Award winners 2021

A Fur Coat and its Consequences
Magdalena Keller | Hochschule Niederrhein - University of Applied SciencesMore about this project»An outstandingly designed collection that belies the origin of a material that could barely be more contentious. Here, old furs and hunting skins that are no longer used are spun, knitted or woven into new yarns and turned into aesthetically designed coats, jackets or suits.«
Prof. Friederike von Wedel-Parlow

CareTwice Shampoo Powder
CareTwice UGMore about this project»This submission is particularly convincing thanks to the brilliant idea of saving water in the actual product, enabling reduced transport weight and less plastic packaging. In a market that predominantly sells liquid cosmetics in plastic bottles, products in powder form and reusable dispenser bottles are a superb alternative for people who want to keep on using liquid cosmetics.«
Prof. Anna Berkenbusch

MateriaLab
Florian Henschel | Bauhaus-Universität WeimarMore about this project»Well thought-out and brilliantly realised for children. The MateriaLab encourages trying things out, experimentation and observation. It opens up the meaning and purpose of resource conservation through actual experience.«
Werner Aisslinger

Natural Softshell
Hess Natur-Textilien GmbH & Co. KGMore about this project»This softshell consists of particularly tightly woven organic cotton combined with environmentally optimised impregnation. It is an outstanding example of innovative ecological design for functional wear. hessnatur is setting a milestone for more sustainable outdoor clothing.«
Andreas Detzel

NEO 3R 9,8 MM
EDELRID GmbH & Co. KGMore about this project»To date, recycled materials have received little attention in the sports and leisure sectors due to the high safety requirements. Thanks to its extensive recycling of production residues, giving a high-quality and safety-certified material, this mountain rope can become a sustainable lighthouse product with a signal effect for an entire industry.«
Prof. Günter Horntrich

Platzhalter
Lasse Schlegel, David Schwarzfeld | Braunschweig University of ArtMore about this project»The public space is saturated with consumer messages. A rethinking of consumption is required if we are to achieve the climate targets. In a tongue-in-cheek manner on rented advertising space, the Platzhalter project encourages reflection on the excessive materialisation of modern everyday life by offering incentives to come together instead of incentives to consume.«
Dr. Alexander Janz (on behalf of Dr. Bettina Rechenberg)

RePack
Original RePack OyMore about this project»The online mail order sector is growing steadily and Covid-19 has only reinforced this trend. At the same time, the consumption of single-use packaging material is increasing. RePack has invented a reusable packaging that makes it easy for consumers and retailers: the folded RePacks can be thrown in the mailbox free of charge and reused as packaging several times over.«
Dr. Ulf Jaeckel (on behalf of Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter)

Shower Gel & Hand Soap Powder
Less Waste Club UGMore about this project»This submission is particularly convincing thanks to the brilliant idea of saving water in the actual product, enabling reduced transport weight and less plastic packaging. In a market that predominantly sells liquid cosmetics in plastic bottles, products in powder form and reusable dispenser bottles are a superb alternative for people who want to keep on using liquid cosmetics.«
Prof. Anna Berkenbusch

VIOWALL
Viol.GlassMore about this project»This is an amazingly simple and impressively implemented solution to keep foundation walls permanently dry. Like a breathing membrane, the glass foam cushions of recycled glass form a closed barrier that dissipates moisture through evaporation, thus preventing waterlogging. It is an innovative area of application for an ecological insulation material.«
Prof. Matthias Held

Zero Energy Classroom
LIEBEL/ARCHITEKTEN BDAMore about this project»This school building is of high architectonic quality and is an exemplary project in the area of sustainable construction. In a standout overall concept, it not only makes maximum use of existing environmental energies such as sun, thermal and geothermal, but also pursues an energy-efficient design language and a material concept that uses very few materials. Moreover, these are low-pollutant and re-separable.«
Prof. Dr. Claudia Perren
Nominated 2021

Bohlsener Mill Store
Bohlsener Mühle GmbH & Co. KGSustainability in the retail sector needn’t begin with the product but should be considered at the point of sale. The organic brand shop at Bohlsener Mühle in Lüneburg shows how this can be done. The shop has been designed entirely in keeping with the principles of the circular economy, enabling all construction materials to be returned to the raw material cycle after use. Moreover, workshops explore the different types of grain and their processing in the mill and bakery, among other topics, and so the shop serves as a place of learning.

CIRCLE JACKET
Neumühle Switzerland GmbHIn keeping with the motto ‘Designed for circularity’, all components of the CIRCLE JACKET are made of mono-materials, meaning that they are comprised of a single type of material. If the garment is thrown away, it can be dismantled into its original individual parts. This ensures single-origin material flows and eases recycling. From the threads to the finished jacket, everything is manufactured inside a production circle of 400 km in the heart of Europe. With its return scheme, Neumühle is also ensuring that all materials are properly recycled.

DB Bike+ App
Scholz & Volkmer GmbHThe DB Rad+ app developed as part of the ‘Zukunftsbahnhöfe’ initiative (Train Stations of the Future) rewards users for kilometres ridden on the bike. To make rail travel even more environmentally friendly, the app and its intuitive user interface transform the cycling route to and from the train station into a form of currency. Accumulated credit can be redeemed at local partners for coffee, pastries and many other offers.

