Our Future Programme
Sustainable materials
More sustainable from beginning to end
A more sustainable product starts with the design and the choice of materials. We’re still not perfect, but we have a clear goal in sight: to broaden our portfolio of more responsible materials even further. In doing so, we reduce the risks to people and the environment.
Cotton
Cotton is one of our most important raw materials. To promote socially and ecologically produced fibres, we use verified sustainable cotton from the Better Cotton Initiative or Cotton Made in Africa, as well as certified organic and recycled cotton. Through our Empowering Farmers project, we support farmers in the cultivation of organic cotton in India, in addition to the purchase of sustainable materials.
Materials of animal origin
We only obtain materials of animal origin from responsible sources. This is how we protect the welfare of animals. That’s why we work with certified materials of animal origin, for example from the Good Cashmere Standard or the Leather Working Group. For selected product groups where materials of animal origin such as leather have been used up to now, we are trying to continuously increase the proportion of vegan alternatives.
For more information on the cotton we use and how it’s certified:
Organic cotton and transitional cotton
Organic cotton is grown without the use of synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides. In order to ensure that our products also contain organic cotton, we use established standards for the internal monitoring of our supply chain. This creates reliability from the raw material to the yarn to the final product. To support organic cotton even further, we also use cotton from the transitional phase. What does this mean? It takes up to three years to convert to organic farming. During this conversion period, farmers adhere to the principles of organic farming until the cotton is officially certified as organic.
Recycled cotton
We use recycled cotton to make use of materials that have already been used, therefore producing fewer new materials. The recycled cotton comes from used clothing, for example, or from household textiles. We rely on established certification systems such as Textile Exchange to ensure that our products actually contain recycled cotton.
Cotton made in Africa
We have been sourcing more responsible cotton from Africa since 2009 as part of the Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) initiative from the Aid by Trade Foundation. Clear environmental and social criteria are defined for the farming of cotton. The use of genetically modified seeds is prohibited, for example, and the use of pesticides and herbicides is heavily regulated. We use Cotton made in Africa according to the mass balance approach (for more info: see below).
The initiative is also involved in social projects – including in the areas of the advancement of women, education and health – and invests revenues for licence fees in the cotton farming regions.
Better Cotton Initiative
Another important partner for our sustainable cotton sourcing is the Better Cotton Initiative. Growers that are licensed to sell Better Cotton to the supply chain must meet minimum social and ecological criteria and demonstrate continual improvement in this area. In the environmental sector, for example, Better Cotton is characterised by a reduction in the use of pesticides, improved water efficiency and a cultivation method that shows a vested interest in maintaining soil fertility and biodiversity. You can find an overview of the Better Cotton criteria here (link: https://bettercotton.org/what-we-do/defining-better-our-standard/). Cotton is fed into the supply chain based on the mass balance approach.
Mass balance
In mass balance, the raw material and the end product balance each other out. Our suppliers purchase a certain amount of cotton that is needed for the manufacture of our goods through the Cotton made in Africa and Better Cotton initiatives. During further processing, this cotton may then be mixed with conventional cotton. This means that the final product isn’t necessarily completely made of cotton from the initiatives. It is important, however, that the corresponding amount of cotton required for the product comes from more responsible sources and enters our supply chain.
Cellulose fibres
Cellulose fibres include viscose, modal or lyocell, for example. They are made from renewable raw materials, especially wood. We rely on the more sustainable branded fibres of BIRLA CELLULOSE™ from LENZING™.
Synthetic fibres
We are working on using as little new polyester in our products as possible. By using recycled polyester, we are keeping the fibres in the material cycle for longer and no new resources are used. The recycled polyester comes from PET bottles or old clothing, for example. Overall, we are working to reduce the use of synthetic materials.
Discover more sustainable styles
What we are going to do next
In our strategy for more sustainable materials, we have continuously been setting ourselves targets for the use of even more sustainable materials in all our products for several years now. And we’ll continue to work on it in the future – for even better styles!
Questions or suggestions?
Do other topics and actions seem more important to you and do you have questions or suggestions about our sustainability concepts? Let's talk about it! We know we still have a long way to go - there is still a lot to do. We are interested in your honest opinion. Write to us at [email protected].
