While technological advancement has driven the rapid development of modern industry, environmental issues have become increasingly prominent. Environmental protection and governance have garnered more attention from all sectors, and many countries have successively enacted basic environmental laws: Japan established the Basic Law for Pollution Control in 1967; the United States passed the National Environmental Policy Act in 1969; Chinaenacted the Environmental Protection Law in 1989...
As environmental awareness becomes more widespread, the demand for "green consumption" is also rising. Consequently, eco-friendly products such as green cars and green appliances have become increasingly popular among consumers. Data shows that in recent years, the total volume of global green consumption has exceeded $300 billion, and products that focus on eco-friendliness are seeing an annual sales increase of 20%. Influenced by this trend, many businesses in the outdoor gear industry—which is closely related to environmental pollution—have also started to play the environmental card. The most extreme example is the German specialty brand VAUDE, which has implemented a full "green chain." Recently, reporters visited this well-known German company to get an up-close look at this "green dragon."
The outdoor gear from the German specialty brand VAUDE is highly favored by outdoor enthusiasts.
Small details, big impact: Environmental excellence in headquarters and products
It is understood that VAUDE's "full green chain" is mainly reflected in three aspects: headquarters construction, product manufacturing, and product recycling. At VAUDE's headquarters in Tettnang, Germany, reporters learned that the company’s roof not only has a self-built photovoltaic power generation system, achieving regional power generation, zero emissions, and renewable energy supply, but in October 2012, VAUDE also expanded its solar power system to meet the electricity needs of the entire company. According to reports, this solar power system can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 385 tons per year, an amount equivalent to a small car driving around the Earth 48 times.
However, to focus on green products, ensuring that the company’s core products are environmentally friendly is key. And according to reporters, product eco-friendliness is the "head" of VAUDE's "full green chain." Well-known VAUDE products such as "Terra" and "Ketter" not only use 10% elastane to enhance comfort and durability, but the other 90% are made from materials that meetGreen Shape standards.It is reported that the organic fabrics selected by VAUDE come from raw materials that prohibit the use of chemical agents such as pesticides and fertilizers. Moreover, between 2011 and 2012, the proportion of products made with organic fabrics in VAUDE's Green Shape line increased from 28% to 58%, and by 2015, Green Shape products accounted for as much as 95% of VAUDE's offerings. A VAUDE representative stated, "Although using eco-friendly materials increases development costs, it is something we must do," demonstrating VAUDE’s strong sense of social responsibility.
VAUDE product "Domain" made with eco-friendly materials
Launching the ECOLOG Recycling Network to Achieve a Full Green Chain
Moreover, according to VAUDE representatives, to take environmentalism to the next level, VAUDE is also making bold moves in product recycling. Since 1994, VAUDE has launched the ECOLOG Recycling Network—a system for receiving and recycling used products. By providing infrastructure, expertise, and manpower to the EOG “End of Life” committee (the European Outdoor Group’s "End of Life Cycle" committee), VAUDE has opened up the ECOLOG service to the entire outdoor industry, offering recycling and reuse solutions for products that have reached the end of their life cycle.
"VAUDE’s ECOLOG Recycling Network provides a responsible solution for products that have reached the end of their life cycle. Unfortunately, very few customers used our ECOLOG (product recycling) service in the past, so we are no longer operating the system independently. We also hope that companies or individuals passionate about environmental protection will join us in running the ECOLOG Recycling Network together to contribute to a greener planet," said a VAUDE representative. It is worth mentioning that in 2011, VAUDE was awarded Germany’s Sustainability Prize in recognition of its significant efforts in environmental protection and sustainable development.
VAUDE’s Green Environmental System
A Growing Trend: VAUDE Poised to Be the New King of Green Outdoor Gear
Regarding eco-friendly outdoor gear, industry insiders point out that statistics show that from 1921 to 1999, a total of 615 tons of waste were discarded on mountains such as the Himalayas, including many tents and clothing items left behind by outdoor enthusiasts—outdoor gear that could not be recycled. Eco-friendly outdoor gear has long been an imperative. But eco-friendly gear is not so simple—it refers to products that, from material selection to fabric production, use, and disposal, have the minimal impact on humans and nature and feature "recyclability, low pollution, and resource efficiency," requiring very high technical standards. Before the 21st century, technical bottlenecks prevented this from being realized. But today, with the emergence of VAUDE’s eco-friendly products, this gap in the green outdoor gear market has been filled.
Furthermore, to protect the environment and conserve resources, global environmental regulations are becoming increasingly stringent. In addition to EU directives such as ELV and PPW, the most well-known example is the $18 billion fine Volkswagen faced in September this year for violating the U.S. Clean Air Act. Therefore, as outdoor gear evolves today, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly gear is becoming a new social trend. Looking at both domestic and international markets, only VAUDE’s comprehensive green approach in the field of eco-friendly outdoor gear has achieved such extremes. This trend is bound to be led by VAUDE, which will also become the new king of green outdoor gear.
About VAUDE:
Founded in 1974, VAUDE has a history of over 40 years and is one of the oldest outdoor gear brands in Germany. It is also the only European company capable of entering the North American outdoor products market. As the world’s first outdoor brand company to receive EMAS certification, VAUDE has won numerous international awards, including the European Outdoor Innovation Prize and the U.S. Back Packer Editors Award. Moreover, since 2001, VAUDE has been producing products under the strictest Bluesign environmental standards, and its products are known for their excellent craftsmanship, earning widespread praise from consumers worldwide.