Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze said: "Young people in particular took to the streets this year around the world demanding that we think about and rethink what we buy and consume, how we travel, how we feed and clothe ourselves, and the key to sustainable consumption is in the products themselves. The German Federal Ecodesign Award shows that attractive design and sustainability have long ceased to be a contradiction in terms."
UBA President Maria Krautzberger said: "The innovative ideas in this contest surprise me again and again every year. The contest generates a growing stock of excellent examples of ecodesign."
Some 200 guests from government, industry, science and the design industry will be attending the award ceremony at the Federal Environment Ministry in Berlin.
The Federal Ministry for Environment and the Federal Environment Agency have awarded the Federal Ecodesign Award every year since 2012 in cooperation with the International Design Center Berlin. The prize is awarded in the four categories "Product", "Service", "Concept" and "Young Talent" to projects which are convincing in design and environmental consciousness. It targets enterprises of all sizes in all industries as well next-generation designers.
Winners 2019
The winners are listed here: https://bundespreis-ecodesign.de/en/winner
Category "Product"
VELLO Bike+ - VELLO Bike GmbH (based in Vienna, Austria)
A lightweight e-bike distinctive in its compact design and intuitive folding mechanism. Electric drive with a self-charging function enables long range travel without the need for a power point.
https://vimeo.com/374192873
weber.therm circle - Saint-Gobain Weber GmbH (based in Düsseldorf)
This full-mineral thermal insulation system can be deconstructed into all its components which can then be sorted and returned to the raw material cycle.
https://vimeo.com/374193060
Wikkelhouse - Wikkelhouse B.V. (based in Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Whether holiday lodge, office or exhibition space – this cardboard building is made from water-repellent cardboard modules which can be configured according to individual wish.
https://vimeo.com/374193305
Eve Thermo - Eve Systems GmbH (based in Munich)
A radiator thermostat adjusts room temperature according to individual daily routine. It can be controlled with Apple HomeKit or Bluetooth Low Energy Technology and connects directly to iPhones or iPads.
https://vimeo.com/374192043
Bananatex® - QWSTION (based in Reith bei Seefeld, Austria)
This functional, waterproof fabric is made from the fibres of the Abacá banana plant to make bags. The robust banana plant is grown in the Philippines using sustainable forestry practices.
https://vimeo.com/374204659
WormUp_HOME - WormUp GmbH (based in Zürich, Switzerland)
This composter designed for urban apartments uses worms to recycle organic waste into a high-quality plant fertiliser – odourlessly.
https://vimeo.com/374193826
Category "Service"
Donk-EE - Green Moves Rheinland GmbH & Co. KG (based in Düsseldorf)
The sharing system is app-based and provides electric cargo bikes available 24/7 at 50 locations in Cologne for mobility needs such as moving house, big shopping trips or a family outing.
https://vimeo.com/374191080
Category "Concept"
Maritime waste collection - One Earth - One Ocean e.V. (based in Garching)
The multi-purpose vessel SeeElefant uses its on-board cranes to load plastic waste gathered from collecting vessels and then processes the waste into unmixed bales which are stored on the ship.
https://vimeo.com/374190091
WOODSCRAPER - Partner und Partner Architekten (based in Berlin)
The circular high-rise buildings are made primarily of renewable raw materials such as wood and straw and demonstrate how technology can provide answers to urgent issues such as resource scarcity, climate change and population growth issues.
https://vimeo.com/374193537
Category "Young Talent"
Baker's Butchery - Lukas Keller (Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle)
The concept aims to encourage scrutiny of our food culture and envisages integrating mealworm farms into bakeries which would allow the waste heat and nutrient production to be put to use.
https://vimeo.com/374194136
SOAPBOTTLE - Jonna Breitenhuber (Berlin University of the Arts)
Soap-based packaging is suitable for liquid hygiene products and can be used as hand soap or turned into detergent after its contents are used.
https://vimeo.com/374192344
urban:eden - Paulina Grebenstein (Kunsthochschule Berlin Weißensee)
Urban:eden envisions new climate adaptation systems such as air processing, retention and solar reflection which ensure an overall improvement of quality of life in the city.
https://vimeo.com/374192602
Jury
Werner Aisslinger (Product designer)
Prof. Anna Berkenbusch (Jury Chair, Communication designer, Professor at Kunsthochschule Halle)
Andreas Detzel (Environmental expert, ifeu Heidelberg)
Prof. Matthias Held (Product designer, Professor at the School of Design Schwäbisch Gmünd)
Prof. em. Günter Horntrich (Product designer, Emeritus Professor of Design and Ecology at the Köln International School of Design)
Maria Krautzberger (President, German Environment Agency)
Dr. Claudia Perren (Architect, Director of the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, numerous national and international publications and exhibitions)
Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter (Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety)
Prof. Friederike von Wedel-Parlow (Fashion designer, Founder of Beneficial Design Institute)
For more information about the award and the jury: https://bundespreis-ecodesign.de/
All the winning and nominated submissions to the German Ecodesign Award 2019 2020 will be on display in a touring exhibition in 2020.
The next round of the contest starts on 13 January 2020.
Click to enlarge