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Fisher Price, we need to talk!
by Ann-Kathrin Schäfer
This is how Gardena wants to "go green" - and you have it in your hands
23.5.2022
Translation: machine translated
I don't have a green thumb: my lettuce in the raised bed is eaten by slugs. That's sustainable at best for the slimy creepers. Can I at least contribute to saving the earth with ecological Gardena tools in the future?
But it is often a long way to the harvest. Paved with all kinds of necessary equipment. Have you ever consciously thought about the materials that make up the flower shovel, garden sprayer or joint scraper that you use?
How much is there to the marketing blah?
As editors at Galaxus, we have a nice privilege. We are allowed, indeed we should and must be critical, investigative. What's written in product descriptions or on flowery notices about new products makes us skeptical at first. After all, the manufacturers' marketing people are merciless when it comes to these things. No superlative is safe from them. But what is the substance behind the marketing gobbledygook?
I am convinced by the new Ecoline series from Gardena. And that's how it came about: Gardena was kind enough to send me a few samples of the equipment in question. To be more precise, these:
Additionally in the package were the previous products, which are made of fossil plastics. This should make a direct comparison possible.
But I don't want to waste your time with this insight alone. That's why I contacted Gardena at nachgehackt. On my question catalog by E-Mail I receive a telephone call as answer. In the conversation Susanne Drmota, Public Relations Manager, does not owe me an answer, although I really have a lot of questions. Okay, yes, that's her job, too, of course. But it's also just part of my research.
Ms. Drmota, green-dark gray instead of orange-gray - is this Gardena's big eco-throw now?
Susanne Drmota: No, of course not. Yes, at first glance the product is not spectacularly different. But for us, the Ecoline series is actually a milestone for our sustainability strategy.
A milestone? Didn't you just change the plastic granulate so that you can now just print "made from recycled plastic" on the packaging?
Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple. Years of research have gone into our new products. After all, a garden tool like this should remain stable for many years. That's why we had to find the right materials that meet our high demands for quality and durability.
How do you find that out?
Through extensive tests: How does the material react to pressure, to UV radiation, to different temperatures? Can we use the recyclate, i.e. the raw material, in the same machines as before? Does it behave in the same way? These are all questions that took time to answer.
If you were able to clarify all this - why aren't the devices now made of one hundred percent recycled plastic?
There are two main reasons. Firstly, certain parts of the equipment cannot be made from plastic, for example the metal arch with the holes in the lawn sprinkler. Secondly, there is currently not enough recycled plastic on the market for us to buy.
**It's hard to believe with the amounts of waste we produce every day....
Right, but for our devices we need high-quality and pure granulate. This is only possible if households separate their waste as cleanly as possible. In addition, the manufacturers of raw materials should ideally be close to our production facilities. After all, it doesn't make sense to ship recyclate from Asia, for example, to our European production sites first.
Consistent down to the carton
For the sake of the environment, Gardena even dispenses with the color orange.
The EU is more ambitious here. By 2030, all plastic packaging should be part of a circular economy. One goal of the system change program is to make recycling a profitable business model for industry.
Classic and Ecoline cost similarly
And if the tools last as long as promised, I'll be able to avoid using new plastic. Because if the joint scraper lasts until 2030, no new petroleum will be needed for the successor model. Secretly, however, I hope that in my advanced age I will have found another way to keep weeds out of joints. Or I have become meek with age and live with it.
In einer früheren Version des Artikels hiess es im Zwischentitel am Ende, dass die Preise «dieselben» seien. Das war nicht korrekt. Die Preise liegen zwar auf vergleichbarem Niveau, jedoch kosten – Stand Mai 2022 – die Ecoline-Produkte etwas mehr.
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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