Fewer cars, more space for mobility without emissions: The looming climate catastrophe is forcing cities to revise their traffic concepts. The bicycle industry is one of the winners of this development. But residents, tourists and even the local economy also benefit, as examples from around the world prove.
Things are getting tight for cars in major European cities. At the end of August, London extended the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to all boroughs. Anyone whose car exceeds a certain emission limit must pay. In return, all Londoners with cars and motorcycles that do not comply with the ULEZ are entitled to a scrappage scheme to make it easier to switch to a low-emission car or other means of transport. In the London borough of Waltham Forest, residential neighborhoods known as "villages" have already been traffic-calmed. 100 new traffic circles and intersections were built, as well as 22 km of segregated bike lanes. Cyclists and pedestrians were given priority over motor vehicles. According to a study of the Centre for London, car traffic there was reduced by around half. And a study by the University of Westminster and King's College London counted 10,000 fewer cars per day than before after one year of the program. Instead of sitting in cars, people were more physically active: On average, they walked 32 minutes more per week and biked nine minutes more.
Paris is also focusing on mobility away from the car - not least because of the 2024 Olympic Games, which are set to become the most sustainable competitions of the modern era. Mayor Anne Hidalgo is massively expanding the range of bike paths and public mobility - also to make Paris more attractive for tourists. The speed limit is 30 km/h, and in 2024 through traffic is to be banned. Whole neighborhoods are already closed to cars one Sunday a month. The goal is the "15-minute city": According to this concept, all residents of Paris should be able to reach everything they need in their daily lives within 15 minutes - ideally by bike. A new traffic code is also being developed to ensure greater respect between car drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. All in the interest of a more livable city with lots of cooling green spaces, cleaner air, more traffic safety, and less noise and stress.
The traffic turnaround away from the combustion engine and towards electric cars, buses, trains, bicycles and the like can no longer be stopped. Even at the formerly car-only IAA which will be held in Munich from September 5 to 8, 2023, is now more about mobility than just car traffic. Counter-arguments often prove to be groundless, as many studies show. Changes in the road network, for example, do not necessarily lead to modal shift, but usually to less car traffic. A meta-study in 2002 compared more than 60 case studies from eleven countries. It showed that traffic does not behave like a natural stream that seeks the path of least resistance as soon as another route becomes more difficult. Rather, traffic follows human decisions - and they change depending on conditions. People not only use different routes as a result of the redistribution of road space, they reduce their trips, travel at different times or in different modes. Destinations are combined, Mobility-as-a-Service services such as bike, ride or car sharing are more likely to be used or combined with each other, keyword: multimodal transport behavior.
New offers such as pedelecs, e-bikes or e-cargo bikes also make it possible for older people, craftsmen or delivery and parcel services to switch to bicycles. The bicycle industry is adapting to this and increasingly developing individual solutions such as cargo e-bikes. At SINUS Bicycle Monitor 2021, 41 percent of respondents said they would like to use bicycles or e-bikes more often in the future. And ultimately, retailers also benefit, as the traffic trial in Berlin's Friedrichstrasse showed: half of the respondents in the street, which was temporarily converted into a promenade, said that they take the traffic calming as an opportunity to visit Friedrichstrasse more often now. Over 80 percent were also in favor of a permanently car-free street and similar projects in Berlin.
Despite efforts in Europe and technological advances in energy generation and propulsion technologies, CO₂ emissions from the transport sector worldwide will continue to rise until the middle of this century. "Reducing global greenhouse gas emissions from transport is one of the biggest challenges on the road to climate neutrality," says Christian Hochfeld, director of the German think tank Agora Verkehrswende. "In no other sector have emissions increased as much as in transport since 1990, by around 80 percent worldwide." That's because, Hochfeld says, "the growth of the economy and population in many countries has not yet been decoupled from the demand for fossil fuels."
In their "Report on the Situation of the International Transport Transition"Agora and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) therefore call on the G20 countries to take action. This group of large industrialized and emerging countries is responsible for a good two-thirds of global transport emissions. They would have to lead the way in the sustainable transformation of the transport sector and take countries such as India and Indonesia, where total transport emissions have more than tripled since 1990, along with them, the report says. With a growing population and increasing motorization, that means not only switching to electric powertrains, but also supporting the energy transition toward electricity from renewable sources, it said.
