The Italian sports apparel and gear group Oberalp has just released its seventh sustainability report for 2021.
Growing in sales and in commitment
The company that was founded 40 years ago, owns six brands (Dynafit, Salewa, Wild Country, LaMunt Pomoca and Evolv) and employs over 800 people, regularly registers a growth in its sales every year. In 2021, it reached €303 million sales - along with it, also its responsibility commitment grew. It has also hired 248 new people in 2021 and grew its employees by 14%. For preparing its 2021 sustainability report “Contribute” it has also involved more than 60 employees.
"We have made progress in the second pandemic year, too," commented Ruth Oberrauch in her role as board member and head of sustainability for the Oberalp Group. "But we also still see major areas where we cannot be satisfied with what we have achieved so far."
The report states that the group has achieved the greatest level of satisfaction in the area of fair and safe working conditions for all those involved in the production process and, for the fifth time in a row, the non-profit organization "Fair Wear Foundation" (FWF) awarded the Oberalp Group with the "Leader Status" - as the only company in Italy.
How to better in new areas
Oberalp sees the greatest potential in circular economy, which will be given high priority in the future.
The company has been focused on the use of new textile materials, which have great advantages in terms of sustainability, such as hemp, a rapidly renewable fiber, and sheep's locally grown wool.
Salewa, for instance, visited the shepherds in Villnöss, in Val di Funes, near the company’s headquarters, and attended the shearing, sorting, washing, combing and treating of wool to make it “unshrinkable” adding a chlorine-free treatment and blended it with thermo-bonding minerals to create a hybrid fleece.
Caring for chemicals
Out of the 17 SDGs goals that have been adopted by UN Member States as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030, Oberalp has identified ten goals where it has an impact as a company.
“One of our top priorities is making sure our materials and products are safe for both humans and the environment. Along with our in-house chemical management expertise, we work with industry best-practice partners to ensure the highest chemical standards. Our goal is to control the entire lifecycle of our products – from raw material, through the production process, to the finished product,” explained Oberrauch.
The company is constantly involved in checking what chemical substances it uses for its collections. For this, it monitors 32 chemical groups and 515 substances employed for producing its brands.
Moreover, the Oberalp Chemical Policy is an internal document that includes a formal process to ban, or limit, the presence and use of hazardous substances in its products and production processes. This ensures safety and compliance. The policy includes its Product Restricted Substances List (PRSL), a list of chemicals that are excluded or limited from all its products.
The company continues using Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFCs), a family of chemical compounds used to make everyday products resistant to water, grease and stains. It uses them in some of its technical products to ensure water repellence and water-resistance and waterproof properties. These qualities are crucial for mountain activities, often facing unstable or extreme weather conditions. Unfortunately, despite years of industry research, there is still no technology that replicates the performance of PFCs, according to Oberalp.
“We are constantly looking for alternatives to reduce our impact on the environment, while still protecting our users. In our apparel and textile equipment collections, we have been able to make important progress and expect to further reduce the use of PFCs in 2022," commented Oberrauch.
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