Steffi Lemke, federal environment minister, bestows the Blue Angel on EDEKA for their reusable system.
Following the national rollout of the reusable system regood from Germany’s top food retailer EDEKA on January 1, 2023, the renowned Blue Angel environmental certification for regood’s cups and bowls was issued today. Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke presented the Blue Angel at Berlin-EDEKA Steglitz’s Center No. 1. The system’s sustainability features received commendation from the Federal Environment Minister, among other things, and it was certified with the environmental label.
The EDEKA network has, for many years, placed a primary emphasis on the reduction of waste caused by excess packaging materials. In the event that avoidance is not an option, EDEKA relies, among other things, on reusable as opposed to throwaway options. This is also the case with the newly developed reusable system called Regood, which is intended for consumption away from the home. Throughout the process of developing these containers, EDEKA placed a significant emphasis on a variety of areas related to sustainability. As a result, regood has been awarded the Blue Angel, which is given to items that are especially kind to the environment.
“The way in which we deal with packages desperately needs a complete overhaul. Their usage has been growing steadily over the past few years. The recently mandated requirement to provide services that may be reused has the potential to make a significant contribution in this area. Many eateries, including cafes and restaurants, as well as food service providers like caterers and canteens, have already made the transition at an earlier stage. Because consumers now always have access to an option that is better for the environment, there is no longer any obligation for anyone to accept disposable plastic when taking food or drinks along. Reusable systems, such as regood,’ are effective and provide a significant increase in value to the surrounding ecosystem. The awarding of the Blue Angel earlier today is further evidence of this point. When purchasing products that are marked with the Blue Angel symbol, consumers may be certain that the products are long-lasting and safe for the environment. Steffi Lemke, who serves as the Federal Minister of the Environment, made this remark during the official presentation of the seal.
As Director of Marketing and Sales for EDEKA ZENTRALE Stiftung & Co. KG, Claas Meineke, who accepted the Blue Angel award on the company’s behalf, is pleased with both the appreciation associated with the certification and the lighthouse function for customers: “At EDEKA, we have always placed a high value on the fact that the Blue Angel is credible and independent. Our pioneering role in the German food retail sector regarding the application of realistic environmental and resource preservation measures has been validated by the awarding of the Blue Angel certification to our regood reusable system. It is of the utmost importance to us that the orientation of the seal be completely evident to our customers, “says Meineke. EDEKA is able to draw attention to the positive effects that reusing goods has on the surrounding environment thanks to the Blue Angel.
At least 500 times can be squeezed out of one use of repurposed reusable packaging.
When customers purchase fresh foods and beverages from the salad bar or the hot counter, EDEKA provides them with an easy-to-implement and appealing solution to reduce the amount of wasteful packaging that is produced by the transaction. This solution is the regood deposit system for reusable packaging. The microwave- and dishwasher-safe cups and bowls are created in Germany and come in a variety of sizes and attractive designs. Additionally, they are recyclable. They are given out in exchange for a deposit value at the EDEKA and Marktkauf stores that are participating in the program. When they have been used, the containers can be taken back to that location to receive a refund of the deposit value. The containers are cleaned in accordance with the standards for food hygiene that are in place in the retail locations, and as a result, they are capable of being reused more than 500 times.