According to GIZ and Agora GIZ and Agora believe that African countries have the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of other emerging economies. There is sufficient wind and solar energy available on the continent, and thanks to raw materials and digitalization, the switch to climate-neutral electromobility is theoretically possible quickly. In many places, bus services already exist that could be electrified, further developed and expanded into digital mobility platforms. This would minimize the impact of the rapidly growing African transport sector on the global climate.
The bike industry is definitely profiting from the traffic turnaround: A total of around 257 million bikes were sold worldwide in 2021 - slightly less than during the Corona boom in 2020, but still at a higher level than in previous years. Asia accounted for the largest share of bikes sold, with around 98 million in China alone. In Europe, 32 million bikes were sold, most of them in Germany and France. North America follows with around 23 million units. According to forecasts global sales are expected to rise to over 300 million bikes by 2027.
Of course, the traffic turnaround, especially in major European cities, has a lot to do with changing people's very personal behavior patterns. Alternatives to the car must be inexpensive, attractive and easy to arrange and, if possible, offer additional added value - such as health or safety. The prerequisites for this must be created in politics, and the offers must be promoted accordingly. After all, if good bike paths are available, they will demonstrably be used. The fact that the majority of people are ready for a modern, sporty active lifestyle is proven not only by the sales figures. Mobility expert Stefan Carsten puts it in an interview with the german magazin "Manager Magazin": "Knowledge-based societies rely on public transport, bicycles and walking for their urban, spatial and transport policies. All over Europe, governments and municipalities are promoting and expanding these three forms of mobility. This is also happening in countries with a strong automotive culture - for example, France, Italy, Great Britain or Spain. In other words, the principles of doing business and living together have changed and will change much more in the future."
It is nothing new that climate activists use sporting events with millions of spectators as a stage for their actions. Recently, however, there have been more and more protests in empty facilities - on golf courses. How environmentally damaging is golf really, and is there a more sustainable way?
In early July, activists from the climate protection group Extinction Rebellion gained access to ten golf courses in Spain in nighttime actions, where they filled the holes with cement or plants. The background? The golfers were "wasting water during one of the worst droughts Europe has ever experienced," the group said, explaining its action.
Two weeks earlier, something similar happened on the North Sea island of Sylt: activists of the "Last Generation" carried out what they called a "renaturation". They dug up the lawn, planted seedlings and scattered flower seeds. They exchanged the golf flags for a green sign that read "Nature Preserve."
Why are golf courses now on the agenda of climate change activists? How much does golf harm the environment and what are course operators and organizations doing to improve sustainability?
Mass sporting events, with their media impact, are the ideal place for protests. Most recently, an action at the Diamond League of track and field athletes in Stockholm caused a stir: Three activists from a Swedish group, whose name translates as "Restore Wetlands," blocked the lanes with placards during the 400-meter race and were nearly knocked down by the athletes. In the recent past, for example, protests against the construction of the Olympic stadium in Tokyo or the new soccer stadium of SC Freiburg achieved great media attention.
What's new is that the actions are increasingly taking place in empty sports facilities where there aren't dozens of TV cameras following the action, broadcasting the message in real time to the entire world. What's behind the worldwide protests on ordinary golf courses?
50 to 80 hectares of land - that's how much space a golf course needs. Enough to build three farms on it. Then there is the area for infrastructure such as catering and parking. Golf, once a sport for the elite, has long since become a trend sport for the masses, and the demand for courses and thus land is correspondingly greater. Environmentalists criticize the loss of important habitats for flora and fauna. There are around 35,000 golf courses worldwide. In Great Britain, the No. 1 golf country in Europe, the total area is over 1,250 square kilometres, in Germany 480 - that's the size of half of Berlin.
To ensure that the grass always remains green and dense and the balls roll into the hole true to track, pesticides and fungicides were also used as standard. These can be toxic, and their degradation products can get into the groundwater and contaminate it. Through strict pesticide laws, soil testing and groundwater controls, the EU has already taken action here – especially in Germany, the controls are strict. In other countries, however, it cannot be ensured that contaminating pesticides and fungicides are no longer used.
The biggest criticism of golf, however, is its water consumption: the irrigation system of a single golf course can use up to 200 million litres of water per year - and even more in hot regions like Florida or Andalusia, where there are several hundred systems. Water consumption is therefore enormous, and in times of drought and forest fires it is increasingly coming in for criticism.
