Our Commitment to Greater Sustainability
At mbw®, we see sustainability as an ongoing process based on informed material choices, transparent processes and continuous improvement. In the following sections, we provide further information about selected measures and projects.
Energy-efficient working environment: Our office building was constructed in line with contemporary energy efficiency standards. We use modern building technology to support efficient energy use in our day-to-day operations.
Packaging reduction: Where possible, we reduce the amount of packaging used and assess alternative packaging solutions that require less material or incorporate a higher proportion of recycled content.
Material innovation: As part of our product development process, we continually assess alternative materials that meet functional requirements while giving greater consideration to environmental aspects.
Recycling and material recovery: For selected products and materials, we use recycled and/or recyclable materials to help reduce the demand for virgin raw materials.
Supporting nature conservation: We support selected initiatives and projects focused on nature conservation and environmental education.
Our Approach to Managing Emissions and Resources
Avoid
Where possible, we seek to take environmental impacts and unnecessary resource use into account at an early stage of planning and decision-making. This includes, for example, supplier selection, product design and logistics processes. Our aim is to identify potential environmental impacts as early as possible and, where feasible, avoid them.
Reduce
Where environmental impacts cannot be avoided, we assess measures to reduce resource use and emissions. This includes improving process efficiency and making appropriate use of suitable technologies where feasible. Examples include measures to reduce energy consumption, minimise waste, and optimise production and operational processes.
Calculate Emissions and Support Climate Action Projects
For selected products and orders, defined emission components can be calculated and documented using a model-based methodology. The production and logistics stages included in the calculation depend on the specific order and the information available.
In addition, you may choose to make a voluntary financial contribution via natureOffice to support a selected climate action project. This project support takes place outside the product's value chain and does not change the emissions actually generated.
We regard the emissions calculation and the support of a climate action project as two separate services.
Avoid
High Quality for Long-Lasting Use
Promotional Products Designed to Stay in Everyday Use
For promotional products, quality of manufacture, functionality and design all play an important role in whether an item continues to be used after it has been given away. That is why we pay close attention to suitable materials, careful workmanship, and compliance with the applicable quality and safety requirements when selecting and developing our products.
Our aim is to offer promotional products that not only attract attention initially but also have the potential to become part of everyday life for the recipient. Depending on the product, this may be supported by practical design, a pleasant tactile feel and materials selected to suit the intended application.
How long a product is actually used depends on the individual item, how it is used, and how it is looked after by the recipient.
Rubber Ducks with Natural Rubber or Wheat Straw Content
Rubber Ducks Featuring Alternative Material Concepts
For selected rubber duck models, we use materials that incorporate components of plant origin.
Our natural rubber models contain natural rubber, a raw material obtained from the latex of rubber trees.
Other models are manufactured from a PVC–wheat straw compound. Depending on the model, the material blend contains up to 50% wheat straw.
Both material options retain the distinctive shape and tactile feel of our rubber ducks while enabling clear, material-specific communication.
Investment in renewable energy infrastructure
At the beginning of 2024, mbw® installed a photovoltaic system at its site in Wanderup. The system consists of 234 solar modules with a total capacity of 100 kWp and is combined with a 32 kWh storage unit.
During the first spring months following installation, the system generated sufficient electricity to cover the site’s energy demand temporarily during certain periods. The installation forms part of mbw®’s broader efforts to optimise energy use within its operational infrastructure.
The project was realised in cooperation with Holger Braaf GmbH, a neighbouring company based in Wanderup. Holger Braaf GmbH supported the consulting, planning and installation of the photovoltaic system.
“The investment in the photovoltaic system is an important component of our long-term energy strategy,” explains Jan Breuer, Managing Director of mbw®. “It reflects our intention to further develop our operational processes and infrastructure.”
Reduce
Cuddly Toys Made with Recycled PET Textile Materials
Soft Characters with Distinctive Material Features
Selected soft toy models feature both an outer fabric and filling made from recycled PET derived from used PET bottles. This gives recycled materials a new purpose in the form of appealing promotional products with a soft feel, charming designs and plenty of character.
Attention is also paid to the finishing details: the RecycelBären® feature embroidered eyes and noses instead of separate plastic components.
