Sustainability at Gusti

Sustainability at Gusti Leder

We don't just create fashion, we make a difference!

Sustainability plays a central role in our company. We want to actively contribute to environmental protection and rely on various measures. As a slow-fashion brand, we promote sustainable consumption through responsible resource management. From reducing our packaging to using chrome-free leather – we are continuously working to reduce our ecological footprint and protect the environment.

How can we be more sustainable?

Our CEO Christian Pietsch is convinced that sustainability should be anchored throughout the company. He sees sustainable action as a holistic process where measures in one area can also positively influence others. Therefore, we encourage all team leaders and employees to actively think about how they can act more sustainably in their daily work.

Below, we present some of our sustainable measures with which we contribute to environmental protection.

Repair

We offer a repair service for damaged items. Our customer service is the central contact for repair requests and takes care of all the details. Minor repairs can be carried out in our Gusti stores in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands.

Reuse and Recycling

If a Gusti product can no longer be repaired, there is the option to recycle it. Through upcycling, new, useful products can be made from old leather. This creates, for example, keychains, small bags, lighter cases, desk organizers, placemats, or bookmarks.

Chrome-free leather

Another step towards sustainability

We are collaborating with new leather manufacturers who will produce sustainable leather. The tannery will supply us with chrome-free leather, which means our production facilities will have cleaner wastewater, contribute less to environmental pollution, and our products will be more biodegradable.

We will source the most sustainable leather from these tanneries. Chrome-free leather is durable and does not affect the performance of the leather. All our products are manufactured with consideration for the environment.

Reduced water consumption

Our Gusti Leder nature products are tanned with purely vegetable tanning agents. No chemicals enter the water in the process. However, the tanning process can require large amounts of water – sustainable tanning processes consume between 60 and 200 liters of water according to international standards, which is equivalent to the capacity of a bathtub.

Chrome tanning according to international standards

Our Gusti Leder studio products are produced by manufacturers who must comply with international production standards such as SA 8000. All types of leather are regularly tested for chromium VI residues in independent laboratories. These tests are carried out both in India and by TÜV SÜD. On our product pages, we mark tested products with the TÜV logo.
Packaging

In our shipping warehouse in Rosówek, Poland, we focus on sustainable packaging solutions. Our packages are precisely tailored to the size of the products to avoid material waste. The boxes in which the items arrive are reused. Our products are not double-packaged, which avoids additional waste. By reducing the packaging sizes, we have also been able to reduce the number of transport vehicles. While three trucks were previously ben to pick up the packages from the warehouse, today a single vehicle is sufficient. This helps reduce our CO₂ emissions.
Solar systems in Rostock and Rosówek

In the summer of 2019, our own solar system was installed on the roof of our Rostock office. The energy generated there supplies our office with electricity and makes us energy self-sufficient. The system produces around 27,000 kWh annually – more than our office building ben. The excess electricity is fed into the Rostock municipal utility grid. A solar system was also installed on the roof of our warehouse in Rosówek to make the energy supply more sustainable.
Additionally, our websites are operated by hosting partners who use green electricity. This allows us to provide an environmentally friendly shopping experience.

E-charging station

In September 2022, our own e-charging station was installed next to our office in Rostock. It can be used by all e-vehicle owners, not just our employees.

We are committed to sustainability by pursuing various strategies. These include a slow-fashion approach for bags and accessories, providing a repair service, and targeted measures to reduce consumption and waste within our company. This actively contributes to the protection of natural resources and creates a healthy, green environment for future generations.