Golf and sustainability - that doesn't have to be a contradiction in terms. Course operators can make a number of adjustments. For example, drought-resistant grass varieties are already on the rise, and stored rainwater or treated seawater can be used for irrigation instead of valuable tap water.
Some showcase plants also prove that it is possible to grow without pesticides - and that even bring benefits beyond sustainability. As fungi and other unwanted visitors become resistant to chemicals, increasingly powerful weed control agents have to be used, which after a while also damage the lawn itself. It is better to break the negative spiral. The manual treatment of infested areas, however, means a significantly higher effort for the groundskeepers. The EU has proposed legislation that would completely ban the use of pesticides in so-called sensitive areas - including golf courses - from 2024. Operators will be forced to act by then at the latest.
An unusual prime example of more sustainability in golf: on the tradition-steeped course at St. Andrews in Scotland, sheep graze on the fairways, making lawn mowers - and fertilizer - virtually superfluous. The roofs of the ventilation systems are equipped with solar collectors, and part of the energy thus generated flows into the national power grid.
Also the "Golf Environmental Organisation" an NGO based in Great Britain, also works toward sustainable golf and collaborates closely with international golf courses. Its claim is "A better future for golf, people and the world. The organisation wants to be the green engine for the golf industry worldwide and provides best practices for all to follow.
One example: The Broken Sound Golf Club in Florida had previously disposed of its green waste in dumpsters. Now, a fermentation system has been installed to turn the compost into fertilizer. All employees receive extensive training and are integrated into the club's sustainability vision. sustainability vision of the club sustainability vision.
And in Germany, the golf association is also pushing ahead with a number of sustainability projects. One of them is "Golf biodiverse". The background: On a golf course, around 50 percent of the area is enough for playing, and the rest can be converted into a biotope. This is precisely where the project comes in. The basic idea is relatively simple, explains Alexander Klose, a member of the board of the German Golf Association, in an interview with ISPO.com: "Participating golf courses must make two pieces of their area available. One hectare is simply left as it is, and scientists use the other hectare to implement very specific measures. The areas are to be enhanced in this way. Afterwards, the effect of the measures is measured. This could be certain plants on one site, or bees on another, for example. We're taking a very broad approach."
The Biodivers project is funded by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with 2.7 million euros. Research teams from the universities of Freiburg, Münster and Kiel, as well as the Technical University of Munich, are to make the 64 participating plants more species-rich. A golf course that has been redesigned to be as close to nature as possible will then presumably no longer be visited by environmental activists.
Whether it's a major event or a local competition, the climate crisis is putting the onus on sports event organizers to become more sustainable. The good news is that awareness of the issue of sustainability has arrived. And there are many levers for improvement.
58 - that's how many games had to be cancelled between 2018 and 2022 in the J. League, Japan's top soccer league. Four times more than in the previous four years. The reasons were not riots or terrorist attacks, however, but typhoons, floods and snowstorms, i.e. direct influences of the climate crisis that is hitting Japan hard. This has been an eye-opener for those in charge: The J. League has recently significantly increased the number of climate- and environment-related projects - from 133 in 2016 to 873 in 2022. The measures include initiatives to recycle, reduce waste or save CO₂ emissions. In some cases, they include quite creative solutions. For example, fans of FC Osaka were able to exchange containers of used cooking oil for free tickets to a game. Club sponsor Ueda Yushi then used the oil to make soap products. "This way we can involve people, and the sport becomes a role model for society," Seita Kotani, head of marketing at FC Osaka, told the Japan Times.
As with marathons, everything in climate protection begins with the first step. The organizers of one of the oldest running events in the world, the Boston Marathon, are following this motto: compostable cups are available on the course, and water stations make plastic bottles superfluous. This has reduced the amount of residual waste by almost 40 tons since 2018. In the meantime, 80 percent of the waste generated is recycled or composted. Last but not least, participants and the public are encouraged to use public transport or carpool.
When people think of a change in transportation, they often think of Paris. The 2024 Olympic Games are an important motivation for the bicycle-friendly transformation of the city: Numerous new bicycle paths and parking spaces are being built - not only at the sports venues. Spectators will be able to use public transport free of charge, and athletes will be transported in a climate-friendly fleet of vehicles. Sustainability was a key asset in the decision to award the Games to Paris. The biggest eco-plus: 95 percent of the competitions will take place in existing or temporary venues - and building less new infrastructure means less CO₂ pollution.
