● German Sustainability Award Foundation awards prize for sustainable design for the first time
● As a resource-saving solution, GROHE Blue reduces water consumption, CO2 emissions and plastic waste
● Tackling the global plastic waste problem is an important component of GROHE's sustainability strategy

Düsseldorf, 10 August 2020. Having already been nominated for the 13th German Sustainability Award for companies, the global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings is now delighted to be nominated for the first German Sustainability Award Design 2021 for its GROHE Blue water system. A top-class jury of experts will decide on the finalists at the end of September. The winner will be announced at the German Sustainability Award ceremony on 4 December 2020 in Düsseldorf.

For the German Sustainability Award Foundation, design is a central factor for change: Sustainable design makes an important contribution to the transformation towards a sustainable society. The new German Sustainability Award Design honors these contributions and provides orientation for consumers who are looking for sustainable alternatives.

“I am proud that not only our commitment to sustainability, but also our resource-saving product portfolio is receiving so much recognition,” says Thomas Fuhr, COO Fittings LIXIL International and Co-CEO Grohe AG. “Our GROHE Blue water system makes a major contribution to greater sustainability along the entire value chain and helps consumers lead a more sustainable lifestyle by enabling them to avoid plastic bottles. Along with our Less Plastic Initiative and cooperation with Pacific Garbage Screening, GROHE Blue is thus an important element in our fight against the global plastic waste problem.”

Sustainable water enjoyment with GROHE Blue
The GROHE Blue water system provides chilled, filtered and, if desired, carbonated water straight from the kitchen tap – with a perfect taste. Thanks to this intelligent functionality, this resource-saving solution not only reduces the ecological footprint, but also enables consumers to live more sustainably because GROHE Blue
● saves water: Up to seven liters of water is needed to produce one liter of bottled water.
● reduces CO2 emissions: Up to 600g of CO2 are emitted in the production and transport process of one liter of bottled mineral water. With the water source in your own kitchen, CO2 emissions are reduced by up to 61% per year and you also save the trip to the supermarket.
● eliminates need for plastic bottles: According to Deutsche Umwelthilfe (Environmental Action Germany), a family of four uses 800 plastic bottles per year – thanks to GROHE Blue, these are no longer necessary. The water system is thus fundamentally changing the way water is consumed and promotes a change in consumer behavior towards sustainable consumption.
● offers intergenerational convenience: In view of changing demographics and an increasingly ageing society, intuitive operation is another plus: the preferred type of water can be selected simply by touching a button, which, via a color LED display with icons, is easy to understand for every age group. Other challenges for older or physically challenged people are also eliminated: GROHE Blue makes drinking water available at all times, eliminating the need to go to the supermarket and carry heavy water bottles.

GROHE's fight against plastic waste
GROHE is not only tackling the plastic waste problem at product level: in 2018 the brand launched the Less Plastic Initiative with the aim of replacing plastic packaging for its products with more sustainable alternatives. To date, this has resulted in savings of around 15 million items of product packaging made of plastic; by 2021, this figure is set to increase significantly to up to 35 million. The goal of reducing plastic waste is also strengthened by the cooperation with Marcella Hansch, the founder of Pacific Garbage Screening e.V. Both partners are united by their vision of clean water through the reduction of plastic waste in oceans and rivers. The trained architect develops a water platform that collects plastic waste in rivers before it is washed into the oceans. GROHE does not only support this project financially; both partners also want to raise public awareness of the plastic problem and sensitize for a more sustainable lifestyle.

+++ high-resolution images can be downloaded here+++

For further information about GROHE and its sustainability topics go to green.grohe.com

(1)Water Footprint Network (2013).
(2)Carbon Footprint analysis by the Georg-August University Göttingen, Germany (2013); data refer to GROHE Blue Home.
(3)Ibid.