As little packaging as possible

As a general principle, our goal is to reduce packaging as much as possible. In 2014 we created new packing guidelines that include ecological requirements for packaging. This is a component of our purchasing contracts and applies to all VAUDE products.

Unavoidable packaging should be made from renewable raw materials whenever possible such as from paper or cardboard. Packaging materials are divided into two categories: sales packaging and transport packaging. In Germany, packaging laws regulate by law the acquisition, marking and disposal of packaging.

Together with the WWF Germany, we have optimized sales packaging such as shoe boxes, labels on products and hangers based on ecological principles.

We use FSC certified recycled paper and cardboard with few exceptions for all paper packaging. We use bioplastics (made from cornstarch, for example) in consultation with WWF Germany, but not for disposable items such as shopping bags.

We also try to avoid using “compostable” plastics for disposable items. Theoretically these are biodegradable and can be used for biogas production, but in practice they decompose much slower than other organic waste, blocking conventional composting and biogas facilities. 

The packaging material we use mainly consist of cardboard and plastic foil. Boths need resources like raw materials, water, energy during their manufacturing, and they are disposed of after use in an environmentally friendly way. Packaging is one of the issues we permanently look to optimize in terms of materials and technology.

With the internal project Green Logistics, we will optimize our use of transport packaging such as pallets, outer packaging, shrink-wrap, etc.

In 2014, about 207 tons of new cardboard as transport packaging for shipping VAUDE products to our customers (retailers) was consumed. New cardboard is made of at least 75 percent recycled material. To protect the merchandise during transport we also use shrink-wrap. In 2014 we used about 4.42 tons of shrink-wrap.

So far, we can only estimate the consumption of transport packaging from suppliers to our headquarters in Tettnang-Obereisenbach, based on the amount of cardboard that we dispose of as waste. Information on this can be found under the “Waste” aspect

We know the precise amounts of required packaging materials for all products that we manufacture in Tettnang-Obereisenbach. They primarily consist of cardboard. In 2014 used 14.7 tons of cardboard for the packaging of products manufactured at our headquarters in Tettnang-Obereisenbach.

We identify the amounts of sales packaging for VAUDE products that are not produced here at our Tettnang Obereisenbach location in groups that are estimations, as provided for in German packaging laws.