SUSTAINABILITY AT camel active - MAKE AN ACTIVE CHANGE
WHAT DOES SUSTAINABILITY MEAN FOR
camel active?
Taking a proactive, sustainable and responsible approach - this is a matter of course for us at camel active. As a brand for outdoor casual wear we want to actively protect our favorite place to be: nature.
Our sustainability mission MAKE AN ACTIVE CHANGE serves as a compass on our journey to drive sustainable and responsible action and to continuously improve becoming more sustainable every day. Our goal is to preserve natural resources, protect the environment and ensure fair working conditions. We therefore divide our sustainability efforts into the areas of "Nature" and "People," in which we not only implement concrete measures to reduce our ecological footprint but are also committed to internationally valid and fair working conditions at our suppliers. Recognized standards and certifications support us in communicating our sustainability activities in a credible and transparent way.
If you would like to know which specific sustainability certifications camel active uses, you can find an overview here.
NATURE -
ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY AT
camel active
Nature is especially close to our hearts, because we love being outdoors. Our durable and high-quality outdoor clothing is the perfect companion for any outdoor activity, whether in the mountains, at the beach or in the city park. We therefore see it as our duty to minimise our ecological footprint. By using environmentally friendly processes as well as innovative and sustainable materials, we can contribute to actively protecting our favourite place: nature.
Read more about protecting nature in our Sustainability Blog post Do's and don'ts in nature.
WHAT SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS DO WE USE AT camel active?
We design and manufacture durable, high-quality products, paying increasing attention to the use of sustainable materials and environmentally friendly processes. For clear and transparent labelling of our products, we use the three categories: Organic, Recycled and Conscious. We already use the following sustainable materials and production processes within these categories:
ORGANIC
Organic cotton
Natural fibres with their positive properties are the most important materials for our products. Organic cotton in particular, which has the advantage that the seeds are not genetically modified and the plants are grown without fertilisers or pesticides, has a positive impact on our environment. We therefore try to continuously increase the proportion of certified organic cotton in our products. In this way, we not only improve the quality of the soil, but also protect the health of the workers. We already use organic cotton in many of our t-shirts, jumpers, polo shirts, denims, socks and scarves and are also increasing the proportion of cotton certified according to the recognised textile standards Organic Content Standard (OCS) and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).
Other natural materials
In addition to certified organic cotton, we also rely on the use of other natural materials such as linen or hemp. Both natural fibres are among the more sustainable material alternatives, because the renewable, natural raw materials are completely biodegradable and therefore very environmentally friendly. Linen is also thicker in texture than cotton, which makes it a very durable fabric. Since hemp fibres are not susceptible to dirt or odours, the textiles rarely need to be washed, so large amounts of water can be saved.
RECYCLED
recycled polyester and polyamide
Whether in the outer material, for insulation or as lining, synthetic fibres give our outdoor products high functionality, such as reliable protection against cooling, low weight or high elasticity. In more and more jackets and waistcoats, we already use recycled alternatives made of polyester or polyamide, thus helping to reduce waste and save natural resources and energy. We also aim to continuously increase the proportion of Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and Recycled Content Standard (RCS) certified materials in our collections.
CONSCIOUS
more sustainable leather
We use high-quality and durable leather for our camel active products. That's why we use mostly leather from suppliers who have joined the Leather Working Group (LWG), a global organisation that assesses environmental compliance and more sustainable practices, for our shoes and belts. By joining the LWG, we support more responsible leather production. In parallel, we are working to continuously increase the share of vegetable-tanned leather and expand our range to include vegan, more environmentally friendly leather alternatives.
more sustainable wool
For our wool products, we increasingly use wool that is certified by the Responsible Wool Standard. The sheep's wool used comes from certified sheep farms that respect animal welfare and sustainable use of farmland.
Denim refinement
To achieve the authentic and fashionable look of our jeans, we use innovative and resource-saving laser and ozone technologies as well as water-saving washing techniques. With the "Environmental Impact Measurement" (EIM by Jeanologia) as a global standard, we continuously check water and energy consumption as well as the use of chemicals. We only use the Conscious label if the environmental impact in the finishing process of our jeans has been significantly reduced. A large part of our collections already achieve the status of "Low Impact" or "Medium" Impact jeans.
More innovative materials
Waterproof, breathable, windproof: We use a SympaTex® membrane for selected outdoor shoes. This functional membrane is completely recyclable, PTFE and PFC-free and is produced in a climate-neutral way.
For the padding of selected outdoor jackets we use the innovative materials Sorona® and Thermore® Ecodown. The Sorona® fibre consists of almost 40% plant-based raw materials such as maize and maize starch. Its life cycle assessment shows that its production requires 30% less energy and releases 63% less greenhouse gases than, for example, the production of new nylon. The fibres of the Thermore®-Ecodown padding are made exclusively from recycled PET bottles.
PEOPLE -
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AT
camel active
We do our best to work reliably, trustfully and in partnership with our customers, employees and suppliers all over the world, because we have the claim to be a fair employer and to stand up for internationally valid and fair working conditions at our suppliers.
Photos: Production facilities in Asia
HOW DOES camel active IMPLEMENT SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY?
As a camel active master licensee, the Bültel Group has been a member of the amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) since 2012 and thus supports the continuous improvement of working conditions in the global value chain. The amfori BSCI Code of Conduct is based on internationally recognised standards such as the ILO Core Labour Standards, the UN Guiding Principles or the OECD Guidelines and defines the requirements on topics such as working hours, remuneration and the exclusion of forced labour, discrimination and child labour. All external production sites must also comply with the eleven basic principles of the amfori BSCI Code of Conduct. To monitor compliance with these principles, audits are carried out at production facilities by accredited, independent auditing companies.
All our production facilities are audited and certified by internationally recognised initiatives. They have either amfori BSCI certification, SA8000 certification or SMETA certification.
In addition, our foreign technicians regularly visit the production sites to personally check the labour and safety standards on site and train suppliers. This close cooperation has resulted in numerous long-term partnerships.
We take our economic responsibility towards our partners around the world seriously and work together to further improve our high social and environmental standards. - MAKE AN ACTIVE CHANGE.
WHEN IS A PRODUCT LABELED AS SUSTAINABLE AT camel active?
At camel active, we have decided to set certain minimum requirements for our products in order to label them as sustainable. Our internally defined requirements relate to the outer fabric of the products and are made up as follows:
Organic: In order for an item to be labelled organic, at least 50% organic fibres (organically produced and certified) must have been used.
Recycled: For us to use our Recycled label on a product, it must consist of at least 50% recycled fibres (certified according to the Recycled Claim Standard).
Conscious: In order for an item to be labelled as Conscious, 100% of the wool in products made of wool must be certified according to the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS). The wool content of the article must be at least 50%.
The environmental impact of our jeans must be significantly reduced in the finishing process so that they achieve the status of "Low Impact" or "Medium Impact jeans according to the EIM Standard (Environmental Impact Measurement).
If you would also like to know how you can recognise a sustainable camel active article, click here.
WHICH SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATIONS DOES camel active USE?
To identify our sustainable products, we use the following certifications on our articles, among others:
FURTHER FAQ'S ON THE TOPIC OF SUSTAINABILITY
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