“Sustainability is part of our business strategy”

Stefan Dierks, Senior Manager of Corporate Responsibility, on socially and ecologically sustainable purchasing.

By purchasing sustainable products, consumers can keep tabs on their resource consumption, improve their personal carbon footprints and influence the social consequences of their consumption behaviour. Tchibo provides an increasing number of products that live up to this standard. Stefan Dierks, Senior Manager of Corporate Responsibility, explains how Tchibo dedicates itself to sustainable consumption in the following interview.

Mr Dierks, these days we are hearing more and more talk about “sustainable consumption”.What is behind this concept?

For the consumer, sustainable consumption means becoming conscious of how products are produced and used. Under what conditions was a specific product manufactured, and where did the raw materials for this product originate? What effects do manufacturing and shipping have on the environment? And how can I use this product in an environmentally friendly way? People who ask themselves questions like these are already well on their way toward becoming sustainable consumers. In other words, people who practice sustainable consumption take the resources and social environment surrounding production into consideration when they make purchasing decisions and when they use products.

Aside from a clear conscience, are there any other incentives for customers to practice sustainable consumption?

It is actually possible for consumers to save money this way. People who limit their energy and resource consumption by purchasing and using goods such as power strips, LED light bulbs or water-saving attachments can often considerably cut their expenses.

So far, there has been a lot of discussion about the “consumer” – do consumers alone bear the responsibility for sustainable consumption?

No, we are talking about a group effort. Before a user can begin to practise sustainable consumption, numerous groups have to dedicate themselves to the cause. Governments, non-governmental organisations, unions, producers, retailers and consumers alike share a common responsibility. Everyone needs to work hand in hand to make environmentally and socially sustainable consumption a reality.

What does this mean for Tchibo?

This means that we are committing ourselves to sustainably developing consumption behaviour both internally and on a cross-company basis.

What does this mean in concrete terms?

First of all, this means that we are offering more and more products that live up to this standard of sustainability. We are increasingly providing sustainably cultivated coffees. And we are sharpening our focus on production countries to ensure that our consumer goods are produced under sustainable conditions. For example, we are stepping up our sales of textiles that are prepared with cotton cultivated under environmentally and socially sustainable conditions, and our garden furniture made of tropical and boreal woods comes from responsible forestry. Parallel to these efforts, we also give our customers appropriate information about our product range’s sustainability.

How can customers identify sustainable products at Tchibo?

Customers can first pick out our sustainable goods by locating the seals of international standards organisations printed on the packaging. The seals granted to our coffee range currently include the International Fairtrade Certification Mark, the Rainforest Alliance seal and the “Bio-Siegel” (“eco label”) following the EU Organic regulation. Textile products in our consumer goods range carry the “Cotton made in Africa” and “Textile Exchange” seals. Consumers interested in our line of wood products can look out for the FSC^® seal in our line of wood products. Additionally, we convey information to our customers about sustainable products on packaging, in our customer magazine, and in brochures and flyers. In connection with our “green power” and “climate-friendly gas” energy offerings we offer numerous energy saving tips online.

Is Tchibo also taking a stand for sustainable consumption outside the scope of its own product range?

Yes, we are involved in various overarching committees, such as the “Platform for Climate Compatible Consumption in Germany”. This committee allows us to intensively share our knowledge and experiences with political and business players to create collective approaches to fostering sustainable consumption.