Economy | Consumption | Umweltbundesamt

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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

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. read more

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. read more

A research report commissioned by the UBA has analysed a range of options for designing the EU Innovation Fund (IF), a financing instrument created under the EU Emissions Trading System to support demonstration projects for low-carbon innovation in the power sector and industry. From 2019 onwards, this fund will use revenues from auctioning emissions trading allowances for this purpose. read more

The catalogues of criteria of the Blue Angel for textiles and mobile phones has been overhauled and approved by the Environmental Label Jury. Changes include details and additional requirements of the working conditions at the manufacturing site. Manufacturers may now apply for the ecolabel on their products. read more