Tatonka faces its product responsibility

Together with other well-known outdoor gear companies in Germany Tatonka faces its product responsibility to a particularly high degree. The group of German outdoor specialists has set themselves the joint aim of excluding poly- and perfluorinated chemicals (PFC) from the textile production process.

These organic fluorine compounds are used in textile finishes for outdoor clothing, sleeping bags, tents and boots. Their dirt, water and oil-repellent properties guarantee the high performance ability of outdoor products. The substances applied to the surfaces of the outer materials are not harmful to the health of the consumers who use the products. However, in the manufacturing process in the countries of production, later when washing the finished product and in their disposal, these substances represent a health hazard for people and the environment. They accumulate in the environment and through the food chain in the human organism and they are not or not easily biodegradable.

The outdoor gear companies already recognized this problem many years ago. Jointly with partners in the supply chain throughout the textile manufacturing industry they have worked on substitutes for these chemical substances. The alternatives currently available on the world market do not yet provide an equally valuable functionality in respect of dirt, water and oil-repellent properties. Outdoor manufacturers in Germany are working together with specialists in fabric production, textile finishes and in the textiles-chemistry industry on the development of new technologies in order that in the future too, products for outdoor enthusiasts and extreme sports fans are able to provide full functionality.

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