The outdoor brand Salewa, which belongs to the Italian Oberalp Group, introduced a label called “Salewa Committed” for particularly sustainable products in spring 2022 with the new Q1 collection.
The identification takes the form of a hangtag label, which is intended to inform customers about sustainable aspects when making a purchase decision. It refers to equipment that stands out due to its particularly ecological and socially responsible production. Currently, 243 items from the Salewa Textile and 16 items from the Equipment collection are marked as “Salewa Committed”.
“Salewa Committed” for particularly sustainable products
“Our customers should recognize the additional value of a Salewa product quickly and easily. “Salewa Committed” is not a new promise. Rather, it is the result of our long-standing commitment to increasing the quality and value of our products through more sustainable production and material sourcing,” explains sustainability manager Alexandra Letts in a press release.
“But we are not there yet – there is always room for improvement and we will continue to expand the number of Salewa Committed products in future collections. The new label makes our efforts clear to customers and makes it easier for them to make a targeted purchase decision,” adds Letts, who is responsible for the Oberalp Group’s four-strong sustainability team.
What criteria does a Salewa Committed product have to meet?
To be labeled Salewa Committed, a product must meet two mandatory criteria plus at least one additional criterion to guarantee that the goods meet strict social and environmental standards.
The mandatory criteria include measures and provisions that the Oberalp Group defined back in 2012. They measure and reduce the negative impact of production on the environment – initially based on their own internal standards, later on standards from partners such as Bluesign and the Fair Wear Foundation.
What are the mandatory criteria?
The mandatory criteria cover two areas: testing a product for its chemical components and checking the social standards of its production. With regard to the first point, Salewa Committed ensures that the material has been third-party tested for its chemical components according to the Oberalp Chemicals Directive or certified by external organizations such as Bluesign. As far as the production facility is concerned, it must have been checked in an external audit for compliance with social standards and appropriate working conditions.
What are the additional criteria?
In addition to the two mandatory criteria, at least one of four additional criteria must be met. This includes:
- The DWR treatment of all product materials must be PFC-free.
- The product must consist of 50 percent of its weight from upcycled or recycled material.
- The down used must be certified according to the Responsible Down Standard (RDS).
- The product consists of at least 50 percent of a naturally renewable material such as wool, hemp, linen, organic cotton, Tencel, viscose or Sorona.
The sustainability team of the Oberalp Group started its work in 2012 and Salewa in particular was awarded the “Leader” status of the Fair Wear Foundation for the fifth time in the summer of 2021. The brand has already achieved its goal of being completely PFC-free in its products with Powertex membranes. The “Salewa Committed” label bundles all efforts and is intended to ensure transparency in order to make it easier for consumers to make purchasing decisions.