ENVIRONMENT
WE'RE WALKING GREEN
WE’RE WALKING GREEN – STEP BY STEP
As a family business, sustainable entrepreneurial action always means taking responsible action that strives for long-term economic success in harmony with the environment and society. We analyze topics such as efficient and sustainable energy use and the ecological handling of resources along the value chain and continuously develop these resources from an environmentally friendly and social point of view. We create the best possible balance, even in places where energy consumption cannot be reduced or renewable energy cannot be used.
Transport
Transport
During the period from January to December 2020, GLS actively participated in the program GLS KlimaProtect, meaning that shipping via General Logistics Systems Germany GmbH & Co. OHG was carried out in a carbon-neutral manner. CO2 emissions of 377.306 tons generated during parcel transport were offset by investing in an externally certified reforestation project (VCS/CCB standard). By using climate-neutral DHL GoGreen products and services, we have offset a total of 625.79 tons of CO2. This value is equivalent to the CO2 consumption of a mid-size car circling the earth 122 times. Commissioned by the company, UPS has already reduced emissions by 3609.04 tons of CO2 from January to December 2022. We have been using climate-neutral parcel transport throughout Europe since 2016 in order to reduce the ecological impact of transporting our products. In this way, we create a CO2 offset for several thousand tons of exhaust gases.
GREEN FACTS
Packaging
We continuously strive to design our packaging from an ecological point of view and to reduce it as much as possible. In July 2021, we started using partially organic materials to avoid single-use plastic. Our goal is to become completely plastic-free in the future.
Decrease chemical substances in production
Compliance with the requirements and regulations in force in Germany and Europe regarding the reduction of chemical substances in production is our priority. As part of our quality management, we constantly check compliance with the standards with the help of internationally accredited research and testing institutes.
Renewable power generation
An audit by the municipal utility, Stadtwerke Detmold, verified that the electricity purchased to supply Detmolder KlimaStrom customers for our corporate headquarters in Detmold, Germany, comes entirely from renewable power generation plants.
Reduced energy costs
At our headquarters in Detmold, we have successfully reduced energy consumption by 75% since 2013 by relying entirely on LED lighting. In general, we have reduced the costs of lighting and air conditioning in our headquarters building to a minimum and have supplemented the existing systems with sustainable systems. The energy requirements of our logistics center, which was built in 2009/2010, were significantly reduced through integrated planning and optimal utilization of site-related factors. Groundwater is utilized with heat pumps and long-distance heating.
Renewable energies
Since 2015, we have exclusively purchased green electricity at our Detmold headquarters, 100% of which comes from renewable sources. This was followed in 2020 by the installation of the largest contiguous rooftop photovoltaic system with self-consumption in the Lippe region, avoiding 250 tons of CO2 annually. Sustainable offers such as sharing shelves, bicycle rentals, and E-bike and E-Smarts leasing options are also available to our employees at the company headquarters.
Trees for the Lippe district
With this commitment, we're taking another step for our green shoeprint. The Wortmann Group is supporting the reforestation of the Teutoburg Forest with €125,000 over the next five years. This new commitment is another important building block for the sustainable actions of our family-owned company and once again underscores the company's ties to its home region of East Westphalia-Lippe. After all, just one look at the local forest with its huge clear-cut areas is all it takes to notice the drastic consequences of climate change, right here on our doorstep. The total amount of €125,000 can finance 25 hectares of mixed deciduous forest. This area is capable of absorbing 200 tons of CO2 per year. Combined with 250 additional tons of CO2 avoided annually through the use of the soccer field-sized photovoltaic system, the total from these two measures alone amounts to 450 tons of CO2 in one year.
