Goal: reduce waste

Worthless waste or valuable secondary raw materials? “Waste” is a key environmental problem. For one thing, limited resources are wasted. For another, some wastes are a serious threat to wildlife, for example, such as plastic bags or synthetic micro particles that end up in the oceans. Last but not least, dangerous substances can be released into the environment when improperly disposed of.

Waste management has a high degree of environmental relevance at our headquarters in Tettnang-Obereisenbach. All waste is collected by a local waste management company and properly disposed of, or it is brought to a collection station with documented proof by VAUDE employees.

Residual waste is our "problem child". At VAUDE, it consists primarily of production scraps from bag manufacturing that thus far cannot be recycled; on an industrial scale, the amounts are quite low and in addition, coated plastics are not mono-material and therefore a real challenge for recyclers.

VAUDE has had a waste potential analysis carried out by experts in order to significantly reduce waste and to ensure the most environmentally friendly form of waste disposal as possible. The results of this are now being systematically implemented.

In 2014, 1800 kg material waste (polyethylene and polyamide) was collected separately from production at the headquarters at the Tettnang-Obereisenbach location and was forwarded to a recycling company.

At the headquarters, a total of 489.95 tons of waste were also accrued in 2014. This amount includes all waste resulting for the remodeling of the office building during the construction phase in 2013 and 2014. Excluding waste from the remodeling work, we incurred 408 tons or 10 percent more waste than last year.

All waste in 2014, including construction waste

Residual waste

Despite careful separation for recycling, residual waste increased due to the renovation measures.