Our responsibility

Our responsibility

Conservative use of natural resources and corporate responsibility has been the hallmark
 of our business for more than 50 years!

Our products largely consist of the long top hair of the Cashmere goat; indeed, some of our carpet lines boast pile material with up to 80% goat hair.  We use the hair of highland goats from Inner and Outer Mongolia. In fact, we rely on renewable raw materials not just for our main carpet component but across the board. The processed virgin wool we use, the jute we use, and the natural latex we use as an adhesive bed for installing some of our products have in common that they are all renewable, natural materials. Cheviot sheep, which graze mainly in Europe, provide the soft virgin wool we use. But we also use recycled materials to manufacture tretford carpeting. The backing for our carpet tiles and floorboards, for example, is made of polyester fleece. At least 80% of this fleece consists of recycled fibers.

We hold ourselves to a high standard of environmental awareness in all our business projects. Markus Haick, Managing Director of Weseler Teppich GmbH & Co. KG, has suggested that: "For us as a company, conserving resources and ecological entrepreneurship plays a major role; it’s part of our DNA. Ecological and social responsibility is firmly anchored in our corporate guidelines."

tretford takes part in ECOPROFIT, a project that promotes sustainable management in companies. "With guidance from the ECOPROFIT project, we hope to do even better as we forge into the future. Using natural and recycled raw materials and an entrepreneurial approach that emphasizes resource-conservation is something of ever growing importance," according to Markus Haick.  The savings achieved pay off not only for the climate and the environment, but also give the company greater leeway to make important investments for its future viability. Thanks to the considerable amount of energy – and thus CO2 – saved each year, together with reduced waste and electricity costs, we have been able to switch to grass paper laminated onto recycled cardboard for all our shipping boxes and packaging. Climate-neutral printing is ensured by supporting a reforestation project. Generating our own power supply – either wind or solar energy – is something that is already in the works.
We collaborate with the Textiles and Flooring Institute (TFI) at the RWTH Aachen e.V. to continuously improve our ecological footprint. As part of our latest project we are conducting intensive research in the field of recycling and biodegradability. We are also looking at ways to take back our products once their useful life has expired.

Our environmentally friendly production chain includes a high-performance, independent dyeing plant that uses AZO-free dyes and cutting-edge double-stage biological wastewater treatment plants. The dyes we use are standard acid textile dyes. If you want to avoid dyes altogether, however, you can opt for two colors – 515 (quartz) and 538 (aluminum) from our collection. Here the processed Cashmere goat hair and processed new wool are undyed and the natural hair color of the animals is shown to its best advantage.



SFA - for sustainable cashmere production

tretford Carpet is a partner of the Sustainable Fibre Alliance (SFA), a globally-focused and locally active initiative. The goal is to sustainably source Cashmere goat hair, a precious raw material, and to commercialize it responsibly.

The SFA works across the entire cashmere supply chain; it connects goat herders with brands and retailers worldwide. Its objective is to promote responsible practices that benefit herders, livestock and the local environment by means of local training programs. The imparted information may help prevent the further desertification of Mongolia and contribute to protecting the local flora and Fauna.

 

 

Along with tretford Carpet, other fashion industry companies have also joined this initiative to promote a cashmere standard that is based on ecological sustainability considerations. The SFA puts animal welfare, fairness for farmers, and a responsible treatment of the environment at center stage.

By acting collectively, we are able to demonstrate the sustainability of the long top hair of Cashmere goats that we use.

 

 



Further steps towards ecological stewardship

tretford is a participant of the EcoProfit report - a project that promotes sustainable business practices in companies. "By taking part in the EcoProfit project, we hope to get even better. The use of natural and recycled raw materials and resource-conserving entrepreneurial behavior plays an ever more important role" explains Markus Haick, Managing Director of Weseler Teppich GmbH & Co. KG. The resources that can be saved not only benefit the climate and the environment but also free up funds. And these funds are used to make important investments to secure the future viability of the company. Thanks to considerable annual energy ( and thus also CO2) savings,  waste reduction, and better electricity efficiency, tretford has been able to switch to recycled, grass paper laminated cardboard. By supporting a reforestation project, we are able to do all our package printing in a climate-neutral way.

In the meantime, we have thus taken action on the topic of wind/solar power. Indeed, in 2021 a photovoltaic system was installed on the roof of our warehouse in Wesel. Going forward, it lets us cover 25% of our power needs.

In cooperation with the TFI’s Institute for Soil Systems at RWTH Aachen e.V., we are working on reducing our ecological footprint in an ongoing fashion. The project that we are currently pursuing involves intensive research in the area of recycling and biodegradability, as well as research on how best to implement a take-back policy.

An efficient, independent dyeing plant –  free of AZO dyes – and a state-of-the-art organic water treatment system are part of our environmentally friendly production chain. The dyes we use are conventional acid-based chemical textile dyes. Customers who want to avoid dyes altogether, can choose between two colors from our collection: 515 (quartz) and 538 (aluminum). Here the processed Cashmere goat hair and virgin wool is left undyed and the natural hair color of the animals really comes into its own.


 



Our economic and social responsibility

tretford bears economic responsibility towards the owner family, the company employees and their families and our suppliers.

By purchasing the long top hair of Cashmere goats (in addition to the coveted and exclusive soft belly hair, which is used exclusively for clothing), we give farmers another means of subsistence and thus a reliable source of income.

Our carpeting is "made in Germany" at the Wesel production site. High environmental and social standards are in place here.

We erected our new building complex to house all our divisions: manufacturing, warehousing and administration. This has had the effect of reducing distances while saving time and energy. An electric company vehicle was purchased and e-bikes were introduced for our employees. Job bikes promote employee health and satisfaction alike.