ECOfishing
ECOfishing UGConventional lead fishing weights are very harmful to the environment. ECOfishing UG has developed an ecological alternative that consists of a 100% biodegradable material combination of sand and natural composites. If the weight comes loose during fishing, it will dissolve after 14 days at the latest and will not pollute the water.

Farmfluencers
Meike Hollnaicher | Free University of Bozen-BolzanoThe storytelling and community project Farmfluencers is dedicated to reinforcing the community of innovative and future-oriented farmers. Presented in an exciting way using graphics, videos and podcasts, the project tells encouraging and inspiring stories of farmers who are committed to agricultural and social-ecological change. On the one hand, this positive storytelling has an empowering and mobilising effect on other farmers. On the other hand, it facilitates broad public access to important topics such as biodiversity and soil fertility.

Franconian Denim
bleed clothing GmbHWith Franconian Denim, jeans production is returning to Upper Franconia, the birth region of the forefather of jeans, Levi Strauss. The yarn is dyed reactively to retain colour after washing. The organic cotton fabrics are woven locally in Helmbrechts, the cut fabric pieces are then carefully handcrafted in Emsland.

Innovative Packaging Solutions
ALPLA Werke Alwin Lehner GmbH & Co KGFor a wide range of products, such as cleaning agents and cosmetics, Alpla offers innovative packaging solutions that have a less impact on the environment, are functional in design and optimally recyclable. It is exemplified by the packaging used for NOW, Simple One for Susanne Kaufmann™ Refills, NIVEA NATURALLY GOOD Body Lotion and TetherTube. These demonstrate three essential principles of the circular economy – reuse, reduce, recycle – all of which are given consistent consideration and realised in a sustainable manner.

IVN-certified footwear collection
Werner Schuhe GmbHThe sustainable footwear collection, which is certified by the International Association Natural Textile Industry (IVN), spans summer sandals to winter boots. The shoes are made of durable natural leather, a by-product of meat production from organic cows. Tanning is carried out in in Germany and is chrome-free and vegetable-based. The company emphasises fair working conditions and animal welfare, and supply chains are transparent and short. Here, ecological production comes hand in hand with contemporary design, with no compromises with regard to fashion.

Nanuk Megaliner
Cargo Cycle GmbHCargo Cycle GmbH develops and produces cargo bikes and offers them for use as logistics and transport vehicles. One part of the service is that the bikes can be made to match the customer’s corporate identity. The Nanuk Megaliner can fit and carry three Euro pallets with a total load of 500 kg. Despite this impressive ability, the seven-metre vehicle is legally considered a bicycle and is permitted to use cycle paths, facilitating more sustainable urban delivery traffic. The wheels are from Hamburg and almost all components are made in Germany or Europe.

Pflegeleicht im Kochwaschgang (Easy-Care in the Boil Wash Cycle)
Mario Kreuzer | Hochschule Augsburg - University of Applied Sciences‘Easy-Care in the Boil Wash Cycle’ is a guide to laundry care. The aim is to motivate people to take better care of their clothes and to abolish gender roles in the laundry room. It also aims to lend a fuller understanding of the value of clothing and to elucidate the environmental impacts of conventional washing. Without wagging its finger, the guide encourages water conservation and the more energy efficient washing and care of clothes.

PLANETICS
PLANETICS GmbHSustainable alternatives in the area of sportswear are something of rarity. PLANETICS is the first online marketplace for environmentally friendly and fair sporting goods. The broad range and rigorous preselection make it easy for customers to find and purchase sustainable sporting goods. The company is also working alongside academic institutions to put an integrated structure in place that will make the ecological and social impacts of individual products more measurable and comparable.

Pulp Fictions
Friedrich Wördehoff, Karl Schinkel | Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design HalleThe material study Pulp Fictions deals with 3D paper molding, also known as moulded pulp. The project takes a fresh look at an otherwise closed mode of production within industry, opening it up to reconfiguration and experimentation in form, materiality and potential applications. The samples and products created in this process demonstrate a sustainable use of waste paper and fibre waste, which can then become a part of recyclable design.

Solego 2.0
SolarWorX GmbHThe Solego 2.0 modular solar system has been created with the aim of bringing renewable energies to remote locations that are otherwise dependent on generators that burn environmentally damaging fossil fuels. This is particularly true in rural Africa, where many people and businesses are cut off from the energy grid. All system components, which are largely made of recyclable materials, are easy to dismantle and can be straightforwardly exchanged.

SONNET155
Johanna Hehemeyer-Cürten, Lobke Beckfeld | weißensee kunsthochschule berlinThe SONNET115 project highlights sustainability as a pleasure and not a burden. Obtained from the industrial by-products of textile and juice production, the result is a material that can be locally sourced and produced, and which is completely biodegradable. The minimalist design underlines the special texture and translucency. The product, in this case a handbag, can be used until it begins to degrade, at which point it can be returned to the natural cycle.

Tubedo
Tubedo GmbHEvery year in Europe, the manufacture of disposable tubes creates a mountain of material the size of the Empire State Building. Tubedo GmbH offers a reusable alternative for cosumers and industry in the form of the first fully drainable sealed tube. Tubedo is easy to fill and nothing gets stuck thanks to the external thread. It is easy to use and clean, by hand or in the dishwasher.