Sustainability
The topic of sustainability plays a major role for Studentenwerk Schleswig-Holstein. We have taken numerous measures in all areas and are continuously working on implementing new ideas.
SUSTAINABILITY
CONCEPT
In March 2023, Studentenwerk SH drew up a sustainability concept that describes the organisation's goals for the future. We want to become more active in six fields of action and have defined the necessary measures to achieve this.
Energy crisis
In connection with the nationwide energy-saving measures, the Studentenwerk Schleswig-Holstein is also called upon to contribute to securing the energy supply in the short and medium term.
For this reason, an energy-saving concept has been developed which, on the one hand, includes the mandatory energy-saving measures of the federal government and, on the other hand, measures based on voluntary commitment.
The careful use of resources has been a matter of course for the Studentenwerk for many years. Numerous precautions and measures have already been taken in the past, which form a stable basis for further development in the current crisis.
The energy-saving concept includes the following measures, among others, which have either already been implemented or are currently being planned:
- Acquisition of electric or hybrid vehicles as well as company bicycles.
- Implementation of the DSW energy-saving campaign "Flip the Switch" in our student residences
- Measures to save energy on and in the halls of residence, e.g. facade insulation, renewal of windows and heating systems and much more
- Development of a plan of measures and optimisation by the GMSH to save energy for the 2022/23 heating period in all university catering facilities
- A checklist with energy-saving tips for all employees with an office workplace
The Studentenwerk SH will continue to promptly implement the legal requirements of the federal government and react to current events. In addition, we will carry out reviews on energy saving potentials independently of current saving requirements and realise them if possible. The concept will thus be supplemented by further measures in the future.
University catering
Reusable crockery is a priority for us. We offer reusable crockery with a deposit system at all locations so that bowls and cups can be borrowed simply and easily without having to download an app. Registration is also not necessary anywhere.
A deposit of €7.50 is required for bowls and €4.00 for cups. You can obtain the trays by asking at the counter and paying the deposit at the till. If you are interested in a MW cup, you can get one on request at the cash desk so that you can fill it and pay the deposit at the cash desk together with the drink. You will receive a deposit chip for our cups, which you can exchange for the deposit amount together with the cup and the lid. Please note: We can only take back intact MW crockery including the corresponding lid and pay out the deposit amount accordingly."
You also always have the option of bringing your own clean crockery. We will be happy to fill it.
In our canteens, cafeterias and café lounges, it is very important to us to produce as little food waste as possible. To achieve this, the following measures are part of our everyday work:
- Giving our guests the opportunity to save delicious, over-produced food from being thrown away. To this end, we offer them our Zero Waste Plate at some of our locations 15 minutes after the regular meal service in the canteens.
- We offer a cooperation with "To Good To Go" to give people beyond the campus the opportunity to save food.
- Meals are mainly prepared "just in time" and re-produced as required.
- We allow a flexible combination of side dishes with the main course and our dishes are prepared according to tried and tested recipes so that there are rarely any leftovers on the plates.
- We advertise perfectly good dishes that are left over despite careful planning and preparation as a "limited offer" on another opening day.
- Unavoidable leftovers are sent to a biogas plant to generate electricity.
- We give unavoidable leftovers to food sharing organisations, which use them themselves or pass them on to charitable institutions.
In the spirit of sustainability, we want to give coffee grounds a second life. Our guests can collect coffee grounds free of charge from our cafeterias every day. As the collection times vary from location to location, it is best to speak directly to our employees on site if you are interested.
The coffee grounds can be used in a variety of ways, for example as fertiliser, to speed up composting, to keep snails or ants away, to neutralise odours or for cosmetic applications.
We mainly use solid detergents in our dishwashers and for manual cleaning we use label-free high concentrates in sachets. These detergents are safe to use and help to significantly reduce packaging waste. We only use chlorine- and phosphate-free cleaners in our catering establishments.
The organic range in our canteens and cafeterias is diverse. We only offer organic coffee and cocoa as well as various organic teas and organic shell eggs. We buy milk and some poultry products from organic farms in northern Germany. Ingredients such as tofu, dates and chia seeds are exclusively organic and are labelled as such in our menu.
Overview of organic products at the Studentenwerk
You can find out more about organic produce on the information portal on organic farming.
In the university catering facilities, coffee and drinking chocolate are fair trade and organic. This enables the workers to secure their livelihoods and improves their quality of life through health protection.
The Studentenwerk SH also supports the Fairtrade Town campaign in the cities of Kiel, Lübeck and Heide as well as the Fairtrade University FH Westküste as a co-operation partner. Further information at: www.fairtrade-deutschland.de
Farms from which we source our meat from species-appropriate husbandry take great care to ensure animal welfare. For example, the animals have access to stables with daylight and more space than required by law. Only GMO-free feed is used and prophylactic antibiotics are not administered. This way of keeping the animals has a significant effect on the quality of the meat.