In addition to the classic RecycelBären®, the range now includes many other animal characters with both outer fabric and filling made from recycled PET. Whether used as a gift, a brand ambassador or a companion with emotional appeal, these soft characters offer an engaging way to bring brands into everyday life.
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M170042
MiniFeet® Dog toy RecycleFox -
M170041
MiniFeet® Dog toy RecycleRaccoon -
M170040
MiniFeet® Dog toy RecycleBeaver -
M160982
MiniFeet® Recycelino Lion -
M160981
MiniFeet® Recycelino Koala -
M160980
MiniFeet® Recycelino Dino
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M160979
MiniFeet® Recycelino Elephant -
M160978
MiniFeet® Recycelino Bear -
M160977
MiniFeet® RecyclePig -
M160970
MiniFeet® RecycelElephant -
M160969
MiniFeet® RecycleMoose -
M160962
MiniFeet® RecycleCow
SEAQUAL® YARN: Recycled Yarn Containing Marine Plastic
Mini Accessories with All-Over Print – Printed in Germany
For selected mini T-shirts, triangular scarves and other Cuddly Toy accessories, we use textiles made from SEAQUAL® YARN. The yarn is manufactured from recycled post-consumer PET and contains a proportion of plastic recovered from marine environments, rivers, coastlines and other waterways.
To achieve this, the SEAQUAL INITIATIVE works with collection organisations, local communities and other partners. Suitable plastic waste is sorted, cleaned and processed together with recycled PET from land-based sources to produce new yarn.
This yarn is used to create our mini accessories for all-over printing. This printing process allows colours, logos and designs to be applied across almost the entire visible surface. The personalised printing is carried out in Germany.
The material concept behind SEAQUAL® YARN combines a traceable recycling story with versatile design possibilities for distinctive promotional products.
The Environmental Detectives: Hands-On Recycling Knowledge
A Collaborative School Project in Wanderup
How can the topic of recycling be made tangible and engaging for children? That was the focus of "The Environmental Detectives", a project held at Wanderup Primary School in March 2020.
Pupils from Years 1 to 4 explored topics relating to the environment and resource use and took part in a shared PET bottle collection campaign. This gave them a practical introduction to the principles of collecting and recycling as part of everyday school life.
At the end of the project, each child received a personalised RecycelBären® featuring their name and the Environmental Detectives logo. In these models, both the soft outer fabric and the filling are made from recycled PET derived from used PET bottles. The eyes and nose are embroidered directly onto the bear, eliminating the need for separate plastic components.
The personalised bears served as a lasting reminder of the shared project and provided a tangible way of illustrating the material concept explored during the activities.
Calculate Emissions and Support Climate Action Projects
Carbon Footprint Accounting and Support for Climate Action Projects
Calculate. Support. Document Transparently.
For selected products and orders, defined emission components can be calculated using a model-based methodology. To enable this, mbw® compiles the available product and order data. The calculation and documentation are carried out in collaboration with natureOffice via the nature.io platform.
If you wish, you can also make a voluntary financial contribution to support a selected climate action project. An individual tracking ID provides access to the available information relating to the calculation, the calculation scope applied and the selected project.
The project contribution takes place outside the product's value chain. It does not alter the emissions actually generated during manufacture, branding or transport, and it does not make the product or the order climate neutral or carbon neutral.
RecycelBär® and RecycelBär® ICE are among the first products in the mbw® range for which an additional carbon offset contribution is available. This contribution is intended to complement measures aimed at avoiding and reducing emissions.
PROJECT TOGO – Natural forest reforestation initiative
PROJECT TOGO is a natural forest reforestation project initiated and implemented by natureOffice. The project is designed to enable certified carbon sequestration within defined project parameters and is accompanied by experts from scientific and civil society backgrounds.
The initiative aims to integrate ecological reforestation activities with local economic structures. According to project documentation, this includes measures intended to support regional infrastructure and value creation processes.
PROJECT TOGO includes, among other components:
- facilities related to energy generation
- water supply and soil management systems
- infrastructure projects in the areas of health and education
- agricultural and forestry-related initiatives
- activities linked to local self-sufficiency and market participation
- Further details on the scope, certification standards and project framework are available via natureOffice.
Germany-Plus-Mix
Since 2012, natureOffice has supported the work of Bergwaldprojekt e.V. in Germany through the “Deutschland Plus” initiative.
