Acting responsibly

“We are really proud that 'Eqio' makes us the first partner of the three-level distribution channel to have a bathroom furniture collection that boasts the Blue Angel ecolabel,” says Dr. Susanne Sollner who heads Innovation- and Sustainability Management at burgbad AG. And the manufacturer of furniture and furnishing concepts for the bathroom from Bad Fredeburg in North Rhine Westphalia has every right to be proud: Strict criteria are in place for the label which attests to the fact that “Eqio” is low in emissions, does not present any health risks when used in the home and that its production involves the use of wood from sustainable forestry. “It was a conscious decision on our part with “Eqio” to have a fast-moving program assessed because we wanted to prove that we apply the same criteria to our products from the entry segment as we do to high-end products,” explains Sabine Meissner, head of Marketing at burgbad.

It is a great accolade for burgbad for its bathroom furniture collection “Eqio” to be awarded the Blue Angel label but the company’s focus on sustainability is by no means new. Anyone who takes a look at the commitment of the market leader for individual solutions in the premium sector will be surprised just how broad the base of its sustainable production is. It begins with the position of Susanne Sollner in the company; the graduate chemist heads and coordinates innovation- and sustainability management at burgbad. Her team includes 12 representatives from the various specialist departments at burgbad who are responsible for ensuring sustainability and innovation are implemented in their particular area. It tends to be the global corporations that accord such a strategic role to sustainability and have installed dedicated departments to this end. But we have been aware for a long time that we have to pursue a systematic approach because such decisive moves mean investments and require a great deal of staying power. In developing our sustainability work we are regarded as a pioneer of sorts for the sector,” says Sabine Meissner.

Sustainability is firmly anchored in the corporate strategy – an achievement that also reflects the immense internal solidarity at burgbad. “It can only work if everyone is on board," comments Dr. Susanne Sollner. As early as 2016 burgbad was the first manufacturer of bathroom furniture to attain the highest level of the DGM-climate protection initiative and two years later its furniture was declared to be "climate-neutral” by the German quality assurance association for furniture DGM. The entire furniture range of burgbad carries the emission class A certificate awarded to products free of harmful substances. It is also possible to read the details of burgbad’s sustainable activities as the company lays great store on transparency and regularly publishes a comprehensive sustainability report. From the precise listing of the natural resources, it uses to the percentages of recyclable waste burgbad provides a deep insight into its strategy for environmentally-sound production.

Social responsibility is also an important aspect of sustainability for burgbad: 95 percent of suppliers come from Europe, production is regionally based, fair and ecological. All the high-quality products are labeled “Made in Germany”. Moreover, in 2015 burgbad 2015 joined the UN Global Compact the largest and most important global initiative for responsible company management. “Do not manage sustainability in the company but rather manage the company sustainably,” says Dr. Susanne Sollner. And she adds: “From the very outset, burgbad has embraced a holistic concept.” Incidentally, there is also a sweet side to sustainability at burgbad: The company’s own bees at the facility in the health resort of Bad Fredeburg regularly produce honey that is both organic and sustainable, of course.