The German Sustainability Award (DNP) recognises the pioneers of sustainable transformation and is now honouring exemplary sustainability achievements in business, local authorities and research for the 18th time. In the packaging category, the Potsdam-based company Leef Blattwerk was honoured with the winner's globe. Traceless Materials from Hamburg received the special prize in the transformation field of resources.
Leef Blattwerk came out on top from hundreds of applications in a two-stage selection process. As a specialist in sustainable materials, the company offers innovative, sustainable disposable and packaging solutions with its Leef and Wisefood brands - from climate-neutral palm leaf and compostable to-go packaging to edible straws and cups.
With over 1,000 products for restaurants, catering, events and private customers, Leef is one of the pioneers of recyclable packaging concepts. The independent jury of 240 experts from business, science and civil society were impressed by the company's innovative strength, circular concepts and corporate responsibility.
Jury praises pioneering role
In its official statement, the jury particularly emphasised the company's impact and scalability: „Leef Blattwerk impresses with a product portfolio in line with the circular economy that consistently transfers sustainability to catering and packaging - an area with enormous ecological levers.“
„There are many awards - but this one really counts. The German Sustainability Award has relevance, a strong jury and a real impact. For us, winning is an important signal: our holistic work is recognised and taken seriously.“
Jens Christoph, CEO of Leef
What is particularly remarkable is that it was not a single product that was honoured, but the company as a whole - with its vision, its processes and its market approach. This is because Leef stands for a business model that combines environmental awareness, climate protection and social commitment. „We operate in a segment that affects everyone: we celebrate, have picnics or go to events. Almost everything is packaged, and where reusable is not suitable, we show that disposable is also environmentally friendly. Plastic-free, edible, compostable, truly circular,“ continues Jens Christoph.
The winners had already been announced in October, and now the official presentation of the winner's globe will take place at the 18th German Sustainability Day in Düsseldorf. As sustainability is industry-specific, the DNP divides 20 sectors into 100 industries in order to make transformation visible in a targeted manner.
Other winners are:
Gmund Paper, the paper mill from Tegernsee, came out on top in the paper category. In the plastics category, the expert jury chose the Hamburg-based company for compostable materials, Traceless Materials, to the top of the sustainable pioneers in its sector. In the glass category Heinz glass from Upper Franconia received the award and the Upper Palatinate mechanical engineer Krones receives the winner's ball in the mechanical engineering category.
At the award ceremony on 5 December in Düsseldorf, special prizes were also awarded to the sustainable lighthouses in the five most important transformation fields (climate, resources, nature, society, value chain). With the special prize, the DNP focusses on the fields in which the need for action is greatest in order to achieve the goal of sustainable development.
The Hamburg-based start-up Traceless Materials received the special prize in the transformation field of resources. Traceless' solution is aimed at packaging that is difficult to recycle or frequently ends up in the environment - such as films, rigid trays or paper coatings. The company offers a Natural substitute material for plasticswhich consists of plant residues from the agricultural industry without the use of food crops. The material is microplastic-free, garden compostable and Free from questionable additives.
Source: DNP / Leef foliage
