A product only becomes truly sustainable if it’s used for as long as possible. On top of all of this, we were excited to announce this year that all our products are climate neutral, and our HQ has been since 2012.
What area of the market do you target? Our primary focus is the outdoor and active lifestyle markets. Think biking, hiking, mountaineering, and camping. Our range of products includes backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, and pads, and clothing and gear for the great outdoors. We are keen to target consumers that are, or want to be,
more sustainable whilst they enjoy their time in nature. Besides, the planet we are working on protecting is the same planet we love exploring so it makes sense that the two go hand-in-hand!
What makes your products unique? What unique offerings do you have for retailers? What makes Vaude products stand out so much is certainly the sustainable accolades that come with them. It’s what we’re most passionate about when designing, manufacturing, and selling our gear. We work hard to find biobased and recycled materials, such as biobased plastics and Nylon, made using castor oil. The great thing about castor beans – which produce the oil we use - is that they can be grown without supplemental irrigation, on poor soil, and it doesn’t compete with the food chain. Biobased plastics can include zippers, buckles, and hooks and they feature all the same properties as conventional materials, only they’re greener. Biobased Nylon is actually better than traditional Nylon – it’s significantly stronger, more elastic, lighter, and absorbs less moisture whilst making a real contribution to climate protection- a no brainer! This, as well as our vigilance to fair working conditions and encourages
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sustainability throughout the entire product life cycle, really make our products unique. They can easily compete against other outdoor brands in terms of functionality, just with the added benefit of being green. We really encourage our retailers to shout about our
green accolades as it’s truly what makes us stand out in the crowd, from the actual product right down to our packaging which uses environmentally friendly cardboard and polybags made from recycled materials. We offer POS material to our retailers to help them showcase the benefits of buying a more sustainable product and we support our dealers through our UK distributor, Raleigh.
What sort of feedback have you received from the industry? There has been an increased interest in sustainable products over the recent years because of climate change becoming more and more obvious. The youth-led climate movement, Fridays For Future started by Greta Thunberg, has created heightened awareness about the adverse impact caused by the climate crisis. It has pushed the general public worldwide to rethink what they’re buying and who they’re buying from. This is the feedback we have received from the industry. Consumers know there’s no excuse for brands who aren’t making a conscious effort to make change, and it’s strengthened us, as a brand, in our path. We know consumers value responsible economic management.
What are your plans for 2023 and beyond? We’ll continue our sustainable way. By 2024, 90% of all Vaude products will include over 50% bio-based or recycled materials. One of our important next steps is to reduce CO2 emissions in the supply chain, with the goal of 50% reduction by 2030. This will primarily come from material consumption and energy use. ●
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