Birkenstock CEO Oliver Reichert: ‘The best way to be sustainable is not to consume as much’

Birkenstock footwear is made by a 247-year-old German company that wants to steer clear of ‘greenwashing’, or making grand claims about sustainable methods and alternative materials.

Birkenstock footwear is popular around the world. It also has presence in India. But when it comes to sustainability, the 247-year-old German company chooses to have a nuanced and candid approach rather than indulge in ‘greenwashing’ – that is, make tall claims about its methods.

Oliver Reichert, CEO, Birkenstock, said in an interview in the November issue of Monocle, “Germany has pretty strict rules about manufacturing correctly. But in this broader conversation we’re having at the moment, I would like to know how you characterise sustainability? Our grandmothers are sustainable, because they don’t throw away plastic bags; they reuse them. But now grandma will get criticised for using plastic bags. I think – and I hope – that the conversation will rebalance itself, because at the moment it’s a bit too much.”

Reichert said Birkenstock worked with “a lot of leather”, and it was important for them to be authentic and not indulge in greenwashing.

“For us it’s more about doing our best and being as transparent as possible but never faking it,” he said. “Greenwashing is a big problem that is running rampant in our industry. It’s embarrassing because it’s being executed at the highest level by massive brands in a very disingenuous way.”

Reichert flipped the argument, making the point that longevity of a product was also a form of sustainability.

“Some (customers) wear the same Birkenstock sandals for 20 years and still don’t throw them out. The best way to be sustainable is not to consume as much,” he said.

The brand’s “three pillars” are “quality, functionality and the traditional”. That is why they are selective when it comes to one of the trends in retail – collaborations – at times at the cost of revenue.

“I don’t want to bring specific brand names up but we cancelled some of the commercially driven projects because of this. We didn’t cancel them because we don’t need the money, we did it because we don’t need attention in the wrong places,” Reichert said.

“It’s like music: I don’t want to be in the pop charts; I just want to make good songs. It’s not about finding a formula to constantly be in the top 10 and keep doing the same thing. That’s boring.”