At the VAUDE Campus in Tettnang, all waste is professionally collected and processed by local waste disposal companies. We made significant progress in 2024: The proportion of residual waste in the total waste volume fell for the first time - to 14 percent. This is a small but significant step towards an even more sustainable use of our resources. For the first time since 2024, we have also been recording the quantities from plant sales.

At VAUDE, residual waste is mainly generated in the factory from material left over from the production of our waterproof bike bags. Much of it ends up in upcycling, read more here.

To this end, we have recorded all textile waste that is disposed of as residual waste separately. This allows us to keep an eye on how volumes are developing and how we can best respond to them.

Our products are sorted in the repair workshop according to various criteria. All products that can no longer be repaired and cannot be used as second-hand items are categorized according to the criteria of the non-profit organization FairWertung. We donate all usable products to this organization. Products that do not meet the criteria or other waste, such as from marketing events that are too time-consuming to sort, end up in the residual waste.

You can find out more about repairs at VAUDE here.

"Thermal utilization"

Residual waste is not recycled but rather “thermally recovered”—that is, burned as fuel for energy-intensive industries such as cement production or for energy generation. Thermal recovery is a form of waste treatment; however, from an environmental perspective, it is less beneficial than waste prevention or recycling.

That is why we strive to achieve greater material efficiency in our manufacturing operations and reduce waste by optimizing our patterns and production processes. Learn more about material efficiency at VAUDE here.

As part of a research project, we are jointly looking for industrial partners who can use the coated plastics for recycling despite the relatively small quantities - unfortunately without success so far: on the one hand, the quantities are quite small on an industrial scale. Secondly, the TPU-coated polyester materials are not homogeneous and therefore pose a real challenge for recyclers. One example was the "ReWerk Project", in which we researched solutions together with partners from science and industry to enable the reuse of our cutting waste in VAUDE products through innovative mechanical recycling processes.

Our approach: Extending the useful life of products and reducing resource consumption and waste—through maintenance, repair, solutions for reusing products, and minimizing waste in the supply chain.