VAUDE Makes its Way Towards Becoming 100% PFC-free

VAUDE is determined to completely eliminate the use of ecologically harmful fluorocarbons (PFC) from all of its products. With the upcoming Spring/Summer 2018 Collection, the outdoor outfitter has taken another major step toward achieving this goal: All textile materials in the apparel collection are now fully PFC-free. 

VAUDE’s achievement in this area was anything but a given. Over ten years ago when VAUDE made the decision to eliminate the use of harmful materials –and PFC in particular – the company was a lone wolf in the industry. PFC was the standard technology for water-repellent finishes and also a very convenient and cost-effective solution. Consequently, interest in developing alternative solutions was low. In addition, public awareness was also very limited. But these facts didn’t discourage VAUDE. “In view of the serious environmental impacts caused by PFC, our only choice was to eliminate it completely,” said Antje von Dewitz, VAUDE CEO. Since that time, VAUDE has been striving toward the elimination of PF at all levels.

Waterproof apparel with PFC-free membranes
The first step in 2011 was to give all VAUDE waterproof apparel PFC-free membranes. The membrane is a thin layer that keeps water out and is breathable at the same time. PFC is still required for the production of most conventional membranes.

PFC-free water-repellent gear – a feat of strength 
In the next step, VAUDE set itself the goal of eliminating the use of PFC for all water-repellent finishes. A finish is a surface treatment that causes the water to bead up on the outer surface of a textile. Without this waterproofing, also called Durable Water Repellency (DWR), the outer material would absorb water and create a clammy feeling. However, this presented VAUDE with great challenges: Until then it hadn’t been possible to produce waterproof finishes without PFC, that actually worked well causing water to pearl up. So VAUDE set to work with material suppliers and the chemical industry to find alternative solutions; its influence as an individual mid-sized company, however, was small. It wasn’t until Greenpeace launched its Detox Campaign in 2012, drawing attention to the global spread of PFC in the environment and lambasting the outdoor industry, that things began to change. The pressure that Greenpeace was exerting on outdoor brands also reached the chemical industry. From that point on, suppliers began to seriously consider PFC-free alternatives.

The chemical supply industry had to change direction, develop new standards and build competencies. In order to move forward as quickly as possible, VAUDE initiated close cooperation with all parties involved in its supply chain as well as with competitors. “We organized round-table discussions and joint exchanges with our suppliers to determine the right formulas and the optimal processes for new finishes. Because each individual material – each individual color even – reacts differently and this technical expertise first had to be jointly developed,” said Antje von Dewitz.
VAUDE also conducted extensive research itself in order to develop testing methods and standards that were then given to the suppliers. These were assessed by VAUDE in the company's own laboratory as well as in field tests. At times, materials that passed laboratory tests failed in field testing. When that occurred, planned production had to be cancelled and tests had to be rerun with other alternatives. With considerable time and effort, more than 300 fabrics with various PFC-free finishes were tested to ensure that VAUDE’s high performance requirements for waterproofing were met. “This is what our customers expect from a rain jacket, no matter how environmentally friendly its production,” said Antje von Dewitz. As a result, the outdoor outfitter succeeded in its transition to ever more products with PFC-free technologies; these are summarized under the name “VAUDE Eco Finish.”

All apparel fabrics PFC-free
Following VAUDE’s transition to 100 % PFC-free production of water-repellent apparel such as softshell jackets and trekking pants for the Summer Season 2015, the phase out began for all outer fabrics for waterproof products such as rain jackets and rain pants. With the launch of the Spring/Summer 2018 Collection, all apparel fabrics are 100 % PFC-free, made with Eco Finish and the next major milestone in VAUDE’s voluntary commitment to the Greenpeace Detox Commitment has been reached ahead of schedule. VAUDE voluntarily undertook the elimination of all harmful substances from the entire supply chain by 2020 at the latest. The only exception: to date there hadn’t been PFC-free alternatives for waterproof zips in high performance products from suppliers. Starting in summer 2019 VAUDE will be one of the first outdoor manufacturers to phase out its use here as well.

VAUDE is working hard to make its footwear, backpacks and tents PFC-free. However, the transition is extremely complex, as these consist of numerous components from many different suppliers. Nevertheless, VAUDE has made considerable progress – 96 % of backpacks and footwear are already PFC-free – and the company is confident that it will reach its target of 100 % by 2020.
“For us, the PFC phase-out for our apparel fabrics was an enormous feat of strength. We mastered this challenge by years of working with our partners from the chemical industry and our material suppliers focusing strongly on the solutions themselves as well as on process reliability and by carrying out countless tests. I am very proud of the fact that today, we can show that it is possible to offer PFC-free alternatives without our customers having to forego important functionality.” said Antje von Dewitz.

“VAUDE has taken the PFC issue seriously from the beginning and has now set a very ambitious timeline to eliminate these hazardous chemicals by 2018 from its entire supply chain. VAUDE is one of very few outdoor manufacturers that is committed to Detox and is consistently following this path with all its challenges. This is a true pioneering achievement that requires a lot of commitment and perseverance”, explained Chiara Campione, Senior Corporate Strategist at Greenpeace.

