Highly functional, yet ecologically compatible

The selection of materials and processing technologies is the first stage in the life cycle of a VAUDE product. We require the highest quality from our products as well as top performance.

VAUDE products should offer reliable protection from the elements, improve athletic performance and be your favorite gear, day in and day out, for years to come: 

as our motto says, Performance meets Ecology. 

In addition to technical design, the materials and technologies used to make the products play a key role in these criteria. At the same time, these functional materials and technologies also have significant direct and indirect impacts on the environment.

Here are some examples of how the environment can be protected with environmentally aware material selection:

• The cultivation of organic cotton causes less environmental damage than the cultivation of conventional cotton because fewer chemicals and less water are required - see "Organic cotton is better for people and the environment".
• The use of recycled materials reduces the use of raw materials and energy - see "From PET bottles spinning yarns". 
• Use of raw materials, energy, water and chemicals is reduced when the material resources are efficiently manufactured and processed. In addition, less waste and wastewater is produced.
  

Most materials used by VAUDE are made from synthetic fibers. These are derived from petroleum and processed with high energy, water and chemical costs, then made into fabrics, dyed and usually chemically treated again to ensure the desired technical performance such as water repellency and UV protection.

Natural fibers are not always unproblematic either: conventional cotton consumes enormous amounts of water for growing and processing.

Wool usually comes from sheep that are kept on an industrial scale - with negative consequences for biodiversity and a heavy impact on the animals’ welfare - see "Only Wool from "happy sheep"".

A finished VAUDE product usually has no direct negative impact on the environment. Manufacturing of materials used for the products, however, can have negative impacts on the environment. 

Our upstream supply chain for materials is often located in production countries outside of Germany. As a company that has these materials processed, we remain responsible for ensuring that we also avoid harm to people or the environment in these locations. 

VAUDE is one of the few outdoor manufacturers who rate their products in terms of environmental friendliness. We work with the bluesign® standard and rely on internal self-regulation such as the VAUDE Material Policy - see "VAUDE Material Policy". With VAUDE Green Shape we have created our own rating system for our products - see "VAUDE Green Shape".

Overall, we lack reliable data on actual material consumption and material efficiency for production in the supply chain outside of Tettnang-Obereisenbach. Without this transparency, no concrete evaluations are possible.