April 2023, RLX had effectively generated approximately 120,000 employment opportunities along the supply chain and accumulated research and development investments totaling CNY800 million.
Navigating the delicate balance between compliance and innovation is the most crucial challenge for RLX, according to a company press release. In pursuit of a first-class user experience, the company says it not only strictly adheres to regulatory requirements by developing products in line with national standards to ensure quality and safety but is also comprehensively upgrading its research and development system. This involves establishing eight major laboratory matrices and rigorous factory quality control to enhance product innovation. The report reveals that as of April 2023, RLX has applied for nearly 900 patents globally.
From child-proof locks to anti-dry burn functions, each of the eight laboratories plays a specific role in developing products that meet both regulatory requirements and user-experience expectations. The Innovation Lab, for example, focuses on material purification and flavor perception, significantly reducing the risk of alterations to product taste and flavor. The Quality and Safety Lab conducts tests such as drop and negative pressure tests to ensure product stability in extreme environments. This lab has received accreditation from China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment.
Since outlining its “1+4” scientific research path in 2020, RLX has initiated nearly 50 research projects to fill the gaps in the field of vape science. The report highlights several breakthrough achievements from the past year. In November 2022, the first domestic clinical study on electronic cigarettes initiated by RLX was published in the medical SCI journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research. By the end of April 2023, RLX had conducted 17 collaborative research projects, publishing 11 research papers in authoritative journals.
“From 2022 to 2023, whether in the Chinese e-cigarette industry or at RLX Technology, it has been an extremely important period. We wholeheartedly respond to policies and actively address various changes, not only fulfilling strict compliance and providing reassuring products as ‘required actions’ but also contributing our modest efforts in ‘voluntary actions’ such as wildlife protection and rural revitalization to enhance social well-being,” said Kate Wang, founder and CEO of RLX.