Wherever food is produced and packaged, food waste reduction is an important issue. Whether through a better use of harvests, the rigorous processing of “waste products” in the subsequent processing or innovations in logistics, storage and packaging: Many food producers are already committed to throwing away less valuable foodstuffs.

Since 2012 the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft, or BMEL) has been committed to a higher valuing of foodstuffs with the initiative Too Good for the Bin! There are more and more people and initiatives in Germany campaigning against the wasting of food – whether voluntarily, in action groups, in research, with unconventional product and business ideas, and much more.

The BMEL distinguishes outstanding ideas and projects with the Zu gut für die Tonne! (Too Good for the Bin!) federal prize for commitment to food waste reduction.

Have a project that would fit for the federal prize? Then you can now apply until 31st of October 2017 at www.zugutfuerdietonne.de/bundespreis. The winners will be selected by a high-caliber jury with members of indutry, the gastronomy,  agriculture, science and society. Among the applicants a prize is additionally awarded, which is endowed with 3,000 euros.

Projects from a wide variety of sectors throughout the entire production chain, from trade to the recycling of food in restaurants and private households, will be awarded. This year, the competition is open to everyone, whether it is a company, restauranteur, farmer, scientific institution, private citizen, NGO, municipality or initiative – everyone can participate.

The German Sustainability Award (Deutsche Nachhaltigpreis) honors companies that are particularly successful in meeting environmental and social challenges with their products and services and thereby use sustainability as an economic opportunity. In 2016 the award will be awarded in three categories; Special awards recognize the most sustainable brand as well as a special focus on resource efficiency. AGVU is an institutional partner of the German Sustainability Award.

A Special Prize for Resource Efficiency.
Increased energy productivity as well as extended material and product life cycles are of particular importance for the German Sustainability Prize.

The special “Resource Efficiency Prize”, awarded in cooperation with the Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V., the fischer group of companies and the “Lebensraum Ziegel” initiative, recognizes exemplary commitment to the circular economy in recycling, raw material and resource management. It aims to identify strategies and solutions with a model- and best practice-character in a crucial field of sustainable development.

How the Best are Determined.
An electronic questionnaire ascertains the excellence in sustainability of the company with regard to effective contributions to the solution of environmental and social problems, the economic success of the corresponding measures and objectives for the future. The top management consultancy A.T. Kearney and the Wuppertal Institute pursue an integrated evaluation approach for all sustainability dimensions and value creation stages.

In order to evaluate the “most sustainable brands”, the Berlin School of Economics and Law assessed sustainability aspects in brand management and impact through self-assessment. This evaluation was supported by the Sustainability Image Score, which is collected and evaluated by Facit Research.