High standards in Germany and Asia
VAUDE is proud of its "Made in Germany" range of products which are manufactured with climate-neutral production at the company headquarters in Tettnang.
A large percentage of our merchandise, however, is produced outside of Germany, much of it in Asia. VAUDE has a long tradition of partnerships, accountable and personal business relationships with our (primarily) long-term suppliers in Europe as well as in other countries.
The supply chain for outdoor products is complex, internationally diversified and contains numerous potential ecological problem areas – see "Our Supply Chain". Our direct business partners are clothing manufacturers in general. This is where materials are put together to make the VAUDE finished products (sewn, HF welded, etc.).
Material manufacturing is often ecologically problematic
However, the more serious environmental impacts occur at the upstream stages: the production of materials and even further upstream to the cultivation of plant fibers and the mining of raw materials such as oil, from which synthetic fibers are obtained.
It often takes up to two years from the first stages of product design to product manufacturing. Short-notice changes in the supply chain often result in difficulties coordinating quality with environmental and social standards.
Careful selection and evaluation, as well as a good partnership with our producers, is therefore essential for VAUDE, not only for environmental reasons but also to ensure product quality – e.g. in terms of harmful substances management.
Our selection and evaluation process applies to all VAUDE production facilities, whether at the company headquarters in Tettnang or in other countries.
Contractual relationship with our producers
In its supply chain, VAUDE differs between producers (manufacturers of ready-made products, tier 1) and material suppliers (tier 2). We only have a direct (contractual) business relationship with our producers. However, we stipulate the selection of material manufacturers to a large extent – see "Our Supply Chain".
We recognize our responsibility for the conditions under which VAUDE products are manufactured worldwide. We accept this responsibility as a permanent challenge in a globalized market. This affects not only environmental aspects, but also social standards - see
"Human Rights in Focus".
Relationships based on partnership: In cooperation with our producers, we are working on the environmental performance of our products.
Obligation to comply with standards
All VAUDE producers are contractually required to comply with minimum environmental standards. This includes, among other things, the Restricted Substance List - RSL.
VAUDE’s internal "Material Policy" helps us make a preliminary selection of materials and technologies and influences the selection of our material suppliers.
Because of the system partnerships that many of our material suppliers have with bluesign® and the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), we have a deep understanding of the situations, weak points and the potential for development of most of our producers and material suppliers.
High level of security from bluesign® and Fair Wear Foundation
VAUDE has been working with most of its producers and material suppliers together for many years. We systematically evaluate producers in accordance with the following criteria:
- product quality
- delivery period
- production volume in piece and sales
- Fair Wear Foundation Audits
- hazardous substances management
With bluesign® and the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) we have a high degree of safety in our supply chain.
84 percent of our producers have signed our RSL. 79 percent* of material manufacturers for clothing have signed our RSL. We are continuing talks with those producers and material manufacturers that haven’t yet signed the RSL.
49 percent of our material manufacturers are bluesign® System Partners. In Apparel the figures is 57 percent. Our bluesign® material manufacturers deliver the majority of the materials needed for our clothing products. We can therefore manufacture a high percentage of our textile collection in accordance with bluesign®. More about it at bluesign® materials.
*June 2015
Percentage bluesign material producers
Note to the diagram: Total number of suppliers from whom our manufacturers buy materials for VAUDE products has been estimated. We do stipulate most materials, and we know most of their suppliers very well. A small portion of materials – especially small parts like buttons – our manufactuers buy on their local market. Read more in “our supply chain”.
More on our collaboration with the Fair Wear Foundation in "Human Rights in Focus".
Standardized evaluation system under construction
A standardized evaluation system for the consistent evaluation of all producers and material suppliers in relation to environmental aspects is under construction. Our goal is not only complete transparency about the origin of all materials processed by VAUDE throughout the various upstream stages of the supply chain, but also a complete evaluation system for producers and suppliers. Some prerequisites for this have yet to be created - such as the transparency of data on energy and water consumption.
Synthetic fibers with chemical treatments
The manufacturing of materials that are used for outdoor products often has a serious impact on the environment. Most of the materials used by VAUDE are made from synthetic fibers. These are derived from petroleum and processed into fabrics using a high degree of energy, water and chemicals, then dyed and usually chemically treated again to give them the desired technical performance such as water repellency and UV protection.
In production, the materials are then assembled to form the VAUDE finished product (sewn, HF welded, etc.).
This, of course, consumes energy, water, chemical additives and causes waste, wastewater and emissions.