Paris was certainly looking closely at the 2022 European Championships multisport event, which drew 1.47 million visitors* to Munich. "The majority of the sporting competitions were held in existing sports facilities. Only where it was unavoidable were temporary structures built," says Marion Schöne, managing director of Olympiapark München, in the recently published Sustainability Report. In addition, 5,000 kilograms of banners and flag materials were reused and more than 500,000 PET bottles were saved by installing water dispensers and issuing reusable drinking bottles. This commitment was recently recognized with an award at the SPOBIS Conference 2023. "We are certain that by hosting the European Championships Munich 2022 we have made a contribution to a more sustainable future for major sporting events," says Managing Director Schöne.
Catering and merchandising, construction and resources, traffic and noise, nature and landscape, water, waste, sustainability management, energy and climate protection, and dialog and participation - the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) focuses on these nine aspects when it comes to event sustainability. "These topics cover everything we can address in the context of the sustainable development of sporting events," says Prof. Dr. Peter Kuhn from the Bayreuth Center for Sport Science and co-founder of the think tank sportainable.
An overview of best practices and possible measures in sustainability management is provided by the DOSB portal "Green Champions 2.0". On the platform of the DOSB, the German Sport University Cologne and the Öko-Institut, organizers of large or small events can enter various characteristics such as time period, activity space, location, size or level - and a list of concrete measures is already available. With regard to catering and merchandising, the DOSB recommends, for example, "checking the use of organically produced food and drinks" or "doing without or reducing to a minimum flyers, giveaways and similar items."
The portal is to be further developed by the end of 2024, says Bianca Quardokus, the DOSB's Sports Facilities, Environment and Sustainability Officer: "The website is intended to help anchor the topic of sustainability in smaller competitions or club festivals as well. The information and recommendations for action are intended to help the topic of sustainability reach the broader sports community."
Those who are committed to organizing their event in an environmentally conscious way can raise awareness among the public through appropriate communication - says DOSB consultant Quardokus: "Sustainable sporting events can be a multiplier for communicating sustainability issues such as climate-friendly mobility, waste management and diversity to spectators and participants. If I use my event ticket to travel to the stadium by public transport, I may do the same on other occasions in the future." In first place for CO₂ emissions is mobility - especially that of spectators.
Finally, a look at a somewhat smaller event that is already doing a lot right: the Allgäu Triathlon. Since 2022, the cult triathlon has been treading more sustainable paths with the #BeKULT initiative. "#BeKULT is not an ad hoc story for us, but a long-term process with ambitious goals," explains Managing Director Christoph Fürleger. The measures include, for example, that event jerseys are only available by advance order or that change bags are no longer issued. The catering is regional, seasonal and mainly vegan. And reusable cups are used at the catering points. This means that the Allgäu is even a step ahead of the Boston Marathon in terms of sustainability. But the main thing is that things are moving forward!
Where is the journey for shoes and soft equipment heading in Spring/Summer 2024? Clearly to more lightness, according to Louisa Smith, internationally recognized textile and fashion expert. She asked brands at OutDoor by ISPO and gives an outlook on the coming season.
Wherever you look, the focus for sports and outdoor brands in the footwear and soft equipment segment for spring/summer 2024 is on creating particularly lightweight products. Consumers can look forward to this, because performance, fit and sustainability are not neglected thanks to exciting innovations in materials and design - a win-win situation.
The trend towards lightness could already be observed a few years ago, but now it has reached all areas, including clothing, footwear and soft equipment, from backpacks to tents. The industry is also focusing on sustainable sourcing and the use of recycled and responsibly produced materials - for a low CO₂ footprint, less waste, PFC-free materials and recyclable products.
From jackets to tents - everywhere is getting lighter and this benefits everyone from casual adventurers to professionals. For consumers, it's a win-win situation, because less weight means more functionality and more comfort.
As much fun as outdoor and camping equipment is, the weight of all the equipment often spoils the fun. Nordisk breaks new ground and offers a camping set that weighs only one kilo. It consists of a tent, a mat and a sleeping bag and still ensures that you stay warm and dry.
Bach is also following the trend towards lightness with a camping set, but also with the Dr. Expedition Duffle Bag, which is not only lightweight but also extremely spacious. The bag is part of the "Re-source by Bach" label, with which the brand only identifies products that are made of at least 50 percent recycled or bio-based material - in the case of the Dr. Expedition Duffle Bag, the entire bag is made of 100 percent recycled polyester outer material.
