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Regardless of the sport, functional clothing and breathable clothing are the most important companions. The right outfit allows freedom of movement, transports sweat away from the body and ideally still keeps it warm – and is ideally made of sustainable materials. But what exactly is sustainable clothing? And how can you tell whether the sportswear was produced fairly?
Sustainable (sports) clothing is characterized both by the materials used and by environmentally friendly and fair production methods. Three factors play an important role:
– the use of plant-based raw materials from sustainable cultivation
– the welfare of animals and the extraction of animal materials (animal welfare)
– fair working conditions and pay for the people involved in the upstream supply chain
With our WIR DENKEN UM label, we distinguish companies and brands that act responsibly and in an environmentally friendly manner. In addition, we label particularly sustainable products in our six categories:
Renewable resources
Renewable resources, according to the definition, are products produced by agriculture and forestry that are not used as food or animal feed, but are used as materials or to generate heat, electricity or fuels. Sport Conrad uses the term “renewable raw materials” to refer to products made from animal and fibre plants (such as wool, cotton, hemp, linen or wood, etc.) as well as bio-based plastics such as Lyocell/Tencel.
Fair Wool
“Fair Wool” is used synonymously at Sport Conrad for the term “Wool from species-appropriate husbandry”. Animal welfare criteria are adhered to in the extraction of wool fleece and wool, meaning fair wool is ethically sourced, mulesing-free and without any animal having to suffer. Manufacturers’ own seals (such as Alpine Wool, Ortovox Wool Promise, Icebreaker Merino) or independent seals (such as Responsible Wool Standard RWS) prove that standards are met.
Fair Down
“Fair down” is used synonymously at Sport Conrad for the term “down from species-appropriate husbandry”. Animal welfare criteria are adhered to in the extraction of down, which means fair down is ethically sourced without an animal having to suffer. Independent seals (such as Responsible Down Standard RDS) prove that standards are met.
Fair Leather
At Sport Conrad, “fair leather” is used synonymously for the term “leather from species-appropriate husbandry”. Products made of leather that have been produced in compliance with animal welfare criteria and in a demonstrably environmentally friendly manner are labelled. Vegetable-tanned leather also falls under this designation. Manufacturers’ own seals (such as Meindl Identity) or independent seals (such as terracare®) prove that standards have been met.
Recycled
Recycling is playing an increasingly important role in the production of outdoor clothing, apparel and hard goods. To keep track, Sport Conrad labels products that are predominantly made from recycled materials. Many outdoor manufacturers use fully recycled or partially recycled materials – such as recycled down from old bedding or old clothing. Recycled nylon, polyester from recycled plastic bottles or recycled wool are also used.
100 % vegan
Vegan products are completely free of animal components. In the manufacture of products labelled 100%, no components of animal origin (for example down, wool or beeswax) are used.
In addition, many of our suppliers and brands rely on certifications and various material or product specifications:
bluesign®
The bluesign® seal is awarded to textile products that have been produced with as few harmful substances as possible. It is awarded to products that have been processed to at least 90 percent in certified factories. The owner of the seal is Bluesign Technologies AG, based in Switzerland. Based on a holistic approach, bluesign® traces the path of each textile’s path along its manufacturing process, making improvements at every stage – from factory floor to the final product.
Brands awarded with bluesign® are for example: Adidas Terrex, Arc’teryx, Asics, Brooks, Burton, Deuter, Edelrid, Houdini, Isbjörn, La Sportiva, Maloja, Mammut, Norrona, Patagonia, Peak Performance, Salewa, Salomon, Schöffel, Vaude.
Fair Wear Foundation
The Dutch non-profit organisation Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) campaigns for fair working conditions in textile production. The FWF regularly reviews, evaluates and publicly reports on the progress of its member companies. Audits, i.e. factory inspections, are an integral part of the monitoring system. On the other hand, the FWF also checks the business practices of the companies and their influence on the working conditions in the production sites.
Fair Wear certified brands are for example: Deuter, Dynafit, Icebug, Maier Sports, Mammut, Mountain Equipment, Ortovox, Picture, Salewa, Schöffel, Vaude, Wildcountry.
Fairtrade®
Fairtrade®, awarded by the parent organisation Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International e.V., guarantees that social and environmental standards are met in production and that producers earn a fair minimum price for their products. The Fairtrade® seal guarantees products from a fair trade.
FSC® certified wood
FSC® stands for Forest Stewardship Council® and is an international certification system for more sustainable and responsible forestry. FSC®-certified materials such as wood or paper must be identifiable at all times during processing – right up to the final product.
Grüner Knopf
The Green Button is a german state seal for sustainably manufactured textiles. It is awarded to products from companies that are produced in a holistic, ecological and fair trade. The seal comprises 46 criteria and is intended to make it easier for consumers in Germany to consume conscientiously and to create an overview in the seal jungle.
Made in Green (by Oeko®)
Made in Green by Oeko® is a traceable product label for all types of textiles (e.g. clothing and home textiles) and leather articles of all preliminary stages (e.g. clothing, finished and semi-finished leather) including accessory materials used. A “Made in Green” product ID confirms that the product has been tested for harmful substances and is therefore harmless.
PFC-free
PFCs, i.e. per- and polyfluorinated chemicals, are mainly found in membranes (as emulsifiers) and impregnations to make textile outer fabrics water-, oil- and dirt-repellent. Harmful PFCs such as PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) can accumulate in the environment and organisms and are even considered carcinogenic. Meanwhile PFC-free impregnations are available.
Organic cotton
Under the term “organic cotton”, Sport Conrad offers products made from cotton that is produced sustainably – i.e. without the use of artificial fertilisers or pesticides, herbicides or fungicides and in compliance with social standards. Seals such as GOTS of the Global Organic Textile Standard or CmiA Cotton made in Africa prove that standards are met.
Recyclability
Recyclability is playing an increasingly important role in the production of outdoor clothing, apparel and hard goods. Sport Conrad uses this term to identify products whose components can be recycled after use and which therefore remain in the material cycle.
Repair service
We at Sport Conrad do not have a throwaway mentality. That’s why we offer repair services in cooperation with local tailors as well as our brand partners and manufacturers. Many of our partners have their own repair or service factories.
EU manufacturing
At Sport Conrad, we place a lot of emphasis on regional production or manufacturing products within the EU – on the one hand, because here we can assume that social standards are adhered to and, on the other hand, because fewer emissions are emitted due to short transport routes. Some of our partners maintain their own production facilities in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic or Bulgaria.
Climate neutral
More and more companies are offsetting their corporate carbon footprint or product carbon footprint, i.e. after calculating their carbon footprint, the unavoidable CO2 emissions are offset by purchasing climate protection certificates. Even if the term “climate neutral” is used, this does not mean that these products do not cause any CO2 emissions – it means that the emissions are neutralised by offsetting. Offsetting is offered by providers such as ClimatePartner, MyClimate, Fokus Zukunft etc.