VAUDE Green Shape
VAUDE’s rating system: Green Shape
By selecting materials for the manufacture of products, VAUDE has an effect on the environmental footprint of its products. Our goal is to produce highly functional products with a minimal environmental footprint.
But how do you decide whether a material, process or product is “environmentally-friendly”? Especially when there are no worldwide standards, no operating evaluation systems, and no international or uniform “certificates” to go by?
| GRI: | DMA Materials |
The closer a product is to the summit, the greater its eco benefits
VAUDE is a pioneer in this field and has developed its own rating system: the Green Shape Mountain. The Green Shape Mountain combines the evaluation of eco-friendly materials and eco-friendly manufacturing processes in one schematic system.
Green Shape is VAUDE’s guarantee for environmentally friendly products – made from sustainable materials and resource-conserving manufacturing. Our goal is to provide the best there is for people and for nature.
A product is Green Shape when
- It meets the conditions of a "bluesign® product", or
- It is dyed with VAUDE ecolour, (see VAUDE ecocolour) or
- It is made of at least 90% environmentally-friendly materials:
- a combination of these with at least 35% Tencel® or hemp
How we evaluate the Green Shape Collection
The VAUDE Green Shape Mountain is our rating system. The closer a product is to the summit, the greater its benefit to the environment. Products with maximal resource efficiency and certified eco-quality are included in the top "Sustainability Summit" area – these are bluesign® products. Ideally, combined with environmentally friendly raw materials such as recycled polyester.
- For the "Camp 2" stage, our product managers combine environmentally friendly materials with the bluesign® approved fabric certification.
- The "Camp 1" stage is for products that are made from at least 90% environmentally friendly materials.
- At the "Advanced Base Camp" stage, the product has some kind of eco-advantage, but it’s not enough to fulfill the criteria for a Green Shape product. For example, a t-shirt made from 70% organic cotton: good, but not Green Shape.
- At the "Base Camp" stage, we still have our work cut out for us. For many materials and components, there are just no environmentally friendly alternatives which provide the same functionality. Research and development is needed so that innovative materials and technologies will become available as soon as possible
Increase in Green Shape products
Already in 2014 we were able to increase the number of Green Shape products in our collection. For 2015 we plan to enlarge it even further.
Further development of the Green Shape Collection
The closer a product is to the summit, the greater its eco benefits. In each collection, we evaluate the Green Shape Mountain using a data processing system. Based on these ratings, VAUDE, together with product managers, determines ambitious goals for the continued development of the Green Shape Collection.
