Joint press release with the Federal Ministry of Environment (BMU) and the International Design Center Berlin e.V. (IDZ)

Greenwashing is not enough!

‘Bundespreis Ecodesign‘ competition relaunched

“Greenwashing is not enough!“ is the motto of this year’s Bundespreis Ecodesign competition which was initiated by the Federal Ministry of Environment (BMU) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and relaunched on 14 January 2013 for the second time. Environmental compatibility and good design have long ceased to be a contradiction in terms. The sponsors of the competition hope to demonstrate the creative potential to make products more ecological – and how top-class design, aesthetics and environmental protection can be united. Businesses and designers can submit entries of ecologically and aesthetically compelling products through 15 April 2013.

This year’s competition features a new “Service” category for existing services and system solutions. The other categories remain “Product” for products that are either available on the German market or market-ready prototypes, "Concept" for future-oriented ideas, and “young design” for students and design graduates.

An interdisciplinary jury of members from the fields of ecology and design will evaluate the submissions. What counts most is innovativeness, quality of design and environmental properties. The BMU, UBA and IDZ jointly developed a catalogue of criteria by which to evaluate the submissions. The International Design Center Berlin (IDZ) was responsible for developing the format and procedure of the competition and receives support from the project advisory council.

The online exhibition is a source of inspiration and orientation for nominees and award winners of the 2012 national competition and a source of background information about ecodesign, which the web site also provides. The touring exhibition of Bundespreis Ecodesign opens on 6 February in Ludwigsburg and will feature the award-winning entries of 2012 through 16 February. The exhibition's second stop is at "Munich Creative Business Week", where it will be on display on 21-24 February as part of the special exhibit "mcbw momente – Denkräume für Design". The exhibition will be shown at UBA in Dessau 28 on February-2 April, accompanied by fringe events on the topic of ecodesign. More stops for the exhibition are planned.

Further information:

To submit an application and for further information on the competition and exhibition vist the Bundespreis-Ecodesign website.
Deadline for entries: 14 January - 15 April 2013

International Design Center Berlin e. V. (IDZ)
The International Design Center Berlin (IDZ) is an association dedicated to promoting design and thus also to the potential and quality of design. Since its founding in 1968 IDZ has been a competence center and communications platform connecting business, society and culture. It is dedicated to current as well as future topics and questions in design. IDZ emphasises various aspects of design and presents and discusses current design topics through projects, exhibitions and presentations. Social, economic and environmental as well as aesthetic considerations are all part of the effort to further the work of designers and an effort to increase design consciousness in consumers and companies alike. Visit our Website for more information.

Jury
Werner Aisslinger (designer)
Dr. Kirsten Brodde (journalist and author, eco-fashion expert)
Prof. Günter Horntrich (designer, Professor for Design and Ecology at KISD)
Prof. Dr. Erik Spiekermann (communications designer, typographer and author)
Nicola Stattmann (designer, materials expert)
Dr. Rainer Grießhammer (Director, Öko-Institut)
Jochen Flasbarth (President, UBA)
Ursula Heinen-Esser (Parliamentary State Secretary at BMU)

Project advisory council
Dorothea Hess, Alliance of German Designers (AGD)
Anne Farken, BMW Group Designworks USA
Prof. Matthias Held and Sabine Lenk, German Society for Design Theory and Research (DGTF)
Lutz Dietzold, German Design Council
Prof. Philipp Oswalt und Katja Klaus, Bauhaus Dessau Foundation
Prof. Susanne Schwarz-Raacke (Product design), Prof. Heike Selmer (Fashion design)
and Prof. Dr. Zane Berzina (Textile and surface design), Berlin Weissensee School of Art (KHB)
Karin-Simone Fuhs, ecosign/Academy of Design
Dr. Dietlinde Quack, Öko-Institut
Thomas Wodtke and Hendrik Roch, Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT
Stephan Rabl, The German Retail Federation (HDE)
Dr. Dominik Klepper, German Brands Association  
Frauke Rogalla, The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv)

Umweltbundesamt Hauptsitz

Wörlitzer Platz 1
06844 Dessau-Roßlau
Germany

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