We buy the meat from different suppliers in northern Germany, depending on the type of animal. You can find out more about the requirements for animal husbandry here:
Markerup duck
Severin brother cock
We have been avoiding overfished fish species such as redfish and plaice for years in order to help combat overfishing worldwide.
We buy shell eggs or processed eggs mainly from free-range hens.
We buy our fresh food as regionally as possible. These ingredients are produced and processed in the northern German region.
We obtain milk for the canteens and cafeterias of the Studentenwerk SH from the Dehlwes organic farm dairy. What is special about this family business is that it only uses organic milk from its own cows and from the neighbourhood within an average radius of 10 kilometres from the dairy. This guarantees short delivery routes and lower CO2 emissions. With our mineral water from Wittenseer, we also source products from the region, namely directly from Groß Wittensee in the Rendsburg-Eckernförde district.
We are constantly expanding our vegan and vegetarian options. There is at least one vegan dish in the canteens every day. Unsuitable side dishes can also be swapped at no extra charge or sauces can be omitted to create a vegan dish from the existing range. The salad bars in some canteens also offer a wide vegan selection, but always a vegetarian one. Vegan cakes, desserts, salads, baked goods, bars and plant-based milk are available in the cafeterias and café lounges, and there is usually also a vegan hot meal menu. The offer varies depending on the size of the company.
With various campaigns, such as World Vegan Day and Veganuary, university catering promotes the vegan offer in the canteen and cafeteria area. Our commitment to an attractive vegan offering has been recognised by the animal rights organisation PETA. Mensa II, Mensa Kesselhaus and Mensa Lübeck were selected as the most vegan-friendly canteens in Germany.
Since the winter semester 23/24, Mensa Kesselhaus has been the first purely vegetarian canteen of the Studentenwerk SH.
In 2022 and 2023, the canteens of the Studentenwerk SH were recognised as Planetary Health canteens by the nutritional organisation ProVeg.
The award recognises outstanding concepts for healthy, plant-based catering that protects the planet. It is intended to serve as inspiration for the catering industry as a whole. Our canteens impressed with their varied, healthy, affordable and climate-friendly vegan offerings.
The Planetary Health Canteen award is based on the Planetary Health Diet developed by the EAT-Lancet Commission. The sustainable diet for the good of the planet focuses primarily on pulses, whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. In return, it contains only a few highly processed - and only a few animal products.
You will find a star rating for many dishes in our menu. It shows you whether a dish has a high or lowCO2 score and therefore how climate-friendly it is. For more information, please visit our topic page.
Building and living
For many years now, the Studentenwerk has been renovating and modernizing its student residences with energy efficiency in mind. For example, entire residence halls have been equipped with new heating boilers, hot water tanks and water pipes, extensive insulation measures have been carried out and new multi-glazed windows have been installed. In addition, the lighting in many residence halls has already been converted to LED.
Energy-saving measures are included in the design of new buildings from the outset. The dormitories not only meet the highest thermal insulation standards, but also have, for example, modern ventilation systems that contribute to heat recovery, or window contact switches to automatically turn off the radiators. Common areas are also equipped with presence detectors as standard, which automatically switch the lights on and off. Last but not least, new buildings are increasingly using sustainable, low-emission building materials. Interested parties can find out how the Studentenwerk builds in the brochure "Building for students. Modern, sustainable, social".
Heating and hot water for the dormitories are largely provided by district heating from cogeneration. Waste heat generated during power generation, but also in industrial plants and waste incineration, for example, is used as useful energy via the district heating network for district heating and hot water. This is economical and climate-friendly.
The Edo-Osterloh-Haus in Kiel and the International Student Residence in Lübeck have solar systems.
The electricity used by the Studentenwerk SH for its properties is 100 percent green electricity.
Through continuous monitoring, the team of the Facility Management/Building department keeps an eye on energy consumption. Increased consumption is registered, the causes for this are determined and consumption is reduced through appropriate measures.
Current projects: Energy generation through solar systems is to be further expanded in the future.
The Studentenwerk SH offers student residents bicycle parking spaces and garages at all residential facilities as well as ten bicycle repair stations nationwide. The repair stations follow the sharing approach. They are used by many people who do not have to buy the tools themselves.
In addition, a charging station for e-cars was installed at the Emmy Hennings House in Flensburg.
In the residence halls, residents are required to separate waste. Special waste containers are provided in the kitchens for this purpose. In addition, a company is regularly contracted to re-sort the waste to ensure proper waste separation. Glass waste containers are also available at selected locations. It is also possible to dispose of electronic waste and bulky waste after making an appointment with the janitors. Students are informed about the waste separation system as soon as they arrive at the residence halls.
