Kaldewei has entered into a long-term partnership with the WWF in connection with an ocean conservation programme.
Kaldewei’s philosophy is centred around the belief our society must become more sustainable and environmentally aware if it wants to leave a habitable world for future generations.
For over 100 years, the family company has been using natural raw materials, transforming them into long-lasting and recyclable bathroom products, made of steel enamel. According to the manufacturer, its commitment does not end with the delivery of the finished products. Kaldewei is also a member of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) and was the first bathroom manufacturer who could offer an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) issued by the Institut Bauen und Umwelt (IBU) for its products.
“Our commitment to the environment doesn’t end at the factory gates, but goes far beyond this, which is why, since 2017, as a leading German bathroom manufacturer, we have been working as a long-term partner with the WWF; specifically supporting its ocean conservation programme in Vietnam,” says Managing Director, Franz Kaldewei.
“We’re talking here about the “Long An” model project in the Mekong Delta that is combatting the causes of plastic waste in the world’s oceans. The aim is to significantly reduce the amount of plastic that enters the ocean by separating and recycling plastic waste.”
Thanks to Kaldewei’s help, the preliminary studies and pilot measures has made this made possible and the WWF has been able to convince the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) of the project’s potential. As a result, the BMU has granted the WWF project funding until 2023. As Bernhard Bauske from the WWF emphasises: “It is only Kaldewei’s support that has made it possible to transform a project idea into a highly promising field project to fight the causes of plastic waste in the oceans.”
Certifications and partnerships make sustainable building measurable.
“We need a shared understanding of what sustainable building means. It has to be measurable, applicable and comparable. That is something we advocate as a member of the German Sustainable Building Council,” says Franz Kaldewei. The Council’s certification system is helping to standardise quality in planning, construction and operation, and guarantees the highest possible future security of construction projects. The data contained in the EPDs, for example, form the basis of sustainability reviews for national and international building certification systems such as the DGNB’s Sustainable Building assessment system (BNB) or international standards such as LEED or BREEAM. The qualities that set Kaldewei steel enamel bathroom solutions apart from plastic products, and which contribute to the eco-friendly and climate-neutral building to DGNB standard, include their recyclability and their long useful life, which is backed up by a 30-year guarantee.
To further raise awareness of sustainable building among professionals and private builders, Kaldewei is working with various partners and architect networks, including InteriorPark., one of the leading platforms for sustainable interior architecture and eco-friendly design.
Tina Kammer, architect and co-founder of InteriorPark.says : “It’s not easy for consumers to engage intensively with alternatives every time they buy something so that they can make the right choice. All market players need to provide more information in this area.“
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