Environmental protection

Food rescue initiatives are very important to us. Our commitment in this area was even awarded by Federal Minister Julia Klöckner with the Federal Award 2018 "Zu gut für die Tonne" (Too good for the garbage bin). Out of a total of over 150 submitted projects, we especially honored for our two initiatives "Doggybag Station" and "30% in the last 30 minutes before closing time" in the category Gastronomy. These were selected by a jury of 7 members, including Bärbel Dieckmann, Welthungerhilfe's President, and well-known figures such as star chef Christian Rach and television presenters Cherno Jobatey and Yvonne Willicks. We are proud of this award and want to continue to work for food rescue and the protection of our environment. Help us too!

We at NORDSEE actively embrace our responsibility for the cleanliness of our seas and beaches. So we regularly invite our employees, as well as families and friends and interested parties, to clean certain beach sections together. By joining forces, we were able to quickly clear entire stretches of beach and the hinterland of furniture, car tires, wooden boards and other small garbage.

The bee is one of the most important animals to us. In Germany, bees pollinate about 80% of consumable and wild plants from carrots, fruit trees and tomatoes to clover. They also ensure the diversity on our plates and ensure agricultural yields and food sources for many species.

(source: BMUB home page <53>www.umwelt-im-unterricht.de/hintergrund/die-biene-eines-der-wichtigsten-nutztiere/</53>).

Bees are increasingly threatened, so we want to provide them with an extra habitat. Since the summer of 2016 we have had 4 beehives on top of the roof at our headquarters in Bremerhaven. We already harvested the first honey in fall 2016. An external beekeeper handles the bees and cares for them in the winter.

Take it with you instead of throwing it away! If you would like to take your food home with you, you will find practical, free, sustainable to-go packaging at the Doggybag Stations in selected branches. The containers are made of sustainable material.

Since May 2016, we use an electric car as a pool vehicle in our headquarters in Bremerhaven and drive using green electricity. So we can do away with unnecessary emissions.

We want to take responsibility together with our guests and have introduced a small fee in Germany for the use of plastic bags. We also offer our customers the NORDSEE reusable cotton bag, which can be used as often as you like. Consumption of plastic bags has decreased by 1/3 through these measures!

Our dishes can be taken home by our guests with a clear conscience. That’s because our packaging consists of sustainable "bagasse" (also: ampas) and/or recyclable material. Bagasse is a by-product or co-product, which arises from sugar cane plants during the squeezing of the sugar juice and is 100% compostable. It is made into a cellulose pulp which is shaped under pressure and heat. This means a waste product is meaningfully reused, as no sugar cane is grown separately to "harvest" bagasse.

For some time now, we have converted our head office in Germany as well as all our branches with their own power supply to green electricity. NORDSEE Austria has been using green electricity from Austrian hydropower since January 2014. The conversion to green electricity from Norwegian hydropower took place in Germany in mid-2014. The TÜV SÜD EE+ seal guarantees delivery from defined, sustainable and environmentally friendly sources for all operations.

In addition, power consumption for NORDSEE outdoor advertising in Germany in 2013 was reduced by up to 60% due to the conversion of neon tubes to LED technology. Integrated heat recovery in air conditioning and ventilation systems has also had a positive effect on the ecological and economic energy balance.

Waste oils and cooking fats from German NORDSEE kitchens are stored in special collection containers and then recycled. The end product is low-emission biodiesel. Compared to fossil diesel, biodiesel has a CO2 savings potential of 83%. Leftovers are also collected and fuel biogas plants operated by a certified service provider.

Environmental protection is important to us. That is why we have made the most environmentally friendly means of transportation available to our employees in Bremerhaven. The bikes can be used at no charge by everyone. At our head office in Bremerhaven, 2 pool bikes are prepared daily for use by our employees.

95% of NORDSEE deliveries are bundled and processed in Germany via a logistics service provider. This cooperation guarantees optimal route planning and the best possible efficiency in the utilization of truck fleets. Some of our partners have already switched to e-mobility in their own logistics. For example, Deutsche See in 20 inner cities in Germany already supplies by means of electric refrigerated vehicles.