Economy | Consumption

New UBA study: Numbers, background information, research needs, and measures to combat the plastic flood.

The German Federal Ecodesign Award 2019 has been announced, and once again, businesses of all sizes and sectors, designers and students can enter their products or services in the contest for the highest national prize for ecodesign. Deadline for submission of entries is 8 April.

Software has a significant impact on the resource efficiency of IT hardware and on how long it is used. Programs which execute the same functions can have very different levels of energy consumption depending on how they are programmed. The German Environment Agency (UBA) has developed criteria to assess the environmental impact of software products.

The Blue Angel is now available for resource-saving reusable cup systems. The aim is to cut down on disposable cups and promote environmentally friendly reusable cups.

Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze presented awards to the winning projects of the National Sustainable Urban Logistics Competition which the Federal Ministry for Environment launched together with the German Environment Agency. The competition distinguishes innovative logistics strategies that foster environmentally and climate-friendly transport in urban areas.

Winning projects include sustainable silk production, a modularly constructed smartphone, an electric retrofittable bicycle engine, and an initiative to dispense free tap water for people on the move.

The Blue Angel – the German government’s ecolabel – is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Since 1978 it has been setting high environmental standards for products and services, independent of economic interests.

Keeping materials in circulation and preventing them from becoming waste is only possible if the design of a product is adapted accordingly. The possibilities offered by ecodesign were the topic of the Circular Design Forum in Berlin. Here, the results of the project “EcoDesign Circle” were presented, in which the UBA plays the leading role. Documentation and additional materials are now online.

Designers can also contribute to solving the problem of marine litter – with the right choice of materials when designing products, for instance. This was the topic of a workshop that was initiated by the UBA in June 2018 with approximately 30 participants from the Baltic Sea Region. The results and specific recommendations for action have now been published.

Operators of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities can apply for funding under the Environmental Innovation Programme until 15 April 2019

The environment and design experts of the German Federal Ecodesign Award announced their nominations for this year's award yesterday at the Kulturforum Berlin. The jury selected 24 projects from about 130 competing entries in the areas of building, home, interior design, communication, mobility and fashion.

Dental bridges, car bodies, construction components for homes: with 3D printing, it is possible to make almost anything. The technology is conquering ever more branches of industry – and even ringing in a new era of manufacturing. The efficiency of raw materials, greenhouse gases, pollutants: a study by the UBA highlights the challenges and opportunities for the environment and health.