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Joint press release by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), the German Environment Agency (UBA) and the International Design Center Berlin (IDZ)

Design for the future

Jury nominates 30 submissions for the German Ecodesign Award 2025
Group photo
Members of the jury for the German Ecodesign Award 2025
Source: Sandra Kühnapfel © IDZ

In 2025, the German Ecodesign Award will once again impressively demonstrate how ecological design positively impacts the environment and our everyday culture, and the contribution it makes to transformation. Around 380 submissions from business, research, and universities across Europe reflect the growing commitment to ecological design in all areas of life—from innovative materials and circular business models to social design approaches.

Press release No. 33/2025 |

149 competition entries passed the preliminary evaluation by the panel of advisory board members and experts from the German Environment Agency and were admitted to the jury session at the Metropolenhaus Berlin. From these, the interdisciplinary jury nominated 30 particularly impressive projects. All of them can look forward to the possibility of being awarded the German Ecodesign Award 2025. The official award ceremony will take place on 1 December at the Federal Ministry for the Environment in Berlin.

What convinced the organisers and the jury

Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Member of the German Bundestag, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUKN) and jury member: “Ecological design is becoming increasingly popular and relevant. We are working to ensure that ecological aspects in design continue to gain ground and can become the standard for products and services—both at the European level together with other member states, and with the help of the German Ecodesign Award. It has established itself as a fixture in the annual calendar for innovative companies, service providers and emerging designers alike. In view of the many excellent competition entries we as a jury have nominated, I look to the future of a true circular economy with optimism.”

Dr Bettina Rechenberg, Head of Department III “Sustainable Products and Production, Circular Economy” at the German Environment Agency (⁠UBA ⁠) and jury member commented: “Again this year, we saw a fantastic diversity of projects during the jury session. The important professional preliminary evaluation carried out each year by the project advisory board and colleagues from the German Environment Agency deserves special mention. This preliminary evaluation is not only a unique feature of the competition, but also indispensable for a well-founded jury decision.”

Exhibition and opening at Metropolenhaus Berlin

All projects admitted to the jury session—including this year’s nominees—will be on display from 20 to 23 September at the Metropolenhaus Berlin, daily from 12 noon to 4 pm. The vernissage will take place on 19 September at 6 pm

Further details and an online gallery with all nominees can be found on the website of the German Ecodesign Award.

Since 2012, the German Ecodesign Award has recognised pioneering concepts, products, and services that combine design and environmental responsibility in innovative ways. The competition is organised by the Federal Ministry for the Environment and the German Environment Agency in cooperation with the International Design Center Berlin.

The nominated projects in detail

Young talent category

Concept category

Service category

Product category

The Jury of the German Ecodesign Award 2025

  • Werner Aisslinger (Product Designer)
  • Ina Budde (Co-founder and Managing Director of circular.fashion)
  • Matthias Held (Product Designer, Professor at the Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Design)
  • Dr. Claudia Perren (Architect, Director of the Basel Academy of Art and Design)
  • Siddharth Prakash (Head of the Circular Economy and Global Value Chains Group in the Product and Material Flows Division at the Öko-Institut in Freiburg)
  • Paula Raché (Communication Designer and works with Material Stories on exhibitions, publications and interdisciplinary workshops)
  • Bettina Rechenberg (Head of Department III “Sustainable Products and Production, Circular Economy” at the German Environment Agency (UBA)
  • Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Member of the Bundestag (Parliamentary State Secretary at the BMUKN), represented by Anja Hanslik (Head of the Division for "Sustainable Consumption, Product-Related Environmental Protection" at the BMUKN)
  • Michael Volkmer (Founder of the creative agency Scholz & Volkmer)

Contact for image material:
Luisa Stibbe | presse [at] bundespreis-ecodesign [dot] de

German Ecodesign Award Office
c/o IDZ | International Design Center Berlin e.V.
Markgrafenstr. 88 | 10969 Berlin-Kreuzberg
Tel. +49 30 61 62 321-22 

Postal address: Hagelberger Straße 52 | 10965 Berlin

Associated content

Links

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Short link: www.umweltbundesamt.de/n119623en