Climate change and the consequences of a fast-paced, consumer-oriented world have made it clear that conserving resources is one of the most important tasks of our time.
Experience sustainability
This is also reflected in the needs of customers, who are increasingly turning to sustainable products and recyclable materials to furnish their homes in a sustainable and energy-saving manner. toom Baumarkt offers the right products for this, but the company also wants to make sustainability a tangible experience for customers on site. With sustainability weeks and special customer campaigns, toom communicates sustainability as a value to which the company is also committed internally.
What to do?
Living up to sustainability goals as an enterprise means communicating sustainability and making it tangible for customers. toom achieves this by using sustainability labels such as the Pro Planet label, but it also takes its responsibility as a retailer seriously. For years, all new stores have been designed as Green Buildings. The energy-saving design of the store buildings makes use of 100% green electricity and saves up to 70% of the electricity consumed with LED lighting. Also, photovoltaic systems on the roofs of many stores cover parts of the company's own consumption, and water cisterns and modern control technology for heating systems save further resources. toom Baumarkt demonstrates that it is the initiative to do something that should determine the actions of companies facing climate change - not the feeling of powerlessness.
Peat-free for climate protection
Another outstanding initiative by toom shows that the company is consistently implementing the UN's sustainability goals within its own ideas: Although moorland represents only about 3% of the global land area, it stores as much CO2 as all forests worldwide. Since peat extraction drains moorland and thus releases CO2, there is enormous potential for climate protection in reducing the extraction and consumption of peat. toom wants to develop this potential and sell only peat-free potting soil by 2025. It therefore already offers peat-free soils and makes use of alternatives such as compost and wood chips. In addition, toom continuously checks whether its own products have a negative impact on people and the environment. Therefore, glyphosate was banned from all products as early as 2015.
"Avoid, reduce, improve"
toom Baumarkt associates very specific climate goals with REWE Group's motto "avoid, reduce, improve". The entire Group has committed itself to an ambitious goal: Climate neutrality by 2040. To achieve this goal, toom is relying on a number of measures. With the Floritray reusable system, disposable pallets for transport are saved and the cycle of reusable materials is closed. In addition, toom has also understood that combating climate change is a joint effort. This is why it participates through the REWE Group in an offshore wind farm, works closely with wild bee experts to offer flowers especially tailored to pollinating insects, and ultimately breaks down industry barriers to work hand in hand with NGOs to tackle the major challenges of climate change. Two insights remain guiding here: sustainability must be designed, but also communicated to customers.
