Climate protection through recycled tires

Many plastics are extremely difficult to recycle and end up either incinerated or in landfills. This is particularly true for used tires. However, even tires can be recycled and serve as an ecological alternative to crude oil.

A remarkable achievement for people and the planet

VAUDE is the first company in the outdoor textile sector to use a chemical process technology that produces polyamide from hard-to-recycle plastics. Through a certified mass balance process, recycled oil from used tires (pyrolysis oil) is integrated into the polyamide production system. For this, the carbon chains contained in used tires are molecularly decomposed and, through chemical transformation, serve as an alternative to crude oil for plastic production.

Materials of equivalent quality

Since this alternative raw material is introduced into the production facility at the very beginning of the chemical value chain, the resulting product (such as polyamide) has exactly the same qualities as conventionally manufactured products. The major advantage of this method is that these materials can be processed in the same way as before. For example, dyeing processes and other textile treatments do not need to be modified, which helps reduce waste volumes and conserve precious resources.


Recycling process of used tires

This innovative material is just as durable, quick-drying, and high-performing as conventional polyamide derived from crude oil, but much more environmentally friendly!


This material is used in the Summer 2024 collection for the following products:


- Farley Stretch T-Zip III Pants for Men
- Farley Stretch T-Zip III Pants for Women
- Yaras ZO Pants for Men
- Yaras ZO Pants for Women

Find the Men's Hiking Pants and the Women's Hiking Pants.

This technology reduces CO2 emissions during production by about 60%* and preserves rare resources, thus making a valuable contribution to climate protection!
* Chemcycling, environmental assessment by life cycle analysis, BASF, November 2020, version GaBi 9.2 (2020), Sphera AG, polyamide 6 granulate

The mass balance, a proven approach

The mass balance is an established method that allows tracking the flow of materials throughout the manufacturing process. In this approach, the proportion of recycled raw material is mathematically allocated to the finished products. This method is suitable for complex manufacturing chains where raw materials are mixed and provides a set of rules for distributing the recycled content among different products to claim and market the content as recycled by mass balance.

VAUDE: A Committed and Responsible Brand

VAUDE is fully committed to people and nature by integrating transparent social and ecological standards into its global supply chains, thus ensuring products are made in an ecological and fair manner. The majority of its products carry the VAUDE Green Shape and Grüner Knopf labels, certifying their socially and ecologically responsible production.
Collaborating with the Fair Wear Foundation, VAUDE promotes fair working conditions worldwide and has achieved climate neutrality for all its products manufactured since 2022, an initiative already in place for its Tettnang site since 2012.
The brand voluntarily and at its own expense encourages a change of mindset in the economy, advocating approaches such as the economy of the common good. VAUDE also advocates for comprehensive supply chain legislation, requiring all companies to take responsibility.

Recognized for its commitment, VAUDE has received several awards, including the GreenTec Award, the European Business Award, and the German Sustainability Award. Its mission is to act to preserve the planet for future generations and to continue to conduct sustainable and forward-looking business.



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If you want to learn more about Vaude and its ecological commitment, check out our blog article, Vaude, the pioneering brand for the environment.