Our Requirements for Brands and Products

What does our product range have to do with our carbon footprint? Quite a lot! Most emissions occur in upstream and downstream processes. The difficulty is: here we only have an indirect influence on it, because the emissions occur at the manufacturers and brands during production, transport and apart from that also during or after use. So we have the greatest leverage via the brands and products. That’s why we have introduced our WIR DENKEN UM evaluation process and check our suppliers and brands at regular intervals.

 

Brands that we label as WIR DENKEN UM brands are committed to responsibility in their supply chain, follow responsible purchasing practices and ensure fair working conditions in their production facilities. They produce in an environmentally friendly way that conserves energy and resources, have short transport routes and use packaging sparingly. We also rely on clothing, equipment and footwear made from recycled or renewable raw materials. We mark innovative products in our stores and in our online store with our WIR DENKEN UM logo. Our goal is for our textile range to consist of 70% more sustainable products by 2025 (90% by 2030) and our hard goods range to consist of 40% more sustainable products (70% by 2030). To extend the life of our products, we offer repairs and provide care tips through our stores. Another step: our second-hand concept NOMOI.

 

 

Our requirements for WIR DENKEN UM brands and products

Good for karma – and good for the climate. We have around 350 brands in our product range. Around 120 of them meet our WIR DENKEN UM requirements, such as fair working conditions and climate- and resource-friendly production. Of more than 30,000 products, we mark around 3,500 with our WIR DENKEN UM label – simplifying the product search and enabling decisions that have a positive impact on our planet. Because not only the manufacturers and we at Sport Conrad bear responsibility, but also each and every one of us! Lasting change starts with conscious consumption and includes long-term use – this includes repair, reuse (e.g. secondhand), upcycling and recycling. In fact, good for karma, because every action inevitably has a (positive) consequence.

By the way, we introduced our WIR DENKEN UM assessment in 2018 and tightened it up in 2021 – introducing mandatory company/brand criteria and additional product criteria. Thus, at the company level, at least 9 of over 25 criteria must be met. At product level, we have introduced 24 so-called attributes to identify their sustainability features such as renewable or recycled materials. 

 

Mandatory corporate criteria

Responsibility & fairness

  • Responsibility throughout the supply chain
  • Audited suppliers, own production facilities or production in the EU
  • Fair working conditions for workers

 

Environment & Climate

  • Environmentally friendly, resource- and energy-saving production
  • Resource-saving use of packaging materials
  • Short transport routes and active environmental and climate protection

 

Transparency & reporting

  • Regular and transparent sustainability communication

 

 

Additional product criteria

 

Labeling of sustainable features

  • Renewable raw materials
  • Organic cotton
  • Bio-based fibers
  • Fair Wool
  • Fair down
  • Fair Leather
  • Recycled Materials
  • Recyclable
  • EU manufacturing
  • FSC certified wood
  • PFC-free
  • 100% vegan
  • Service & Repair
  • Re-soleable for shoes

 

 

The most sustainable product? Is what we already have!

Yes right: the best product is what we already have. Unless it is Personal Safety Equipment, which loses its guaranteed protective function after a certain (usage) time. That’s why it’s enormously important to adequately care for and repair textiles, equipment and footwear, to pass them on or – only as a last resort – to properly dispose of them so that they can be recycled. To extend the life of our products, we offer repairs and care tips through our stores. Another step: our second-hand concept NOMOI. And for the last resort, we offer take-back and recycling campaigns in cooperation with various manufacturers, such as Scarpa Re-Shoes, Scott Goggle Recycling or Tecnica Recycle your Boots.