BECOMING THE MOST
RESPONSIBLE
VERSION OF OURSELVES
We are in the midst of a change in industry toward greater responsibility for products, people and the environment. We want to face up to this change and play an active role in shaping it. In doing so, we have a lot to learn and follow the motto "BECOMING THE MOST RESPONSIBLE VERSION OF OURSELVES", a little more every day.
OUR RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS CONDUCT POLICY
What values do we follow in our daily work, in our communication and cooperation with colleagues, partners and our customers?
With our RBC Policy, we have committed ourselves to more responsibility and want to anchor this in the minds of our team.
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IMPACT REPORT 2022/23
For the fiscal year 2022/23 we have written an Impact Report for the first time. In this report, we tell you more about our sustainability strategy, our supply chain and products, how we live our team culture and empower our colleagues.
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We are a Fairwear Leader
We have been a member of the Fair Wear Foundation since March 2022 and work closely with our production partners to improve working conditions for workers. We are very proud to have achieved Leader status in our second membership year. Read our latest Fair Wear Social Report here to learn more about our work with partners. You can find even more information in our current Brand Performance Check Report.
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OUR COOPERATION WITH Evidence Action
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In the middle of 2023, we developed a new donation strategy. It was important to us to dedicate our annual donations to a project that we consider particularly effective and that is close to our team's hearts. In fiscal year 23/24, we donated 35,000 euros to Evidence Action.
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OUR PRODUCTS
Our products stand for quality, durability and timelessness. We try to constantly use more recycled and resource-saving materials throughout our product portfolio. For example, recycled PET in our backpacks and bio-based acetate in our sunglasses.
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BACKPACKS & BAGS
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What are our backpacks and bags made of?
A backpack usually consists of a variety of materials, such as linings, reinforcements, foams, buckles or zippers. Therefore, here we will only go into the main materials, which are rPET, PU and polyester. These materials are made from petroleum-based commodities and are characterised by particularly high durability and longevity. This is extremely important for a backpack, as it is exposed to high stress daily and would otherwise wear out too quickly.
While we currently still rely on virgin material for PU and polyester to meet these needs, we are constantly trying to increase the proportion of more resource saving materials. What is the advantage of recycled material compared to virgin material? On the one hand, finite resources such as petroleum are less strained, and on the other hand, the negative impact on the environment during processing and production is significantly lower. We will explain the process of rPET production in more detail here.
What is rPET?
The abbreviation rPET stands for recycled polyethylene terephthalate, a material which is made from old plastic bottles. How does this work?
Through the recycling process, the so-called "post consumer plastic", which comes from private households, is returned to recycling plants where it is cleaned and melted down to be spun into polyester fibers. Recycled polyester is still of high quality compared to newly produced material but requires significantly less resources to be manufactured and causes much less emissions. RPET is mainly used for outer material and lining layers in our backpacks.
EYEWEAR
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What materials do we use for our eyewear?
We use stainless steel and acetate for the frames of our high-quality sunglasses. Acetate is particularly well suited to the requirements of a pair of glasses, as the material is light but at the same time very flexible and robust and can therefore withstand daily use for a long time.
Acetate is a chemically produced fiber, but has a natural origin, as it largely consists of dried cotton or beech wood. These natural resources are ground into a fine cellulose powder, esterified and pressed into a sheet mold, from which the frame shapes are cut out and further processed. Any waste during the production process is collected and recycled. We recently switched the acetate of our frames to a bio-based alternative, which will be used for all our acetate eyewear models from May 2023 onwards. Bio acetate is comparable to conventional acetate in the manufacturing process but uses nature-based plasticisers that have a less harmful environmental impact; production requires fewer resources such as water, energy and uses improved chemicals. In addition, the product can be degraded more quickly. Under optimal conditions, laboratory tests have shown that the cellulose pellets, from which the bio acetate is pressed, have degraded by more than 90% after 90 days.
Therefore, we are very proud of our bio acetate frames; they do not only meet ambitions for a more ressource saving production through the use of renewable raw materials and bio-based plasticisers, but also have a promising end-of-life concept, which we want to expand further in the future.
Contrary to what you might expect, the majority of our lenses are made of nylon rather than glass, as this material has many advantages. It is robust, versatile and does not splinter when broken. In addition, nylon lenses are very lightweight and therefore contribute to optimal wearing comfort. Due to their high flexibility, they are compatible with many frames and can also be ground into different corrective lenses. We are currently investigating whether the lenses can also be manufactured from recycled materials and how they can also possibly be recycled in the end-of life phase.
WATCHES & JEWELLERY
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What do we use to make watches and jewellery?
