The annual German Ecodesign Award, organised by the Bundesministerium für Umwelt (Federal Ministry for the Environment) and the Umweltbundesamt (Federal Environment Agency) in cooperation with the International Design Centre Berlin, has been honouring outstanding ideas and solutions in the field of ecological design since 2012. It is the highest state award for design in Germany. This year, more than 400 projects were submitted in the categories ‘Young Talent’, ‘Concepts’, ‘Service’ and ‘Product’. This record number underlines the importance of sustainable design today.

This year’s winners have now been announced and were honoured by Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke and UBA President Prof. Dr. Dirk Messner in the courtyards of the German Federal Environment Ministry. In the ‘Young Talent’ category, the awards went to ‘Break-up Lab’ by Sophia Reißenweber from the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design in Halle, ‘Entopolis – a Serious Game’ by Anne Carolin Klosson from the Cologne Academy of Design and ‘Soft Spot’ by Franziska Baumgartner from the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. The winner in the ‘Concept’ category was the electric tractor ‘ONOX’ by Raumideen GmbH & Co KG from Pullach. The winning project in the ‘Service’ category was ‘Tork PaperCircle®’ by Essity Professional Hygiene Germany GmbH from Mannheim, a service that helps to close the loop for used Tork paper towels. Four awards were presented in the ‘Product’ category. These went to ‘Kynd Hair – Plant-based Synthetic Hair’ by Kynd Hair GmbH from Berlin, ‘PIGMENTURA’ by CHT Germany GmbH from Tübingen, an innovative pigment-based dyeing process for different types of fibres and fibre blends, ‘Schwalbe Green Marathon’ by Schwalbe – Ralf Bohle GmbH from Reichshof for the world’s first bicycle tyre made from used tyres, and ‘Sleep ’til Infinna’ by ARMEDANGELS – Social Fashion Company GmbH from Cologne, a pyjama made from cellulose fibres that are at least 99% recycled from old textiles. The special ‘Timeless Design’ award in the ‘Product’ category went to the iconic ‘Café Chair’ by Thonet GmbH from Frankenberg.

This year’s awards focused on innovations in material conservation and recycling processes. For example, ‘Break-up Lab’ is researching how organisms can help break down polyester in old textiles to develop circular clothing, while ‘Soft Spot’ is exploring alternative methods of upholstery production using natural, durable, circular materials such as sea grass, kapok fibre and coconut rubber.