Salewa Love - Our Call to Care
Sustainability for the Future. With “Salewa LOVE” the brand is further emphasising its commitment to circular product design and launching Salewa Re-Poles – the first 100% repairable trekking poles

Bozen/Bolzano, 7. April 2026 – The mountains are not only an area for movement but also for responsibility. As part of
the Oberalp Group, Salewa aligns itself with the group’s social and environmental goals under ‘Contribute’. It aims to
halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 – using 2024 as a baseline. In the long term, the group aims to achieve Net
Zero by 2050 in alignment with the Paris Agreement targets.

A key lever on this path is the implementation of circular economy principles into product design and our business
processes. The focus is on materials with a lower environmental impact, as well as durability and repairability.
Furthermore, Salewa is committed to ensuring responsible production conditions throughout the entire supply chain –
from fabric selection to manufacturing.

A brand manifesto that embeds circular thinking: Salewa LOVE

In 2026, Salewa is increasingly implementing its commitment to circular economy principles in concrete products and
services with the new brand manifesto ‘Salewa LOVE’. The aim is to combine suitable, responsibly selected materials
with a focus on lower environmental impact, and durability, alongside designs intended for longlasting
use, easy maintenance and repairability. This is intended to ensure that products and their components remain
in circulation for as long as possible.

“Wear it. Love it. Share it.” – under this guiding principle, ‘Salewa LOVE’ is more than a sustainability strategy. Salewa
LOVE is more than a sustainability strategy, it’s a conscious call to responsible action. The strategy is based on three
aspects:


• Respect – responsible production and fair working conditions
• Re-Think – circular product design with a focus on durability, resource-efficient and recyclable materials, and
repairability
• Re-Love – keeping products in use for as long as possible through repair and so-called second-life projects.
The heart-shaped ‘LOVE’ character encourages people to choose products more consciously and use them more
responsibly.

Salewa Re-Poles – the first 100% self-repairable trekking poles

Salewa is demonstrating how this approach can be concretely translated by, among other things, Re-Poles – the first
trekking poles that are 100% self-repairable. Every single part of the height-adjustable aluminium trekking pole with
ergonomic grip and power-lock closure can be replaced. The pole can be dismantled and separated easily into its
different parts at home. All spare parts (handles, loops, baskets, ...) are available individually from SALEWA. Re-Poles
are now available at selected SALEWA retailers and at www.salewa.com, exemplifying a product approach that focuses
on durability, repairability, and responsible resource management. A further central element is Salewa’s expanding care
and repair service.

Q&A with Verena Neufeldt, Group Warranty Manager

Verena Neufeldt has been group warranty manager at the Oberalp Group since 2021. After completing her training as an
industrial cutter and studying clothing technology, she gained international experience in product development for
fashion and sports apparel for various brands in the Netherlands. In 2005, she moved to SALEWA and initially worked in
various quality management roles in apparel and technical hardware to contribute her expertise in process-oriented
workflows before taking on her current role. As group warranty manager, she’s responsible for further developing repair
and service concepts within the Oberalp Group.

What does Salewa repair?
In theory, we repair everything if it makes sense from a technical point of view. With apparel, the focus is on shell
products. We also repair backpacks and tents. When it comes to shoes, Salewa carries out minor repairs, such as
replacing eyelets, hooks, or seams, and we use specialised partners for resoling.
Where do these repairs take place?
Depending on the region, in dedicated workshops such as the Care & Repair Hub in Kiefersfelden, with our tailors in
Bolzano and Montebelluna, or through a network of external partners in other markets.How are these items repaired?
Our primary focus is on restoring functionality, but we also take aesthetic factors into account. In case of uncertainty,
we always consult with the customers.
What role does the service play today?
In 2025 alone, we repaired 2,700 products at the Care & Repair Hub in Kiefersfelden. Demand is high.
How does the repair process work?
Anyone looking to have a product repaired can simply drop it off at our Care & Repair Hub in Kiefersfelden, our SALEWA
stores and, of course, at our SALEWA retailers all over the world, who then liaise directly with us for everything else.
Is there also a feedback process from the repair team to product development?
Yes, there is. It runs through me. If a local warranty manager or Customer Operations & Care team member spots an
issue, they inform me. Once I’ve assessed it, I filter this and contact the corresponding quality manager in our product
development team.
How has the Salewa Second Life programme developed since its launch in 2023?
Since 2023, customers have had the option to hand in their old Salewa products in our stores and receive a shopping
voucher in return. These products are processed in Bolzano and resold in our Bolzano SALEWA store in the Second Life
Shop. The best thing about this is that, in keeping with our Re-Love motto, customers can personalise the label
displayed on the product to pass on its story to the future owner, as it were. Since 2023, we have given over 4,000
products a new lease of life, and we are working to further expand Second Life.

 

Sustainability begins where we give things a second chance.

Salewa Love & Loop Events: Making circularity tangible
On 28 May 2026, SALEWA invites registered participants to Bolzano for the ‘Love & Loop’ event, to experience
circularity in action. During an upcycling workshop, the brand is going to demonstrate how new products can be
created from existing materials and how equipment lifecycles can be creatively extended. In addition, SALEWA is
also highlighting the topic of circularity in retail. Selected partners will be offering their own ‘Salewa LOVE’
workshops, dedicated to the topics of repair, care, and upcycling – enabling access to circular solutions in everyday
life.

About Salewa

 

Salewa is passionate about mountain sports – ambitious alpinism and the mountain experience. Founded in Munich in 1935, the management-led, family-owned company is now located in the Dolomites of South Tyrol. Based at its headquarters in Bolzano, the company develops technical products that combine traditional materials and progressive design. Salewa is committed to high environmental and social standards and rooted in regional identity, quality and integrity. Consistently striving to find new ways to build better, game-changing equipment, the brand has a unique understanding of mountain sports. Progressive mountaineering is about more than just performance, it encompasses an appreciation of the natural world and individual and shared experiences in the mountains. Salewa is a leading international manufacturer of mountain sports equipment with innovative products in four product categories: Apparel, Footwear, Equipment and Technical Hardware.

www.salewa.com