For most of our watch and jewellery collections, as well as for some eyewear frames, we use 316L stainless steel refined with chrome, nickel and molybdenum. A high proportion of chromium makes the housing particularly robust as well as corrosion-resistant, while nickel and molybdenum provide protection against, for example, water, heat and salt. Among other things, this composition gives our products increased resilience.
What are the advantages of stainless steel?
In addition, 316L stainless steel is hypoallergenic, making it suitable for everyone. Moreover, it has the advantage of being one of the most recyclable materials on earth. However, the manufacturing of stainless steel is energy-intensive, as it requires high temperatures to melt. This is why we have made use of recycled stainless steel for out latest watch models. Recycled stainless steel is extracted from offcuts and waste materials and then reprocessed. While manufacturing of recycled stainless steel is the same it saves the use of finite natural resources and therefore also needs fewer resources and causes less GHG emissions. For this reason, we have decided to increase the use of recycled stainless steel in our all our watch models and eyewear frames where style and condition allows.
JACKETS
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What materials are our fleece jackets made from?
Our fleece jacket models are mainly made of recycled nylon, which is, similar to the material of our backpacks, made from recycled PET bottles. This has the advantage that no new resources have to be used for the production and the production is also less harmful to the environment, because for example less energy is used in the production of the material. If you want to learn more about the process of rPET manufacturing, go to the Backpacks and Bags section here.
What are our rain jackets made of?
Our rain jacket models are mainly made of PU material, which gives the jacket its waterproof character. PU is therefore an important component for the functionality of the jacket. We are currently looking at how we can use PU in our backpacks and jackets in a more resource-friendly way. We are looking at how we can make the bottom layer of the PU from recycled polyester and the polyurethane coating water-based so that we will have to use fewer raw materials and chemicals in the future.
2018
- ○ Introduction of rPET in our backpacks
- ○ Commissioning of external audits by QIMA
- ○ Reduction of packaging waste
2019
- ○ Increase in the proportion of sustainable materials
- ○ Award for climate-friendly business operations
2020
- ○ Launch fully vegan backpack collection
- ○ Completely PVC and PFC free product collection
- ○ Introduction of smaller cardboard boxes for watches
- ○ Exclusively climate neutral shipping with DHL Go Green in Germany*
- ○ Full carbon footprint offset exclusive production
- ○ Introduction of the Kapten Forest in Indonesia
2021
- ○ A large part of our goods delivery is transported by train
- ○ Packaging has been further reduced to save material
- ○ Reusable cotton bags are introduced for backpacks
- ○ Approximately 98% of our products sold are vegan
- ○ SustainKnit backpack collection is launched
- ○ First watch made from recycled stainless steel is introduced
- ○ Expansion of the Kapten Forest
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PU
The material PU (polyurethane) is a plastic and similar to rPET particularly robust, wear and weather resistant - and therefore perfectly suited for our durable backpacks. Due to its material properties, PU absorbs less dirt than coarser textiles and can be easily washed and cleaned if necessary. While PU is less harmful to the environment than other plastics, such as PVC or PFC, we are currently looking into more sustainable alternatives, such as recycled PU or water-based PU, which only requires ecological solvents during processing. Meanwhile, our entire backpack range consists mainly of the two materials rPET and PU.
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Acetate
For our glasses and sunglasses, we mainly use acetate, which is known for both its light weight and high flexibility. Acetate is made from cellulose, which in turn is derived from cotton, a natural and renewable resource. The cellulose is ground into a fine powder, esterified and pressed into a sheet mold, from which the respective frame shapes of our glasses models are subsequently cut out. Any waste produced in the process is collected and can be reprocessed, making production even more sustainable. We are currently working on switching entirely to bio-acetate for our sunglasses and glasses models, which only requires plant-based plasticizers during the process, allowing the material to biodegrade more quickly. In fact, some of our glasses and sunglasses are already made from bio-acetate.
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Stainless Steel
For the majority of our watch and jewelry collections we use very high quality 316L stainless steel made of chrome, nickel and molybdenum. A high proportion of chromium makes the housing particularly robust as well as corrosion-resistant, while nickel and molybdenum provide protection against, for example, water, heat and salt. Among other things, this composition gives our watches increased resilience to ensure that you enjoy your watch for a long time. In addition, 316L stainless steel is hypoallergenic, making it suitable for everyone. For our latest watch models, we are currently already using recycled 316L stainless steel, which is extracted from offcuts and waste materials and then reprocessed. To ensure that we become even more sustainable in our watch production in the future, we have set a goal to further expand the use of recycled stainless steel.
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Sapphire glass
For the covering of our watch housings we use high quality sapphire glass as much as possible. Sapphire glass gets its name from its particularly strong properties, which provide a high level of protection for the watch housing as well as excellent scratch resistance. This is how we guarantee that your watch will look as good as new for years and can be a loyal companion to you. To produce sapphire crystal, high-purity aluminum oxide is melted and shaped. It is then cut, ground, polished and anti-reflective treated in several steps.
