The sustainability of your VAUDE product begins with our designers very conception. They are the ones who decide what materials and technologies to use.
Behind the scenes, VAUDE has made a commitment to using the best (most environmentally friendly) technologies, to eliminating the use of controversial technologies and materials, and to ensuring maximum traceability of all materials to their origin.
In the VAUDE Material Policy, we regulate which materials are allowed and which conditions need to be met during the production of raw materials, cultivation and processing.
While some competitors rely on nanotechnology or using materials made from genetically modified raw resources, we at VAUDE work in accordance with the precautionary principle: until a technology is scientifically and clearly classified as harmless, we keep our hands off of it.
In this process we include the opinions of experts from within and outside our industry – such as the Federal Office for Risk Assessment BfR, universities or civil society organizations such as the WWF Germany.
In our opinion, the industry has often brought alleged innovations to the market without adequately assessing the risks in advance. When it turns out that they are harmful to health or the environment, the damage has already been done. A current example: the fluorocarbon technology for water-repellent materials. Why are they harmful and why did VAUDE stop using them? Find out more here
The strict standards that we apply in our VAUDE Material Policy are also reflected in our Green Shape product philosophy - see "Respect for People and Nature".
This balancing act is a challenge for our product developers; more sustainable materials frequently cost more than their conventional counterparts, are more difficult to obtain, they require different processing or are used differently.
The "VAUDE Material Policy" is continuously being expanded and updated.
