Sustainability

Sustainability has (fortunately!) become a major issue for many companies. Many fundamental decisions were made in this regard in the early days—for example, the consistent use of paper, address labels, and cardboard boxes made from recycled materials, electricity from green energy providers, and preferential cooperation with suppliers from Europe. Over the years, extremtextil has grown, and so has its responsibility. New opportunities have also arisen to reduce our impact on the climate and the environment. We are currently 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 from a mix of hydro and wind energy. By purchasing Green Planet wind gas, we support innovative wind gas technology. ProWindgas produces gas from unused electricity from wind farms. It also promotes the storage of renewable energies. Unlike biogas, this does not indirectly support factory farming or convert landscapes into monocultures. Wherever possible, paper is used in recycled form and bleached without chlorine. Shipping boxes: The boxes we use are also made largely from recycled paper and cardboard – wherever possible from manufacturers in our local area, with short transport routes. Climate-neutral hosting: Our provider uses hydropower. All the energy required to operate the servers is covered by a hydroelectric power plant in the Eiffel region. Sustainable banking: Since 2012, we have been using Triodos Bank for all banking transactions that do not involve incoming payments from customers. This ensures that the funds and fees are only used for ecologically and ethically sound projects. From January 2020, we will also offer this account for customer payments. Climate-neutral shipping: We have deliberately decided not to use the "climate-neutral shipping" label from DHL or GLS. Instead of using intermediaries to co-finance CO2 offsetting projects, some of which are questionable, or the ecological reorientation of companies, which should be a matter of course, we directly support various initiatives with 1% of our sales. The majority goes to "Rettet den Regenwald" (Save the Rainforest), which works closely with local partners around the world to preserve the rainforest. This independent association supports local people in their efforts to preserve the rainforest or buys rainforest areas directly to protect them from deforestation. As 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 range: Admittedly, outdoor fabrics are not among the most environmentally friendly products. Their manufacture, transport, and disposal have a significant impact 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 quantities are clearly too small to have a major influence on manufacturers and producers when it comes to the use and development of more environmentally friendly materials. Therefore, we can only hope that the industry will rethink its approach. Of course, we already take care to ensure that our product range is as sensible and environmentally friendly as possible. We try to offer alternatives to PVC, continue to source materials from Europe wherever possible, and transport them by ship rather than by air, which is particularly harmful to the climate. And finally: DIY as sustainability! Those who sew their own clothes live more sustainably and don't let anyone else slave away in sweatshops. The distances a product travels rolled up on a roll or dismantled into individual parts in a box are shorter and more efficient.