Action needed in the supply chain
Waste and wastewater are essential aspects for VAUDE because both are caused by many upstream processes in the production of VAUDE products. To some extent, waste and wastewater must be classified as a potentially harmful to the environment and to health.
This applies to production at the company headquarters in Tettnang-Obereisenbach, but also to the production of VAUDE products in the supply chain – and in particular to the raw materials needed for the upstream supply chain - see "Water consumption in the supply chain”.
No process water required in Tettnang
Our production facility in Tettnang does not require process water and industrial wastewater is not produced. The only wastewater at this site comes from sanitary facilities and the laboratory where waterproofing tests are carried out. In 2014, a total of 2412 cubic meters of water was consumed and managed as wastewater in the sewage system - for more info see „Water – source of life“.
Therefore, at our Tettnang location, wastewater does not have high environmental relevance, especially as the wastewater treatment in Germany is regulated at very high levels.
Waste is an important issue, in Germany as well
Wastes cause environmental problems in Germany as well. They must be collected, transported, processed and partially recovered with a high degree of energy expenditure, or disposed of properly. Waste has a high environmental relevance, therefore, not only for the supply chain, but also for our Tettnang-Obereisenbach location. Our annual waste statistics disclose the development of quantities, from which we derive our goals and measures - see „Goal: reduce waste“.
Efficiency confirmed by EMAS and ISO14001
Our approach has been efficient and successful in respect to our company’s Tettnang facilities. This has been confirmed by annual EMAS and ISO14001 audits, which also review waste and wastewater. We are not yet satisfied, however, with the results in our supply chain. We are aiming to make significant progress here with the help of the two strategic approaches, bluesign® and the Higg Index.
Greenpeace: Toxic effluents threaten the whole world
Wastewater from textile manufacturing is currently the focus of the Greenpeace Detox Campaign. Greenpeace has accused the textile industry (and thus also VAUDE) of being responsible for the pollution of China’s waters with dangerous chemicals.
There, toxic waste and toxic effluents cause serious health problems in the local population. In addition, toxic substances in the global waterways are spreading throughout the whole world.
The following articles explain what we can do to avoid chemical substances in the manufacturing of VAUDE products.
Clean and transparent supply chain as a target
VAUDE commissions independent producers to manufacture its goods. We try to influence comprehensive waste and wastewater management by stipulating which materials are to be used, for example with the bluesign® standard.
However, we must clearly recognize that our influence has been quite limited in the supply chain thus far. It has not been possible to obtain reliable data on waste or wastewater from producers and suppliers, which would create a reference base for the manufacture of VAUDE products. That is why we do not have any information about examples of of any specific sewage or waste contamination arising from processes authorized by us.
Urgent action needed
We know that we have an urgent need for action on this issue, both in terms of creating data transparency, as well as in terms of sanitation and waste management in the supply chain. We are pursuing these two strategic approaches: with the expansion of the bluesign® standard and by using the Higg Index to build a database that collects all relavent environmental data - see “bluesign®: the strictest standard worldwide” and “Higg Index”.
We do not have information on specific pollution caused by waste or wastewater arising from processes that we have commissioned.