A backpack you can barely feel? Millet's Trilogy Sky 25 + has a capacity of 25 liters and weighs just 0.66 kg. The outer shell is made of Dyneema, a composite material that is stronger than steel and makes the backpack lightweight, but also incredibly robust at the same time.
Osprey celebrates its 50th anniversary with backpacks that focus not only on fit and finish, but also the fiber. The Talon Earth collection is made from Rain Ocean Nylon, which is derived from recycled fishing nets. Daylite Earth is made from recycled polyester sourced from ocean PET bottles.
Lowe Alpine has designed the AirZone Ultra ND26, a streamlined, minimalist and very slim hiking backpack specifically for women. The ventilated carrying system makes it perfect for fast hikes and ultra-light summer activities. The main material is made of 100% recycled Ocean Nylon from rain, made from used fishing nets, and also has a fluorocarbon-free DWR coating.
For the shoes, Merrell has found the perfect compromise between functionality, lightness and performance. For the MTL Long Sky 2 Matryx trail running shoe, the brand uses a combination of sustainable 37.5 Technology and an innovative thermoregulation material derived from natural minerals for the inner lining. For the upper, Merrell has collaborated with Chamatex to develop a single-layer Matryx woven textile that is reinforced with Kevlar. The Kevlar threads ensure that the shoe does not stretch too much, so the foot is well fixed - for a good feeling on the trail and a breathable shoe.
To achieve the right balance between weight, performance and durability, especially strength, little things count. Simply making an existing shoe or backpack "light" doesn't work - it requires rethinking, from fiber to end product, to apply the right technology. While the focus in the process is on weight reduction, performance, sustainability and creativity must not be limited as a result.
Hezo implements this challenge through 3D digital printing, in the Cycling Shoes the 3D outer layer is individually adapted to the feet of the athlete. The lining is created through a 3D knitting process. Cyclists who have tested the shoe report that the Hezo Cycling Shoe manages both: a firm fit for power transfer and a very light weight.
The lightweight Dolomite Carezza WP is a versatile shoe for everyday use, such as travel and outdoor activities. It is made in collaboration with Responsible Sports Initiate (RSI), which aims to improve the social and environmental conditions in which products are manufactured and distributed.
The trend towards lightness is also evident in the ISPO Textrends, especially in soft equipment such as backpacks, where particularly exciting innovations are being submitted. Brands are increasingly using recycled plastics, developing new materials and recyclable alternatives. This is supported by lightweight, extremely strong yarns. A challenge on the topic of lightness in footwear? Moisture management and thermal regulation.
Brand Hoyu has developed NEUCYCLE, a technology in which the fibers are shredded and wrapped with a recycled TPU film. The major advantage is that non-mono fabrics, which are normally difficult to recycle because they are blended fabrics, can be returned to the circular economy.
Recycled polyvinyl and recycled polyester are used in EPO in a unique mesh construction. Tianfu takes regeneration to a new level by using "fish silk," a fiber made from mussel shells. This can be used for backpacks, for example.
Secondhand is increasingly the first choice for consumers: the market for used clothing is growing rapidly and offers potential not only for more sustainable consumption. The recommerce trend also offers new revenues for retailers. We show examples and reveal how re-use models can be implemented in the sense of the circular economy.
"About 50 percent of all clothing produced is not worn," says Friederike von Wedel-Parlow, director of the Beneficial Design Institute and an expert on sustainable fashion. The reason: We hoard too much fast and now ultra-fast fashion, which after a short time of wear just sits in the closet - or quickly ends up in the rubbish. At the same time, production and consumption are steadily increasing, according to a study by Greenpeace: Around 70 million tons of clothing are produced each year. Fashion is one of the most damaging industries for the environment. A rethink is therefore needed if we are to meet the Paris climate targets.
The most sustainable product is the one you already have. Only stupid if it no longer fits, likes or is no longer needed. Secondhand can be a solution here. In any case, it is a step away from overproduction and a throwaway society toward saving CO₂ and more environmentally friendly consumption. This is increasingly being done via second-hand platforms that set themselves apart from conventional display services by focusing on fashion, for example with an additional quality check.
Even if at first glance the question arises whether secondhand does not cannibalize the core business, major retailers have long recognized the added value of reselling used goods. "At Bergzeit, we try to work as sustainably as possible and save CO₂. However, we have found that as a retailer we can only influence a certain proportion of the emissions. Around 90 percent is generated during product manufacture and only ten percent by us," says Martin Stolzenberger, Managing Director of Bergzeit, explaining the retailer's considerations. The aim is therefore to produce less overall and to do our part as a retailer.