In keeping with the motto "Sharing is caring," the Studentenwerk SH saves discarded chairs from the dormitories that are no longer usable from being thrown away and donates them for recycling to the Flensburg association "Zeitraum," which provides craft work opportunities for young people and adults. Bicycles that are no longer fit to ride and no longer have an owner are passed on to student-managed bicycle workshops.
The Studentenwerk SH also attaches great importance to sustainability in the management of its dormitories. To ensure that the furniture and kitchens can be used for as long as possible, individual components are regularly replaced by the janitors.
The team also regularly plants flower meadows on free green spaces around the dormitories, which bloom from May to September. These are not only beautiful to look at, but also benefit butterflies, bees or other insects that find food and a home there. In 2020, around 1,600 square meters of flower meadow were sown.
Personnel
In areas where it is possible, employees of the Studentenwerk SH can work from home up to two days per week. This not only contributes to the compatibility of work and family, but also relieves the traffic infrastructure and thus reduces traffic-related CO2 emissions.
Since 2020, meetings have largely taken place virtually. Since the employees of the Studentenwerk work at various locations throughout Schleswig-Holstein, virtual meetings avoid long journeys and thus save CO2 emissions.
The Studentenwerk SH actively encourages its employees to ride their bikes more. This is done, among other things, by providing a bicycle garage in the Office for Educational Support or by participating in campaigns such as the Kiel City Cycling.
For several years now, employees of the Student Union have been pedaling for more climate protection in the Kiel City Cycling Campaign. In 2021, a 15-member team covered a total distance of 2,886 kilometers. In this way, over 500 kilograms of CO2 were avoided.
Another campaign held for the first time in 2021 was "Moving more together". This motivational competition, organized by the trainees, involved leaving the car behind for once and walking or running as long a distance as possible. The winner of the campaign covered a total of 813.4 kilometers in six weeks.
Current projects: Plans are currently underway to provide employees with company bicycles in the future so that they can cover the distances between the individual facilities within a site in an environmentally friendly manner.
The Studentenwerk will introduce the NAH.SH job ticket for 100 employees in 2022. The Studentenwerk and NAH.SH will subsidize the monthly ticket for local public transport. This is not only intended as a gesture of recognition for the employees, but also to contribute to sustainability and environmental protection.
Depending on demand, the contingent of job tickets will be further increased in the future.
Since 2018, employees have been on the road in Schleswig-Holstein using electric and hybrid vehicles. In the process, attention is paid to optimal route planning in terms of CO2 reduction.
At the Studentenwerk, continuing education measures are preferably taken online. This reduces business travel and the carbon footprint. In addition to external training courses, the internal learning management system offers numerous e-learning courses.
If longer business trips are necessary, employees are encouraged to take the train. Travel by air is not permitted. The use of public transportation ensures a reduction of the CO2 footprint.
The Studentenwerk SH provides its employees with free mineral water. For environmental reasons, the company has opted for water in glass rather than plastic bottles. In addition, the bottles are deposit bottles.
Administration, purchasing, management
Sustainability is one of the priorities of the Studentenwerk SH within its corporate vision. In its day-to-day work, the Studentenwerk is committed to a responsible approach to the environment. Among other things, it is a matter of course for the employees in their daily work:
- Separating waste,
- Turning off the heating when the windows are open,
- Turning down the heating at the end of work and on weekends,
- putting the computer to sleep when leaving the desk,
- turning off lights in rooms and hallways that are not being used,
- avoid small, inefficient orders of office supplies,
- to print paper on both sides,
- Turning off equipment completely at the end of the work day instead of leaving it in standby mode.
In all areas of the Studentenwerk SH, employees are continuously working on digitizing as many processes as possible in order to save paper. Successful examples of this include:
- Monthly pay slips for staff have only been available digitally since 2020.
- In 2020, the IT department introduced an internal digital ticket system, which, in addition to reducing paper, also ensures greater transparency and faster processing of requests.
- Since 2021, the Studentenwerk has had a digital invoice receipt management system, which saves around 80,000 sheets of paper annually in financial accounting alone. Outgoing invoices are also created exclusively digitally and sent by e-mail.
- Purchasing introduced the digital procurement file in 2021, which saves 75,000 sheets of paper annually.
- In dormitory administration, documents such as relocation applications or student certificates are filed exclusively in the digital tenant file.
- Although it is not yet possible to dispense with the paper file, the online platform "BAföG digital" in the Office for Educational Support contributes to paper reduction and process optimization.
- For several years now, registration for the Studentenwerk's cultural workshops has been done via an online booking system.
Current projects: By mid-2022, a new online portal for employees will be implemented, through which various internal applications can be submitted online in the future. Our Office for Educational Funding also wants to introduce the e-file.
