Sustainability

Sustainability has now (thankfully!) become a major issue for many companies.

Of course, we, too, are giving this topic serious consideration. How can we run extremtextil while managing our resources and treating the environment responsibly? Many fundamental decisions were already made in our early days—for example, the consistent use of paper, address labels, and cardboard boxes made from recycled materials, electricity from green energy providers, and a preference for working with suppliers based in Europe. Over the years, extremtextil has grown, and so has our responsibility. And new opportunities have emerged to reduce our impact on the climate and the environment. At the moment, we are focusing on the following measures:

Green Planet-Energy (formerly Greenpeace Energy) as our electricity and gas supplier

The electricity we purchase from Green Planet-Energy comes 100% from a mix of hydro and wind energy. By purchasing Green Planet wind gas, we support innovative wind gas technology. For proWindgas, gas is produced from unused electricity generated by wind farms. This also advances the storage capabilities of renewable energy. Unlike biogas, this does not indirectly support factory farming or convert landscapes into monocultures

Recycled Materials

Whether it's invoice paper, address labels, flyers, or envelopes, we use recycled, chlorine-free bleached paper whenever possible.

Shipping boxes

The boxes we use are also made largely from recycled paper and cardboard—whenever possible, from local manufacturers to minimize transportation distances. By using a variety of box sizes, we minimize empty space inside the boxes and reduce the use of packing material.

Hosting

Our provider relies on hydropower. The entire energy required to operate the servers is supplied by a hydroelectric power plant. Additionally, CO2 offsets are provided through atmosfair.

Banking

We have been using Triodos Bank since 2012. This ensures that funds and fees are used exclusively for environmentally and ethically sound projects. Following the closure of Triodos' German branch at the end of 2026, we will switch to GLS Bank, which adheres to the same standards.

Climate-Neutral Shipping

We have made a conscious decision not to use the "climate-neutral shipping" label from DHL or GLS. Instead of using intermediaries to co-finance sometimes questionable CO2 offset projects or the inherently necessary ecological reorientation of companies, we directly support various initiatives with 1% of our revenue. The majority goes to "euronatur" and "Rettet den Regenwald". EuroNatur is active in preserving Europe's natural heritage; we specifically support the conservation of Europe's primeval forests. Rettet den Regenwald works worldwide in close collaboration with local partners to preserve the rainforest. This independent organization supports local communities in their efforts to preserve the rainforest or directly purchases rainforest areas to protect them from deforestation. Since the preservation of the oceans and their inhabitants is also close to our hearts, we also support the environmental organization Sea Shepherd. In light of recent events, we now also support Sea-Watch e.V. and Pro Asyl.

The Product Line

Admittedly, outdoor fabrics are not among the most environmentally friendly products. Manufacturing, transportation, and disposal place a significant burden on the environment. Unfortunately, there are often no alternatives that offer the same performance as products made from synthetic fibers or chemicals. And our purchase volumes are clearly too small to exert significant influence on manufacturers and producers when it comes to the use and development of more environmentally friendly materials. Therefore, for now, we can only hope for a shift in thinking within the industry. Of course, we're already taking care to curate our product lineup in a way that makes sense and minimizes our environmental impact. For example, we try to offer alternatives to PVC, continue to source materials from Europe whenever possible, and, whenever feasible, transport goods by ship rather than by air—which is particularly harmful to the climate.

And finally: DIY as sustainability!

Those who sew for themselves live more sustainably and don't have anyone toiling away for them in a sweatshop. The distances a product travels—whether rolled up on a spool or disassembled into individual parts in a box—are shorter and more efficient.