Economy | Consumption | Umweltbundesamt

Building materials such as bituminous sheeting, roofing tiles, exterior rendering and plastered facades can release harmful substances into the environment during the building phase, says a new study by the German Environment Agency (UBA). The good news is that pollutant leaching from building envelopes can be prevented almost entirely with little effort. read more

Effective immediately, businesses of all sizes from all sectors, designers and students can submit their projects to apply for the award. The award targets creative design ideas and projects which also meet the highest ecological demands. The application deadline is 18 April 2022. read more

Strict requirements regarding the appearance and size of fruit and vegetables are a burden on the environment because this often requires the use of additional plant protection agents and fertilisers. It also causes unnecessary food losses. The consumer protection centres and UBA call on businesses to offer fruit and vegetables in all sizes and looks as standard. read more

Ten winners received the German Ecodesign Award 2021 today. The award went to a very diverse set of innovative projects, ranging from personal care products one can mix at home, a school building with a climate-positive energy balance, mail order that does without packaging waste, to giving old fur a new life. read more

The phasing out of tax breaks for automobile and agricultural diesel, the private use of fossil-fuel company cars and agricultural vehicles, as well as of the commuter mileage allowance would generate additional revenues for the public sector in the double-digit billions. This is the conclusion of a new study by the German Environment Agency (UBA) on environmentally harmful subsidies in 2018. read more

94 entries were presented to a meeting of the award jury held at the feldfünf e.V. company on 28 September in Berlin. 25 projects are the lucky nominees for the German Federal Ecodesign Award 2021. Winners of the highest national distinction for ecodesign will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held at the Federal Ministry for the Environment on 6 December 2021. read more

The vocational school centre in Mühldorf am Inn wins the Federal ENVIRONMENT & BUILDING 2021 Award for its innovative energy concept. The building generates more energy than it consumes and stores waste heat in an ice storage. In addition to the main prize winner, another four projects were awarded recognitions, including two in the newly created category "climate-friendly refurbishment". read more

Information on sustainability in the textile and fashion industry - this is what the new online platform www.sustainfashion.info by HEJSupport offers, funded by the UBA as part of an Associations project. Different aspects of the sector are highlighted, such as environmental pollution or human rights, and allows people to speak who share their visions for more sustainability. read more