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Brass
Some of the pieces in our jewelry collections, as well as the glasses chains, are made of brass, which, when polished to a high shine, can hardly be distinguished visually from gold. Brass consists of a copper-zinc alloy and has the advantage that it can be completely recycled as often as desired - without any loss of quality. Thanks to its robust character and the fact that brass can be polished over and over again, it guarantees a very long service life.
PACKAGING
Reduce.
Unfortunately, we cannot do without packaging for transportation. After all, our products need to be adequately protected during transport. However, we follow the guiding principle of reducing packaging as far as possible. Where this is not possible, we keep an eye out for more resource-saving alternatives. We have already adapted our packaging in many places, for example by introducing smaller cardboard boxes for our watches. We have completely eliminated unnecessary plastic packaging from our sunglasses and backpacks. Some of our cardboard boxes are also FSC-certified. We would like to expand this in the future, also from the point of view of recyclability.
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Reuse.
Recyclability plays a major role in our packaging materials, as we cannot completely do without the protection of packaging in some places. For example, our backpacks are delivered in cloth bags that can be used as laundry bags or similar afterwards. The small bag in which our glasses and sunglasses are delivered can be used as a cleaning cloth for the glasses as well. We design the cardboard boxes for our watches and sunglasses to be robust and of such high quality that they can be used for storage or as a decorative piece in your own home. In 2022, however, we will once again put our packaging to the test and develop even more sustainable packaging.
CO² EMISSIONS
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Predominant transport by train
Transportation, in particular, contributes a significant amount to environmental impact. Since we sell our products worldwide, we cannot avoid this factor. However, as one of the biggest levers for reducing pollution, we want to make it as sustainable as possible. In 2021, we were already able to transport a very large percentage of our total products from Shenzhen to Germany by train. Why can't we use trains for the entire transport? In the event of delivery bottlenecks or the like, we still have to rely on alternative means of transport, such as airplanes, for a small amount of delivery. This is particularly apparent in 2022, in that we will not be able to uphold the amount of goods transported by train. Due to the Russian war against Ukraine, we unfortunately had/have to rely on ships and airplanes as a means of transport.
CO² reduction and compensation
We want to give back to the earth what we take from it elsewhere. Together with our partner "CO²-positiv!" we annually determine the emissions of our entire transportation, as well as our offices and stores. While the ultimate goal is to reduce CO²e emissions and in 2022 we want to develop strategies on how to reduce them further, offsetting is an equally important measure until then. Thus, since 2019, we have been offsetting the calculated CO²e footprint of our offices and stores, as well as our products from collection from the supplier to delivery to the customer, through a high-quality reforestation project in Panama (CO2OL Tropical Mix).
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Delivery & returns
Your delivery is made as efficient as possible thanks to the collective warehouses of our transportation service providers. Shipping through DHL GoGreen is also climate neutral. To raise awareness of delivery routes and thus minimize returns, we do not pay for the cost of a return. By not enclosing the return slip with each individual parcel, we save a lot of paper and avoid unnecessary waste. In the long term, we are aiming for a multichannel solution by spreading our own retail stores to further minimize and simplify both returns and delivery routes.
If you want to find out where you can find one of our stores or retail partners near you, click here.
OUR PROGRESS AT A GLANCE
OUR GOALS BY THE END OF 2022
Compiling a sustainability report
We want to create even more transparency for our employees, partners and customers by compiling a sustainability report for fiscal year 2022.
Brand Performance Check by Fairwear
- In 2022, we became a member of the Fairwear Foundation and will devote our full focus to a successful brand performance check in 2023.
Introduction and expansion of even more sustainable materials
- We put a lot of time and research into testing new materials. Because on the one hand, we want to use and utilize existing sustainable materials in a more versatile way. And on the other hand, of course, to continue to find more sustainable alternatives to make our products even more resource-efficient.
Development of a CO²E reduction
- This year, we will again work with our partner CO2-positiv! to calculate our total CO2e emissions. Based on these calculations, we will then develop a CO2e reduction strategy for our supply chain for 2023.
Expansion of the Kapten Forest
- In 2020, we launched our own climate protection initiative: our Kapten Forest. By the end of 2022, we aim to grow our forest to at least 200,000 trees.
Developing and strengthening our team
- Our employees are our most important asset. That is why we want to continue to take numerous measures in 2022 to further develop our team and improve the quality of life of each individual.
Developing an action plan for diversity, equality and inclusion
- As our team continues to grow, so does our responsibility to meet diverse needs. Our internal diversity team will therefore work this year on an action plan for greater diversity, equality and inclusion by 2023.
Developing even more sustainable packaging
- In 2022, we will again review our packaging and make it even more sustainable.