The initiative relates to activities in forest, biotope and moorland areas across various project regions in Germany. Each year, more than 10,000 volunteers participate in these projects, which take place in locations ranging from the island of Rügen to the Bavarian Alps.
Within the framework of natureOffice’s portfolio, the initiative links certified climate-related projects with regionally organised environmental activities in Germany.
Further information on the scope and structure of the projects is available through natureOffice and Bergwaldprojekt e.V.
More projects from natureOffice
Engagements in Germany, Europe and around the world
In addition to the projects described above, natureOffice provides access to further certified climate projects that can be selected in the context of optional carbon compensation.
An overview of the available projects can be found in this PDF (source: natureoffice.com).
Sponsorship of the German Sustainability Award
In November 2019, mbw® supported the German Sustainability Award in Düsseldorf as a sponsor.
For this event, participants wore printed name badges on lanyards made from wool felt. Wool felt is a natural fibre-based material derived from renewable resources and may be compostable under appropriate conditions.
The lanyards were manufactured by mbw® in cooperation with sheltered workshops in Germany. The material used is certified according to OEKO-TEX® standards.
Carbon calculation and compensation for our annual catalogues
In addition to digital channels, our printed annual catalogue remains an important sales tool. To avoid unnecessary overproduction, we regularly coordinate print quantities with our retail partners in advance and adjust volumes according to demand.
Since 2020, the CO₂ emissions associated with the printing process of our annual catalogues have been bilanziell calculated and supplemented by voluntary carbon compensation through certified climate projects.
Further details:
Project: Natural forest reforestation
Project-ID: DE-077-158725
Compensated amount of CO2: 40,141 t CO2e
www.natureoffice.com/DE-077-158725
Natural forest afforestation on the North Sea island of Amrum.
The referenced project includes reforestation activities on the North Sea island of Amrum. According to project documentation, the activities relate to forest areas affected by storm damage.
>> More information on the project on Amrum (PDF)
(Source: Bergwaldprojekt e.V.)
Sustainable Promotional Gifts – A Structured Approach with mbw®
Sustainable promotional gifts are becoming increasingly relevant for companies seeking to align brand communication with considered material choices, product design and long-term usability. Rather than relying on broad environmental claims, the focus lies on transparency, durability and clearly defined product concepts.
Promotional items can support brand communication when they are functional, thoughtfully designed and presented with precise and transparent information.
What Are Sustainable Promotional Gifts?
The term “sustainable promotional gifts” encompasses different product approaches. These may include the use of recycled materials, alternative raw material concepts, durable product design and tested quality and safety standards.
In this context, sustainability does not describe a single characteristic, but a combination of decisions made across material selection, production and intended product lifespan.
Clear and realistic communication of these aspects is essential.
Sustainable Promotional Items with Logo for Various Use Cases
Sustainable promotional items with logo can be used in a wide range of contexts, including educational projects, employee initiatives, events and customer communication. Where promotional products are intended for extended use, material selection and product quality are particularly relevant.
Through individual customization and finishing options, promotional gifts can be adapted to different brand strategies and target groups.
Material and Product Approaches at mbw®
At mbw®, different product concepts are applied within the field of promotional merchandise. These include:
- Products incorporating recycled material content
- Products based on plant-derived raw materials
- Items designed for repeated or long-term use
Detailed information on specific materials and product lines is available in the respective sections of this page.
Why Sustainable Promotional Gifts Are Gaining Attention
Many consumers and business partners are increasingly interested in material composition, product origin and durability. This development also influences expectations within the promotional products industry.
Promotional items designed for long-term use can remain visible in everyday contexts over time and may contribute to consistent brand presence.
Transparent Sustainability Communication
Sustainability-related communication requires clarity and precise wording. This includes realistic classifications, clear explanations of measures and projects, and the avoidance of generalised environmental claims.
On this page, you will find information about our material approaches, projects, partnerships and complementary services.
Sustainable Promotional Gifts in Modern Brand Communication
Sustainable promotional items do not replace a comprehensive sustainability strategy. However, they can form one element within broader brand communication.
Through considered product choices, transparent information and durable designs, promotional gifts can combine functionality and design with clearly communicated material concepts.
Sustainable promotional gifts from mbw® represent tested product standards, versatile applications and a differentiated approach to sustainability-related aspects.