5 sustainability trends that will keep the sports industry busy

Sustainability and environmental protection: These two topics are and remain major challenges for the sports and fitness industry. We show the direction in which the sports industry is moving in terms of sustainability and which brands are pioneers here:

This is what the future holds for sustainability

1. declaration of war on greenwashing
2. live circular economy even more extreme
3. recycling is king, monomaterial is queen
4. live sport sustainably
5. clothing must be repairable

Because buyers are placing more and more value on real sustainability. The ISPO Consumer Insights Report Q3/2022 shows that the three most important motivations for a purchase are now climate-friendly, fair, and social production. So are the quality and expected longevity of a product. Efforts to achieve more honest sustainability and transparency include the "Alliance for Sustainable Textiles," which was founded back in 2014 and now has over 160 members. More and more manufacturers are also striving to obtain sustainability seals that attest to truly sustainable action. They are only awarded to companies whose actions are truly sustainable, resource-conserving or ecological. For the sports industry, for example, these are the seals of bluesign, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) or Fair Wear Foundation (FWF). More and more consumers also want to find their way through the seal jungle and pay attention to the awards when buying.

Bluesign supports companies in developing sustainability concepts and achieving standards for their products. End consumers can also use the Bluesign seal for orientation. For companies, acting responsibly starts with developing a sustainability strategy, extends to controlling their own supply chains and setting and maintaining social standards in production. The industry's products, such as dyes and auxiliaries, must be safe and sustainable throughout their life cycle, from manufacture to disposal - both for the workers who come into contact with the chemicals and for the natural environment that comes into contact with the waste.

VAUDE is also known for repairable products. Already during the design process, VAUDE makes sure that they are easier to work on, for example by easily removable plastic parts or zippers on the outside of the products. Manufacturer VAUDE has been a pioneer for climate neutrality and sustainability in the outdoor industry for over a decade.