We’ll show you what’s behind our Upcycling Store and which organization will benefit from your purchase. Our product developer also has some ideas and Sympatex-specific sewing tips for you.

You are creative and love to sew?

Wonderful! We have the perfect offer for you. Because Sympatex has decided to get together with ebay and VAUDE to do something sustainable: with the ebay Upcycling Store powered by VAUDE.

The Upcycling Store initiated by eBay and VAUDE was launched in March 2020. All in the spirit of resource conservation and a value-preserving recycling of surplus materials.

Since January 2021, Sympatex has also joined in. Unfortunately, we still have some surplus materials left over from production. Of course, we try to reduce this and keep the creation of waste to a minimum through high quality standards and various pre-consumer recycling methods.

Textile waste is one of the materials that contribute most to the generation of climate-damaging emissions. By avoiding waste from clothing production, up to 22,000 kilograms of CO2 per ton could be avoided.

Because we value our environment and see our ecological responsibility beyond production or sales, Sympatex is working in the medium and long term on innovative Design2Recycle strategies to close the textile loop.

With the eBay Upcycling Store powered by VAUDE, we are already able to show how easy it can be to turn supposed waste goods into new products.

Because throwing things away would be too bad, we want to offer a platform where creative people, start-ups, repair shops, art schools or any other conceivable institution can buy high-quality Sympatex functional material and VAUDE material at auction, very cheaply and for a good cause.

What exactly is the new Upcycling Store about?

Specifically, the Sympatex shopping bag contains everything an artist’s heart desires: high-quality and flawless materials that are produced during the fabrication of our breathable, 100% wind- and waterproof, and durable functional textiles.

Our environmentally friendly, highly functional Sympatex membrane is combined with a variety of possible base materials such as woven, knitted, knitted or fleece fabrics.

Since maximum ecology is our standard and our environment is close to our heart, our products are OEKO-TEX® and bluesign® certified, as well as PTFE and PFC free.

The content quantity is always approximately the same composition. There are either fabric panels in colourful or dark shades. Included are between two and six running meters (approx. 145cm wide) of the finest Sympatex goods. These can be 2- and 3-layer functional materials or our so-called “Windmaster”.

It’s easy to help

To ensure that the project is on a solid basis, all sales are used for a good cause. We donate the entire revenue to the non-profit organization “Save the Children” – an association that cares for children in need worldwide.

Through the so-called “eBay for Charity deal”, the proceeds are transferred to Save the Children weekly. Thus, every purchase of a Sympatex shopping bag or a VAUDE leftover box fulfils a good cause. We only charge the in-house costs – these are already included in the shipping costs of 5.75 Euros.

What you should know about Save the Children

It is difficult to understand the suffering of children in conflict areas have to endure. That’s why these children need our help.

Save the Children is an international non-governmental organization that promotes the rights and protection of children worldwide and provides invaluable, on-the-ground, humane aid in crisis areas. It was founded in 1919 by the teacher and social reformer Eglantyne Jebb in Great Britain and is denominationally and politically independent.

Today, Save the Children International consists of 28 country organizations – including Save the Children Deutschland e.V. and Save the Children Switzerland – and is active in 120 countries.

You have bought a Sympatex Shopping Bag. What exactly happens with your money now?

Save the Children offers numerous programs. Since Corona is currently affecting us all, Sympatex has decided to support two Corona charity projects in Germany.

We are using the money to support the MakerSpace & Karuna Task Youth Force projects.

Within the project MakerSpace, school rooms are equipped with technical equipment and pedagogical staff. Disadvantaged children and young people are made ready for the job market of the future. In addition, schools and teachers are taught pedagogical concepts and skills for digital education.

Karuna Task Youth Force is a charity project for street kids in Berlin.

We will let you know via our social media channels what amount was raised for Save the Children at the end of the year. Stay tuned!

We need more courage for sustainability

Our ambition at Sympatex is to establish ecologically responsible thinking as a matter of course in the textile industry by setting an example.

Fortunately, most brands and manufacturers within our industry have now put sustainability on the agenda. As a result, recycling and circular economy processes are becoming increasingly important.

If we take a closer look at the textile industry, different aspects become visible that can and must be made more sustainable. This concerns the chemistry used. And also the question of which raw materials are generally used? What happens at the end of the product life cycle? But also, what happens to the rejects from production? Because there is no question that every production process, regardless of brand and manufacturer, still produces waste.

Textiles are sorted out as waste not only after but even before they are worn: About 20 per cent of all textiles produced are thrown away as offcuts or leftover material during conventional processing.

We see challenges to sustainable textile production in the entire textile chain, from raw material to finished product.

Figuratively speaking, the eBay Upcycling Store powered by VAUDE is a wonderful example of what sustainability in the textile industry is all about: we need creative solutions, the courage to develop new ideas, to think outside the box and try out new things.

Upcycling – Creative use of textiles

Upcycling is a combination of the two words “up” for upgrading and “recycling” for reusing. In upcycling, apparent waste is used to transform it into a new product. The difference between upcycling and recycling is that upcycling creates a higher quality product. So instead of disposing of old things, you can simply give them a second life. As your new and individual favourite piece.

Because without a doubt, recycling existing textiles is an important contribution to more sustainability in textile consumption. Until now, the process of upcycling has unfortunately only taken place in a niche. This does not have to remain so at all and the current trend is a good one. More and more upcycling workshops are springing up. They offer space for ideas, workshops and lots of exciting events.

Our partner VAUDE has also founded a small upcycling studio under the motto “From waste material to raw material”, where practical products are manufactured.

Turn old into new: Discover new upcycling ideas

A DIY project becomes truly sustainable when materials that would otherwise be discarded are used as starting materials.

The pool of possible materials is huge: empty plastic containers, beverage cartons, old pieces of clothing, empty cans or other outdated decorative pieces.

Everyone can really get active or embark on a voyage of discovery into the upcycling world!

Some Sympatex employees have already tried to master the sewing machine. For example, our functional textiles have been used to make crawling blankets, mattress protectors, weatherproof bags, protective covers for garden furniture, awnings, and much more.

As you can see, there are no limits to your imagination!

The best sewing tips from our product developer

You already bought your Sympatex shopping bag? Then you can get started with your personal DIY project! To make sure everything goes smoothly, our product developer Rafaela has a sewing tip for you:

“Two-layer laminates can be processed better with a coated foot. If you use a metal foot, the laminate may shift in front of the foot rather than being transported further. If you do not have this particular foot available, processing is still possible by guiding the laminate more strongly through the sewing process with your hands. For example, you can pull the laminate behind the needle very slightly so that it doesn’t jam so much in front of the needle. A longer stitch length can also make the laminate a little easier to work with. Three-layer laminates, on the other hand, aren’t a problem because you never sew directly on the membrane with these laminates.”

How does your idea look like?

If you like, you can share your handmade upcycling creations with the community to get feedback and pass on ideas. We look forward to a lively exchange on Facebook.

We are already very excited to see what kind of usage you discover and what sewing creations you realize!