Federal Ecodesign Awards for Designs from Bavaria
Ten products or concepts with innovative, sustainable design are honored at the Federal Ecodesign Award. Two of the winners of the highest state award for ecological design in Germany are from Bavaria.
Very different innovative projects were honored, such as a school building with a climate-positive energy balance, online orders without shipping waste or a new life for old fur.
One of the two winning entries from Bavaria is VIOWALL, a solution for the natural drying of damp house walls. Cushion elements filled with glass foam obtained from waste glass are used. These elements enclose the foundation walls and form an impenetrable moisture barrier that is immediately effective due to natural physical processes. Water in the walls is absorbed by the glass foam and dissipated upwards by means of evaporation. Unlike common full-protection solutions, no petroleum-based substances are used in the manufacturing process.
“An amazingly simple and convincingly implemented solution to keep foundation walls permanently dry. Like a breathing membrane, the foam glass cushions made from recycled glass form a closed barrier that dissipates moisture by evaporation and prevents waterlogging. An innovative area of application for this ecological insulating material,” said the jury in its statement.
Also receiving an award was the shower gel and hand soap powder from Less Waste Club UG. The shower gels and hand soaps in powder form offer a more environmentally friendly shower experience. When mixed with water, they become a liquid personal care product. By reducing the water content to almost zero and thus reducing the transport weight, manufacturing in Germany and dispensing with traditional plastic packaging, a large part of the CO² emissions are saved in the manufacturing and delivery process.
This also convinced the jury: “The two entries are particularly convincing because of the excellent idea of saving water in the product itself, i.e. less transport weight and plastic packaging. In a market that predominantly offers liquid cosmetics in plastic bottles, products in powder form and reusable dispenser bottles mean a good alternative for people who don’t want to do without liquid cosmetics.”
Dr. Dirk Messner, President of the German Federal Environment Agency, emphasizes the important role of design in this context: “The topic of ecodesign has gained enormous importance. Ecodesign now plays a central role in the circular society and the decoupling of resource consumption and prosperity. This increased importance is also reflected in the Federal Ecodesign Award.”