Sustainable philosophy
We think and act sustainably
Our philosophy is founded upon sustainability – it’s a non-negotiable part of our business. This is reflected not only by the controlled and environmentally friendly way in which we source our sponges, but also by our gentle processing methods and our dealings with employees and business partners.
Resource Conservation
We only have one earth. And we want our children to enjoy it too. Croll & Denecke is guided by ecological sustainability and the conservation of natural resources. But what does this mean in practice? Our partners only harvest enough sponges for the organisms to grow back and regenerate.
We don’t import anything that we haven’t checked ourselves. We do this by visiting sponge farms and overseeing the harvesting process where possible. And we also support the development of innovative sponge cultivation projects.
Responsible Packaging
There are numerous ways that plastic waste can end up in our oceans, where it disintegrates but isn’t completely broken down. This is disastrous for the environment, as the particles are eaten by sea creatures and birds. We are also finding a growing number of these small particles in our untreated sponges.
This has to stop – and we want to play our part. We are changing our products and packaging to reduce our plastic levels as much as possible, avoiding several tons of plastic waste since 2020.
New product, old principle
We release a new product every five to six weeks. We carefully check what we produce and sell – every selection of new products is designed with reusability and sustainability in mind.
Too good to go
We don’t throw anything away that we could still use. We sell imperfect products at discounted prices. We reuse shipping boxes several times, as long as they’re not damaged.
That’s why our customers sometimes receive their goods in cardboard boxes with different labels. That’s good for the environment – and doesn’t detract from the quality of our products.
A little ray of sunshine
The solar panels installed on our roof are literally a little ray of sunshine. We work with solar power in our production halls. We are also gradually replacing our company cars with hybrid vehicles that are refuelled with solar power.
»Our philosophy is founded upon sustainability – it’s a non-negotiable part of our business«
Nina Hankiewicz-Brandes, CEO
Our long-haul principle
While we have cut down on business trips to reduce our carbon footprint, we continue to back our long-haul strategy in our partnerships with suppliers and customers. We find it important to establish respectful, long-term business relationships.
We have known many of our partners for generations. That creates a sense of trust, confidence and sustainability – and it feels good.
Social responsibility and diversity
Everyone is different. And that’s a good thing. We respect and value different cultures, views and needs. At Croll & Denecke, our diverse team is like a family that thrives on long-term partnerships and a variety of different skill sets.
It goes without saying that we promote socially responsible and fair working conditions. All our employees can enjoy mineral water and fresh organic fruit from the local region.