The VAUDE milestones to its elimination of PFC 

• Winter 2011: PFC-free membranes 
• Summer 2015: PFC-free water repellent apparel 
• Summer 2016: all sleeping bags PFC-free 
• Summer 2017: first PFC-free backpacks and tents 
• Summer 2018: all apparel fabrics are PFC-free 
• Winter 2018: 96 % of backpacks and footwear are PFC-free 
• Goal for 2020: all VAUDE products will be 100 % PFC-free 

All VAUDE products with PFC-free Eco Finish 
https://www.vaude.com/en-INT/Products/Eco-Materials/Eco-friendly-Water-Resistance/

PFC-free rewaterproofing service
http://help.vaude.com/impraegnierservice-per-post/

References to PFC in the VAUDE Sustainability Report: 
http://csr-report.vaude.com/gri-en/news/pfc-free.php
http://csr-report.vaude.com/gri-en/product/water-repellent-materials.php
http://csr-report.vaude.com/gri-en/news/VAUDE-announces-Greenpeace-Detox-Commitment.php

VAUDE Newsroom: http://www.vaude.com/en-GB/press/

Sustainability Report: http://csr-report.vaude.com/

VAUDE makes functional and innovative products for mountain and biking sports activities. As a sustainable innovative outdoor outfitter, VAUDE is contributing to making the world a better place so that the people of tomorrow can enjoy nature with a clean conscience. In doing so, the family-owned company sets ecological and social standards worldwide. VAUDE (pronounced [fau’de]) stands for environmentally-friendly products made from fair manufacturing. At the company headquarters near the southern German town of Tettnang, the company employs approximately 500 people.

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VAUDE Completes Environmentally Friendly Supply Chain Project

The large scale “Environmental Stewardship in the Supply Chain” project has just finished a two-year run and the mountain and bike sports outfitter VAUDE is reporting positive results. The pilot project, which was partially financed with grants, was aimed at educating Asian suppliers on the issues of environmental protection, energy stewardship and emissions management.

Supply chains in the textile industry are often long and complex. An outdoor jacket consists of about 50 different components, which are made by suppliers and delivered to a production facility that then assembles the jacket. These suppliers were the focus of the pioneer project “Environmental Stewardship in the Supply Chain”, which VAUDE launched in 2015 to establish high environmental standards and maximum resource efficiency in this part of the supply chain as well. “We want to create transparency throughout the entire supply chain and, for each individual component of our products, achieve the greatest possible certainty that it was made with fair and environmentally friendly production,” said Antje von Dewitz CEO, describing the motivation for the project.

Together with external experts for occupational safety, quality management and environmental management at Arqum, training and workshops took place over a period of two years under the motto “helping people help themselves.” The project was designed and directed by Bettina Roth, Head of Quality and Chemicals Management at VAUDE. Employees from management and production organization at eight suppliers participated in a series of six units. In addition, individual consultations were carried out on site during 36 factory visits altogether to develop tangible improvement measures.

At the end of May 2017, VAUDE CEO Antje von Dewitz made a week-long trip to Asia to get a firsthand look at the project's successes and to present all participants with a VAUDE Award for goal achievement at a final event. “I am delighted that the project has brought so many measurable results and sustainable improvements for our partners, for us and for the environment. It shows that with collective determination, an ideological goal can be professionally implemented when we succeed in convincing the participants of the importance of the issues.” she concluded.

Tangible Results

Thanks to the voluntary participation of our largest suppliers, 80% by volume of the primary materials and lining fabrics that VAUDE uses are already covered by the pilot project. Participant's appreciation for the project was enormous because they quickly recognized the benefits and specific improvement opportunities on offer in the very practical workshops. In exchanges with other participants, the know-how mediated by VAUDE and the experts at Arqum could be directly put into practical action. “The enthusiasm during the workshops was really contagious and went even so far that, recognizing not only the significance and benefits of sustainability issues within their own processes, the participants also want to raise awareness of their suppliers as well,” said Bettina Roth. Overall, there are already a total of 100 improvement measures regarding technology and organization undergoing implementation. All suppliers were invited to the final event in Taipei (Taiwan) where each of the eight participating companies presented its best practices to a large audience.

These measures have led to the conservation of 550 metric tonnes of waste, 5,500 m³ of water and 18 million kWh of energy. CO₂ emissions could be reduced per year by about 5,000 tonnes. Not only did the environment profit, but also the factories themselves – they saved on the cost of energy, resources and materials amounting to an average of 50,000 euros per year. “The results are impressive and show quite clearly that a factory's commitment to sustainability also pays off in financial terms. With this project, we could also demonstrate that with coordinated and partnership-based collaboration, the demanding requirements within the industry can become more efficient and be addressed more effectively than by many isolated, individual measures,” said Jens Haubensak, Managing Director of Arqum GmbH.