Student Union employees uniformly use the green search engine Ecosia. For every search query, Ecosia donates money to reforestation programs. For every 45 search queries, one tree is planted.
In the headquarters of the Studentenwerk SH, Mensa I, a furniture warehouse for discarded office furniture has been set up in the spirit of waste avoidance and resource conservation. Before new office furniture is ordered for the administration, the furniture warehouse is used to see if a suitable piece of furniture is still available.
Whenever possible, food purchasing employees in the Student Union work with regional suppliers who have few delivery stops along the way. This has many advantages: Short transport routes, short storage times and little waste. Road traffic is relieved and CO2 emissions are reduced. In addition, short-term production planning and reacting to current situations are possible.
Ecological aspects are also playing an increasingly important role in non-food ordering processes. For example, preference is given to purchasing sustainable (merchandise) items - be it towels made from organic cotton, fleece blankets made from recycled plastic bottles, or sustainable bread bags made from linen fabric. In addition, quality - and thus durability and waste prevention - is the be-all and end-all when it comes to selecting products.
When purchasing electrical appliances, attention is paid to ensuring the best possible energy efficiency in order to save electricity.
For many years, the Student Union has been working with only a few hardware servers and many virtual servers, which conserves resources and uses less electricity. Electricity is also saved by requiring smaller air conditioning units for cooling.
The Student Union relies on multi-functional devices shared by many employees, such as all-in-one printers that can print, copy and scan documents. These devices consume significantly less power than stand-alone devices and have been shown to reduce overuse, as employees tend to use shared devices only when they really need them.
Cleaning
Since 2015, the subsidiary of the Studentenwerk SH responsible for cleaning - Hochschulservice und Seeburg GmbH (HSG) - has been using 95 percent of the environmentally friendly cleaning agents from the Canadian company InnuScience. These clean with biodegradable solvents and natural bacteria. What's more, they are very efficient high-concentrates, so only a few drops are needed to achieve the right mixing ratio. As a result, consumption is much lower and there is significantly less packaging waste.
- 1/3 less detergent
- 50% less packaging waste
In order to protect the environment, the HSG team pays particular attention to loading the washing machines optimally when washing the cleaning textiles.
Public relations
In order to reduce the number of print products in the interests of sustainability, the Studentenwerk's information is increasingly being distributed via digital channels - be it the website or social media platforms. More and more documents, flyers, leaflets and brochures are available as downloads on the website.
By placing QR codes on the printed products, reference is made to further information in the digital area. In this way, the volume of brochures and leaflets has already been significantly reduced in recent years.
For still extensive print products, such as the annual report, the Studentenwerk attaches great importance to the use of certified paper from exemplary managed forests as well as climate-neutral printing.
Current plans: In the future, even more print products are to be printed on eco paper.
Day care centres
Various sustainability measures are integrated into the childcare centres of the Studentenwerk: Among other things, staff make sure that craft materials and colouring paper are used in a resource-saving manner, for example by using calendars or the backs of old documents. Damaged books and toys are also not simply disposed of, but recycled for reuse. There is an inter-centre swap exchange where materials that are no longer needed are given to other Studentenwerk facilities. There are also exchanges for books and toys in the daycare centres. Children can bring something from home and take something back with them. Reusable, water-repellent bags are used for wet laundry instead of plastic bin liners.
When providing food for the daycare centre children, great importance is attached to regional products and forward-looking demand planning that takes the children's preferences into account. This means that less food has to be disposed of. In the daycare centres, the children plant their own beds, which they also cultivate together and water with rainwater. The harvested fruit, vegetables and herbs are processed on site. Drinks in the daycare centres are only available in glass bottles. The children are also taught about sustainable behaviour - such as waste separation - in a playful way.
Last but not least, communication within the teams and correspondence with parents mainly takes place digitally via an app, so that paper can be saved.
Culture
In order to promote environmental awareness among students, the Studentenwerk SH regularly offers seminars and workshops on the topic of sustainability as part of its cultural offerings, including, for example, the courses "Einfach plastikfrei - Alltagsprodukte selbst gemacht," "Studibalkon - nachhaltig und lecker," and "Upcycling.
Since 2020, online formats for students throughout Schleswig-Holstein have been offered in addition to classroom courses. This relieves the burden on the transport infrastructure and reduces traffic-related CO2 emissions.
Counselling
Be it in dormitory administration or psychosocial counseling - the Studentenwerk SH offers video appointments in various areas in addition to telephone and face-to-face counseling. In the digital way, all students in Schleswig-Holstein seeking advice can be reached equally well - no matter where they are.
In addition to individual appointments, the Student Life Counseling Service and the Psychological Counseling Service also offer group appointments as online events. In this way, many people can be addressed at once and the volume of traffic and the associated CO2 emissions can be reduced.
