From left: Julia Corsten (dm press office), Michael Schuster (dm distribution center), Stefan Zehethofer (Quehenberger Logistics) and Hermann Költringer (Managing Director, Key Account Manager Quehenberger Logistics), Credits: dm

Joint pilot project with dm

2 Min. reading time

Packaging fulfills an important task: it protects everyday products from damage and spoilage.

However, plastics in particular represent an immense burden on our environment if they are not recycled or even disposed of in nature. Therefore, dm is starting a pilot project to take back packaging in the dm branches together with Quehenberger Logistics.

The promise to customers: "Bring your empty plastic bottles back to us, we will make new ones out of them!"

Packaging take-back pilot project

From now on, all dm branches have their own display stands or a chute in the existing recycling collection furniture in the entrance area for the return of the empty plastic packaging.

White and cloudy plastic bottles of cosmetic and cleaning products are collected (no PET beverage bottles). In order not to cause unnecessary CO2 emissions during removal, the dm logistics partner Quehenberger Logistics takes the collected material on the way back from the store delivery to the dm distribution center in Enns.

Following pre-sorting by ARA +, the single-type plastic can then be converted into high-quality recyclate at the recycler in Germany and, in the next step, into new bottles.

Credits: dm/Neumayr
Credits: dm/Neumayr
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From left: Michael Schuster (dm distribution center), Stefan Zehethofer (Quehenberger Logistics), Credits: dm
From left: Michael Schuster (dm distribution center), Stefan Zehethofer (Quehenberger Logistics), Credits: dm
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Sustainability efforts at Quehenberger Logistics

With Quehenberger Logistics, member of the CNL (Council for Sustainable Logistics), dm not only has a longstanding partnership, but also the goal of combining innovation and sustainability as a company.
In recent years the topic has picked up speed and CO2 emissions have been successively reduced:

On the one hand, the conversion from a tour system to delivery via Quehenberger transshipment depots made it possible to significantly increase vehicle utilisation and to massively reduce the proportion of empty trips. The constant modernisation of the vehicle fleet (around 90 percent of the trucks are now in the best emission standard EURO 6) has led to a further reduction in CO2, carbon and nitrogen oxides and makes the fleet one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly in Europe.

Transparency is also very important: External auditors from EcoVadis, a platform for sustainable development, evaluate the entire supply chain with regard to sustainability every year. Customers have the opportunity to view the results.

Klaus Hrazdira
Company Spokesman