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From workshop to change: How Fair Wear Works has driven sustainable textile purchasing
Social and ecological criteria in textile purchasing are a central lever for a sustainable transformation. The Fair Wear Works project has shown how actors from healthcare, sports and academia can put this claim into practice.
Sustainable textile purchasing in practice
With the ‘Fair Wear Works’ project, FEMNET e.V. and the Global Nature Fund have supported actors from the target groups of sport, healthcare and universities in the practical implementation of sustainable textile procurement. The focus was not only on ecological aspects, but also on social challenges along global supply chains. Workshops, educational materials and networking formats provided practical information on how sustainability criteria can be integrated into purchasing processes – from selecting suitable textile seals to strategically anchoring them in their own working context.
From impulse to concrete change
An example from the health sector illustrates that these approaches have an effect:
“A concrete result of this was the launch of a product line with GOTS-certified articles in our shop for the association as a whole, including T-shirts and fleece jackets. These products are already in very good demand and show that sustainable alternatives are also attracting great interest within our association", says Eva-Maria Hansel, Sustainability Officer at the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund. In sport, clubs and professional clubs were also supported in integrating sustainable procurement more closely into their practice and in further developing it. At the same time, important orientation offers were created, for example for the classification of standards and seals in the textile sector.
Strengthening sustainable procurement at universities
In the target group of the universities, first steps were taken to systematically anchor sustainability criteria in procurement processes. In cooperation with Fairtrade Germany, food was taken into account in addition to textiles and corresponding consulting services were implemented. “The Fair Wair Works project provided us with valuable tips and examples on sustainable procurement. A special stroke of luck was the individual university accompaniment, which helped us to revise our procurement policy.", Fabian Sennekamp, sustainability manager at Zeppelin University Friedrichshafen, reflects on the cooperation.
Success factor: Exchange and practical relevance
The success of the project was due in particular to the interplay of technical expertise, exchange on an equal footing and concrete approaches to action. Experience shows: Change arises where actors are empowered to actively use their room for manoeuvre and further develop their own processes.
Outlook: Continue transformation
At the same time, eco-social transformation remains a long-term task. Increasing costs, limited resources and complex decision-making structures make implementation difficult in many places. With a view to the end of the project on 30 April 2026, FEMNET e.V. and the Global Nature Fund call for further strengthening sustainable procurement and anchoring it as an integral part of responsible action. The materials and guides created in the project are also available beyond the end of the project and provide a basis for continuing along the chosen path.