Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks said: "Many of our consumer products or services can be designed much more sustainably. A chair, a pair of eyeglasses or a tool should not "only" become more ecological, it should also be pleasant to use or wear. And that is the main idea behind the Federal Ecodesign Award: it calls upon all designers to compete because we still need a whole lot of good ideas for long-lasting, resource-efficient products."
An interdisciplinary jury will select nominees and winners in September. A group of experts from UBA and the project advisory board then draw up a shortlist of winners. Their evaluation is based on a criteria matrix developed jointly by the Federal Ministry for Environment, UBA and the International Design Center Berlin (IDZ). Their focus is the entire life cycle of a product – from the idea itself to production and through to the question of how it can be recycled or disposed.
"What is special about this design award are the convincing aesthetics of the design of the entries which address the ecological challenges of our time. This year we are again hoping for many entries of sustainably designed, long-lasting products from many areas of life, new concepts in sharing and exchanging, and services which make living, shopping or travel pleasant and ease the burden on the environment", remarked Maria Krautzberger, President of the German Environment Agency (UBA).
The award winners and nominees are rewarded at an awards ceremony which will be held on 27 November 2017 at the Federal Ministry for Environment. Their entries will be shown next year in a travelling exhibition at trade fairs and museums. Students can look forward to prize money of 1,000 euros per entry. The exhibition of the 2016 nominee and winner entries opens on 20 March 2017 in Ludwigsburg. The exhibition side events programme features workshops and other events.
Details for applicants and further information about the award and exhibition are available at: www.bundespreis-ecodesign.de
Deadline: 10 April 2017
Developed and implemented by:
Internationales Design Zentrum Berlin e. V. (IDZ)
www.idz.de
Jury 2017:
Werner Aisslinger (product designer)
Prof. Anna Berkenbusch (communications designer)
Andreas Detzel (environmental expert)
Prof. Matthias Held (product designer)
Dr. Thomas Holzmann (Vice-President, German Environment Agency)
Prof. em. Günter Horntrich (product designer)
Dr. Claudia Perren (architect)
Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter (Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety)
Prof. Friederike von Wedel-Parlow (fashion designer)
More information about the competition
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