Innovator of the Year: 21 sustainable projects already in the pipeline

In spite of Covid-19 and the summer break, we have already been able to get 21 sustainable projects put into concrete terms in less than a month – in close collaboration with our suppliers and customers. And the trend is rising, as there are a number of further projects that only still need to be checked and finalised. So we can already look forward to some exciting, innovative, unique and above all sustainable products.

This month has once again shown how important it is to communicate and be in constant dialogue with one another – all the more so in the current climate. A range of completely different sustainable projects has been created so far by means of group brainstorming and thinking outside the box and by trying new approaches and finding solutions for supposed difficulties.

At PSI 2021 there will be a strong focus on sustainability and the PSI Sustainability Awards. Starting in 2021, the category "Innovator of the Year" will be established as a special category within the existing PSI Sustainability Awards. This category will focus on sustainable products and their backstory, with submissions from companies with a sustainable structure and their suppliers.

Consumers should be able to find out about the history of the product, its components and the composition of the materials used. They should also have access to information about the production facilities and the people who make the articles. And, of course, about the product's ecological footprint and the journey it takes to reach its destination. The focus will be on the motives for working towards sustainability, as well as the ecological and social responsibility that the partner companies assume for their products and for the manufacturing facilities and all their employees. What is important is the overall contribution that manufacturers make to doing business in a way that is sound in ecological, social and economic terms by way of a sustainability strategy. There is increasing awareness and focus on the production of sustainable products and the (development) history behind them. Consequently, the new award for the special category "Innovator of the Year" not only shows recognition to the sustainable product itself, but also takes a more all-encompassing view by looking at the sustainable context in which it is embedded.

Climate change, scarcity of resources and the need to avoid waste, as well as processes of change in society, are placing obligations and responsibility on the entire economy. Transparent corporate social responsibility (CSR) and overarching sustainability now need to be a part of every company's fundamental value system. Not only supply chains but also consumers and stakeholders expect verifiable and effective corporate commitment in a company's activities in terms of economy, ecology and ethics. In addition to certificates, the public is increasingly focusing on eco-social and ethical initiatives. This is one more reason why all companies, from suppliers via retailers right through to the end customer, need to work together and coordinate their efforts, because only then can true sustainability be guaranteed.