Protect Biodiversity Through Benefits

2023 Author: Hannah Pearcy | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 11:39

As a partner of the German Sustainability Award 2020, DAW SE (Alpina, Caparol) delighted at this year's congress on the German Sustainability Award with its project "Wood glazes based on camelina" and thus provided answers to pressing questions about biodiversity.

DAW relies on a resource-efficient economy based on renewable resources. An important component here is the use of renewable raw materials. "As a pioneer for sustainability, DAW actively accompanies the change towards a more sustainable economy and has set up unique, sustainable supply chains for renewable raw materials against this background," said Bettina Klump-Bickert, Head of DAW Sustainability Management.

Strengthening biodiversity with wood finishing products

Protection and regular maintenance play a major role in the longevity and value retention of wood. For this purpose, the DAW has developed high-quality glazes and wood oils that are based on a particularly sustainable raw material: the camelina plant. Under the motto "Protect biodiversity through benefits", Dr. Stephan Ottens, head of the development of wood glazes and wood oils, and Dr. Christian Walter, who heads research in the field of paints and varnishes at DAW, presented the innovative products and the idea behind them to around 700 congress participants.

"At the beginning of the camelina project, it was clear to us that we didn't want to generate the raw materials in competition with food production and in the greatest possible harmony with nature," said Walter. The cultivation of camelina offers an ecological plus, since it is grown together with peas and provides additional food with its inflorescences, such as wild bees and hoverflies. "In a region, namely Brandenburg, where almost only monocultures are cultivated, mixed pea-camelina cultivation contributes to strengthening biodiversity," adds Ottens. Since camelina has an additional weed-suppressing effect, significantly fewer crop protection agents have to be used.

So far, the DAW is the only company in the chemical industry that has received funding from the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation as part of the federal program for biodiversity.

Environmentally friendly and resource-saving without compromise

With another sustainable component, the DAW, through its Caparol brand, presented the congress visitors with a range of products for professional processors that replace fossil fuels with renewable raw materials - not just camelina oil, but also potato starch, for example. "What is special about CapaGeo is that we have not created an isolated individual solution for products, but have made a diverse range of products available for the painting and varnishing trade right from the start, thus covering their areas of application as broadly as possible," says Caparol Senior Brand Ambassador Wolfgang Hofmann and adds: "The special thing is that we have managed to provide professional quality for professional users."

Age-appropriate functionality and individuality

With the "Colors that Care - Living Spaces" concept, a holistic design concept for self-determined living in old age, the DAW was also able to convince at the joint stand with the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). "The focus is on forms of living in the district that meet the demands for age-appropriate functionality, economy, ecology and individuality," says Andreas Gradinger from the property management department at DAW. The living space concept depicts six natural color worlds: spring meadow, rose garden, sea breeze, mountains, countryside and summer freshness. Margit Vollmert, head of the DAW Color Design Studio, expresses her enthusiasm: “People of all ages feel at home there because the emotional needs are taken up in a creative way. Nature provides the best inspiration for this - the habitat color worlds are based on this knowledge.”

The congress on the German Sustainability Award, which took place in Düsseldorf from November 21 to 22, 2019, is aimed at CEOs and sustainability experts from companies and municipalities, representatives from civil society, politics, research and the media and is the most visited congress on sustainability in Germany. This year, the focus was on 100 responses that support sustainable transformation.