Reductions were achieved through measures such as insulating pipes, shutting down hydraulic pumps when not in use, introducing LED lighting, using energy from solar panels and heat recovery as well as modernizing obsolete systems. In addition to an increase in energy efficiency, measures for occupational safety and the improvement of working conditions in the factories ­– such as translating safety instructions into the local languages as well as training on the issues of protective work clothing and chemical handling – were covered. The most important achievement was the introduction of a professional chemicals management system for many of the participating factories. This primarily covered issues such as the automation of processes as well as storage, transportation and disposal of chemicals.

What Will Follow?

“Our goal is to roll out the project over the next few years for all material suppliers,” said VAUDE CEO Antje von Dewitz. “In addition, we want to win over our competitors and industry association so that they’ll work together with us to promote the issue,” Bettina Roth added. But that is still not enough: As a founding member of the “Alliance for Sustainable Textiles” VAUDE is using this project as a role model for best practices which could provide momentum for the entire textile industry. The “Environmental Stewardship in the Supply Chain” project was promoted by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and financially supported by the German Investment and Development Company (DEG) under the auspices of the “develoPPP.de” program.

The VAUDE Sustainability Report: http://csr-report.vaude.com

Learn more about the pilot project:

http://csr-report.vaude.com/gri-en/news/Sustainable-Supply-Chain

http://csr-report.vaude.com/gri-en/environmental/suppliers

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Vaude's Transparent Global Supply Chain

Global responsibility – down to the last detail

Globalization also has a dark side. It often goes hand in hand with environmental pollution and unfair working conditions. The outdoor outfitter VAUDE – with production involving the global supply chain – is convinced that companies both can and should make a positive contribution toward meeting these challenges. With this in mind, the company not only implements sustainable goals at its headquarters in southern Germany, but also at the production facilities that manufacture products on behalf of VAUDE throughout the world. As a pioneer in the field, VAUDE is taking this process one step further and has also started working with its suppliers to achieve high environmental and social standards. The company wants to ensure that VAUDE products are manufactured ecologically and fairly – throughout the entire global supply chain.

One year ago, VAUDE launched the project "Environmental Stewardship in the Supply Chain", to raise its suppliers’ awareness of environmental and social issues and to provide them with the know-how they need to implement change. Over the next two years, VAUDE will offer training sessions for the suppliers of its product materials in Asia.  Knowledge and experience will be shared enabling local stakeholders to make progress toward their own sustainable development – a pioneering approach with great potential as a model for future projects.   

An outdoor jacket consists of approximately 50 components, such as linings, membranes, laminates, zippers, drawcords, buttons, thread and labels. These items are manufactured by many different and delivered to production facilities which then use them to assemble jackets for VAUDE.

Supporting and challenging

VAUDE maintains direct business relationships with its production facilities and has long worked to ensure that they are operating in accordance with strict social and environmental standards. One example – VAUDE so consistently pursued Leader Status in the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), that 99 percent of its production volume is now made in facilities that have been audited under the strict criteria of the FWF. Approximately 80 percent of the VAUDE Apparel Collection features environmentally friendly production that meets the Green Shape criteria – made from sustainable materials as well as resource-conserving and fair production. In addition, the majority of its material suppliers are already certified in accordance with the bluesign® System, which is like an "Ecological Purity Law" – permitting only approved materials. Now VAUDE is going one step further and is committed to implementing comprehensive environmental and social standards among the suppliers of its materials and components. The aim is to ensure clean production processes and safe workplaces for these suppliers as well, and to avoid environmental pollution of local areas.

As a pioneer, VAUDE is providing concrete assistance to its suppliers, thereby creating not only more transparency, but also promoting sustainable development. The company is voluntarily committed to offering consumers a scrupulously clean and fair product.  

    

Helping people help themselves

VAUDE, together with external experts for environmental, chemical and job safety management, is addressing this self-imposed task at the local level. With training courses and workshops, VAUDE is working together with the major suppliers of its production operations to develop viable solutions. In addition, the facilities are receiving concrete assistance in implementing measures for environmental protection and occupational safety as well as social standards and the efficient use of resources in their operations. At the same time, suppliers are also recognizing that such measures can often reduce operating costs, which is a further incentive for management.

Role model as a result of consistency  

Thanks to the voluntary participation of suppliers, 80% by volume of the primary and lining materials that VAUDE processes have already been included in the project. The goal is to roll out the project over the next few years for all material suppliers. But the matter doesn’t end here; as a founding member of the "Alliance for Sustainable Textile" VAUDE is using this project to act as a role model for best practices, which could provide momentum for the entire textile industry. VAUDE is a founding member of this alliance, which brings together industry associations, civil society, government and many manufacturers of the textile industry. The project "Environmental Stewardship in the Supply Chain" is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG) within the "develoPPP.de" program.

VAUDE’s ecological and social commitment in the Sustainability Report: http://csr-report.vaude.com/

More on the pilot project:

http://csr-report.vaude.com/gri-en/news/Sustainable-Supply-Chain.php

http://csr-report.vaude.com/gri-en/environmental/suppliers.php

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