Sustainability at WoolFit - an interview between Angelina from Hausschuhexperte.de and WoolFit founder Benni.
"What does sustainability mean to you?"
"Unfortunately, the word is quite diluted these days – there’s hardly anything left that isn’t marketed as "sustainable" as soon as it contains even a small proportion of natural materials.
For me, sustainability means improving the world sustainably through our products."
"What does it mean to you to run a sustainable company?"
"For me, it means being aware of one's responsibility towards the environment and the people who produce the goods. As an entrepreneur, your economic actions have a much greater impact on the environment than those of an individual.
We are fortunate to produce goods that can be optimized for sustainability. In other industries, it is probably more difficult, but every entrepreneur should ask themselves how they can make their own company a bit more sustainable."
"What does your company actively do for sustainability?"
"I think for us it’s many small things. It's this constant optimization of the entire value chain. We use regional, mulesing-free wool – a renewable raw material that, with traditional sheep farming, can even be produced water-neutrally. Usually, a lot of water is wasted during the cleaning of wool. Our production in Kyrgyzstan collects the wastewater, cleans it with mechanical filters, and provides the micronutrient-enriched water to the adjacent farm.
The leather is a byproduct of meat production and is tanned without chemicals.
In production, packaging, and shipping, we avoid plastic and send our shoes in a shoe box, which is also designed to be a shipping box.
We also ship with DHL GoGreen to reduce the CO2 emissions generated. We cover most of our own electricity needs with a photovoltaic system, at least when the sun shines.
Last year we planted 100 oak trees in the Harz. In our region, it’s quite evident how climate change, in cooperation with the bark beetle, is affecting the forests."
"What do you think needs to change in people's minds to achieve sustainability goals?"
"I think many people want to live more sustainably. Often, however, it fails because of changing habits, as these are deeply ingrained in us. It's largely about convenience, and by that, I don't mean the wonderful feel of our WoolFit shoes on your feet.
Of course, it's more pleasant to drive a car than take a train. Or to eat meat instead of tofu sausages. And buying a T-shirt for 5 euros hurts less than spending 40 euros. Although we would probably be more relaxed on the train, healthier with vegetables, and more satisfied with a fair quality product.
This is also a learning process. I used to eat kebabs, ordered junk from China on Amazon, and drove for distances longer than my car. At some point, however, I decided to act according to my ethical convictions and have been living much more contentedly ever since.
To make it easier for people to implement their sustainable resolutions, we simply need more consistent rules that reduce environmentally harmful behavior and incentives to promote environmentally friendly behavior. To put it simply, a sausage should not cost less than an organic zucchini, and it should be similar for other consumer goods."
"Why Nepal and Kyrgyzstan in particular? Is that still sustainable?"
"The most sustainable approach is, of course, to produce everything as regionally as possible in Germany. However, I also see sustainability in supporting developing countries and helping them build a "sustainably existing" economy. Nepal and Kyrgyzstan are both very poor countries. Unlike Germany with its automotive industry, felt processing and craftsmanship are among the most important economic sectors there. Both countries also have an enormous import > export imbalance. In Nepal, for example, imports account for 90% and exports for 10% of goods traffic. As a result, full transport vehicles travel into the country and empty ones return, meaning our goods essentially "hitchhike" part of the way. I am firmly convinced that fair trade and economic support for developing countries like Nepal and Kyrgyzstan form the foundation for more education and more justice. This, in turn, is the foundation for a greener future, because the Earth gains nothing if we in Germany have earned the privilege of living sustainably in prosperity, while at the other end of the world, environmental protection "has to be saved on" due to poverty."
"Environmentally friendly vs. quality (durability, functionality...) – Is that a conflict or exactly the opposite?"
"Ultimately, all our sustainable efforts are in vain if the products don't fulfill their purpose and last long enough. Therefore, good quality is paramount for our slippers. With one of our shoe types, the felt-latex sole was not very durable and wore out within a month. We took them all back and refunded them without question. Quality is therefore also an economic necessity for us, as we believe that only sustainably satisfied customers will buy from us again, and we therefore take back every shoe if there is dissatisfaction."