That's why Bergzeit's Re-Use platform was created about a year ago as an online point of contact for the resale of secondhand goods. And the stationary giant Globetrotter also offers used goods for resale.
Recommerce specialist reverse.supply, with which brands such as Armedangels, Hessnatur and Ortovox also cooperate, is also on board. The reason for this is the complexity: trading in used goods requires special processes for product control and quality assurance. The Berlin start-up reverse.supply offers an integrated online store system with trade-in solutions for precisely this purpose and takes care of the processing in parallel - all from a single source.
While many consumers would like to buy more consciously, not all of them can afford new, sustainable products. This is where used clothing comes into play, which is also trendy, especially among younger generations. The rule is: the younger, the more affinity for secondhand. This also means that the target groups of secondhand and new goods differ. Especially in older buyer groups with less purchasing power, there is still a lot of potential for secondhand goods if the bias can be reduced.
According to the Bergzeit Re-Use survey, second-hand purchases are primarily driven by price. In second place, sustainability is named as a motive. In addition, the motivation to purchase a unique item plays a role, as does the desire to get hold of originals or products that are no longer available. Buyers and sellers of used clothing are not necessarily the same target group. Nevertheless, both are important so that products get back into circulation and no longer just lie in the closet.
In order to reduce fears about buying used clothing, the process must be simple. This includes
"At the same time, we want to bring secondhand out of the flea market corner by paying attention to presentation," says Stolzenberger.
All products are prepared after a check and professionally photographed, and when selling via the platform, one receives an additional quality rating from experts. If a product doesn't fit, it can be returned free of charge. In general, however, the proportion of returns from the second-hand store is lower than in the core business, at an average of 35 percent, according to Bergzeit.
The key to making secondhand work online is not only interested buyers, but also enough merchandise - ideally in different sizes and matching the season. That's not so easy, because in the classic secondhand business, it's more likely to be individual items. Bergzeit's Re-Use Shop has around 6,000 registered second-hand items, and 2,000 have already been sold. Popular brands like Patagonia or Arc'teryx do particularly well. Overall, timeless styles work, for example jackets in black, but also hiking boots and children's items. Likewise, hype products and models that are no longer available in regular stores usually quickly find interested buyers.
In addition to used items from end customers, Bergzeit also takes returned goods into the store that can no longer be sold regularly. The retailer also runs a few pilot projects with brand partners to sell their B-goods, for example from the climbing brand Chillaz. However, the majority of the goods in the re-use store (65 percent) actually come from end consumers.
Compared to Bergzeit's regular store with 40,000 listed items, there is of course still potential for expansion. But not all products are suitable for resale, even if the Re-Use Shop has 169 different product categories: "Safety equipment such as helmets or climbing ropes, for example, are not suitable because of the safety aspect," explains Stolzenberger. "But even with more complex products, such as tents, it's much more complex and we first have to see if it can be set up profitably."
Clothing is easier to inspect and handle. And therefore also better for sales, according to Stolzenberger: "The more processes are stored in between, the more expensive it becomes. At the same time, buyers want an attractive price and sellers also want something to take away. If we can't get that right, the model doesn't work." So the more handling and processes, the harder it becomes to generate enough revenue for retailers and partners. Outdoor products, which tend to be high-priced and have some value stability, lend themselves particularly well to second-hand, with enough margin for both platform and retailer.
In addition to the pilot projects with Bergzeit's partners, other brands are also jumping on the re-use bandwagon themselves. In addition to the sustainable fashion brand Armedangels, Ortovox is another example. At the Bavarian mountain sports brand, returns are checked and refurbished in the company's own workshop and then resold at attractive prices via the Ortovox Second Life Shop.
Outdoor with high-priced products therefore offers an exciting field in terms of secondhand. Brand awareness and enthusiasm play just as much a role here as the value of the products. In addition, it is an absolute growth market: "Secondhand is growing 21 times faster than traditional retail," says Max Grosse Lutermann, co-founder of reverse-supply.
So secondhand not only pays off in terms of the major future themes of the outdoor industry, sustainability and circular economy, but also offers opportunities for revenue and image enhancement. But the trade with second-hand goods is just at the beginning of professionalization. There is still a lot of room for development in the direction of a broader assortment and optimization of processes.