"This year's Blue Angel Award goes to a business whose production processes and products meet the strict environmental criteria of the Blue Angel and which is also highly committed to the Blue Angel in its public relations (PR) materials. The enthusiastic PR work for the Blue Angel by Heller-Leder provides consumers an easy and reliable point of orientation to recognise environmentally friendly products. More businesses should follow this example. In this vein, I hope that more companies will improve the environmental performance of their products and have their products carry the ecolabel – it is good for us and the environment," said Jochen Flasbarth as he paid tribute to the award winners.
Heller-Leder GmbH & Co. KG was founded in 1920, a family business now in its fourth generation and the first tannery to meet the strict requirements for award of the Blue Angel. In the meantime its entire product range meets these criteria. The company in Hehlen in the southern part of Lower Saxony is one of the largest tanneries in Germany and supports the ecolabel and its use from production to sales. The Blue Angel gives the company high visibility and is used on global markets as far-flung as China.
Nominees for the award included Unify GmbH & Co. KG and Telekom Deutschland GmbH, whose commitment to the Blue Angel was also acknowledged.
"1,200 businesses have already decided to use the Blue Angel ecolabel, both in Germany and elsewhere. This growing commitment from businesses to the sustainability of their products also benefits consumers. This is why we support enterprises which have campaigned for environmentally friendly products," added Federal Minister for Environment Peter Altmaier.
The Blue Angel Award was awarded by the German Sustainability Award Foundation in collaboration with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the Federal Environment Agency, the Environmental Label Jury, and RAL gGmbH during events for the German Sustainability Award in Düsseldorf on 22 November 2013. The German Sustainability Award Jury selected a winner from the three nominees.
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