One of our primary strategic goals is to minimize our packaging and reduce our packaging waste - We also want to gradually replace our materials with recycled and recyclable fibers where possible. We have already started to implement this in our packaging as a first step and have already minimized packaging in some products and will continue to steadily replace it with more environmentally friendly alternatives.
At the point where we are now, it is not a possible solution for us to work with purely natural fibers for our products, as many properties of synthetic fibers contribute to the desired durability and performance of our products. However, we have already started to work with recycled polyester in a first pilot project for mountain bike jerseys and shorts, as here the capabilities and properties are almost identical to conventional polyester.
Particularly in the case of our helmets, which stand for comfort and above all safety, we have not yet found a suitable alternative for conventional plastics where we would not have to neglect or even trade off functionality. Nevertheless, it is important to us to make a contribution to the recyclability of our products. Here we are already considering how we can ensure recyclability in the next steps.
How environmentally conscious is our packaging and what have we been able to change so far?
Our packaging was the first impact factor we examined. So far, we've been able to achieve initial smaller milestones here as well.
For first helmets, we have removed the poly bags at the hangtags and sewn the helmet bags together to reduce packaging components. Further, we are in the process with some suppliers to introduce recycled and GRS certified poly bags to reuse plastic fibers from circulation. Where possible, we have removed metal clips from our cartons and sock packaging. Likewise, we are beginning to use plastic-free, linen-reinforced paper tape. For new products and collections, we try to avoid hang tags. The headcards of our gloves as well as the hangtags of our socks will be more and more FSC (Mix) and GRS certified in the future. We are also in the process of having more and more of our packaging components certified. However, it takes some time for these improvements to reach our warehouse and our customers. Further improvements are already planned.