. The company’s social standards exceed the ILO requirements, and suppliers are checked annually to verify that fair wages are being paid to workers, that training is provided and retirement provisions are supported. As the garments are produced regionally, environmental harm from pollution caused by transport is at a minimum. Efforts are made to keep waste in material low and the electricity needed for production is purchased from regional suppliers. Jobs are created and raw materials come from sustainable sources such as controlled organic stock farming. FSC-certified paper is used for product packaging. None of this can be taken for granted in times of a globalized economy. There is always a way of producing goods cheaper and in larger quantities. However, as Gabriele Kolompar emphasizes, it’s not in line with the company’s philosophy.

The label requires products to be made up of at least 90 percent natural fibers, of which at least 70 percent have to be sourced from either plants harvested from controlled organic agriculture or animals from organic stock farming. Most of Engel’s partners produce within the region, employing about 100 people in total.

“Social criteria are very important to us and of course, because of the strict rules that are in place here, it is easier to monitor these criteria in Germany than in other countries. But during annual inspections carried out by independent certifiers, we are able to check whether working conditions meet our standards. Leave, training opportunities, Christmas bonuses, wages and salaries which enable people to secure their livelihood and the livelihood of their families as well as providing for old age – this, to me, is part of sustainability”.

The company’s trademark is functional sportswear that is sustainable on all counts.
“We want to make products that benefit the current generation and won’t harm future generations. And for me, an aspect of sustainability is managing a company in a way that it can exist for a long time. So it’s not about annual growth, but about keeping the company healthy and making sure that it is able to develop continuously.”

Engel Sports was the first brand in the sports segment to set itself these high ethical standards and to look at the entire manufacturing cycle of a textile.
70 percent pure new merino wool, 28 percent silk, 2 percent elastane – the result of which is a very light fabric. “Many years ago I was in Argentina and asked the breeders whether they could supply me with an extremely fine yarn from organic stock farming. It then took them a year and a half – but it was worth the wait. You have to go where your material is sourced, look around, talk to the people on site and keep to the standards you set for yourself. I still feel bitter about the fact that, as we are dependent on a certain fibre length for our products, we are unable to source non-violent silk at this point.”

In 2015, Engel received the German Federal Ecodesign Award for its products and its commitment to sustainability.

Another disappointment for Gabriele Kolompar is that the garments cannot yet be recycled, as the fabric contains two percent elastane. “We are looking for technical solutions and are on the right path for ultimately recycling our products in-house. It is definitely feasible.”
When asked why the company doesn’t use synthetic fibers, as they are less costly compared to natural fibers from organic stock farming, the entrepreneur answers: “Synthetic fibers have the disadvantage of needing a lot of energy for production. Even recyclable plastic has to be produced in the first place and ultimately, it still has to be disposed at great expense in some way. We choose to rely on renewable resources and set high standards for stock farming. This is our approach.”