A culture of participation and shared responsibility

Sustainability, resource conservation and ecological responsibility are no longer just 'nice to haves' for companies. Instead, taking on corporate responsibility is now a key way in which companies can differentiate themselves and a decisive criterion for many customers when choosing a suitable partner. This makes it all the more important to establish high sustainability standards and develop a viable sustainability culture across all levels of the company, and to do so with authenticity, transparency and continuity.

A clear strategy and a shared culture of sustainability

This requires a clear strategy, measurable goals, and open, transparent, and motivating communication to overcome reservations and build trust. It is important to understand that establishing sustainability standards is an ongoing process, and that perfection is not the goal; rather, it is about demonstrating an honest willingness to change in all areas, at all levels, and among all employees. "You can’t simply ‘implement’ sustainability as a company,” emphasises STILL Managing Director Dr Florian Heydenreich. "Genuine sustainability must be actively practised within the company and become second nature in all business processes. If everyone is open to trying new things and contributing, we can effect change step by step. To achieve this, it is important to discuss measures that have already been implemented, highlight examples and opportunities, and overcome any reservations." And STILL is doing this successfully. In the past three years alone, the company has achieved several milestones on the road to resource-efficient and circular intralogistics. These include further developing the reconditioning business segment for the secondary market, installing photovoltaic systems, using the energy generated in the first plants, and creating event concepts with a strong focus on resource conservation and circularity.

Sustainable events and effective resource utilisation

Following the LogiMAT trade fair, for instance, STILL donated almost 960 kg of material from its stand to social organisations in the local area. This material will be reused to equip rooms, storage facilities, playgrounds, theatre stages and more. STILL was able to save a total of 4,152.65 kg of CO₂ equivalent through its sustainability activities at LogiMAT. Employees' growing awareness of sustainability issues is also evident in the context of other events: for example, guests were given tree sponsorships instead of material promotional gifts at company events, and the event team made robust bags and covers for event materials out of advertising banners. In this way, high-quality material was given a ‘second life’ as an eye-catching merchandising item, and STILL made a visible statement in favour of resource responsibility and circularity.

Shaping, cultivating and developing a culture of sustainability

In order to continue along this path in the future and further embed a culture of sustainability within the company, STILL is collaborating with the private Kühne Logistics University (KLU) in Hamburg. As part of this cooperation, STILL's workforce will undergo thorough training and certification in all aspects of sustainability in intralogistics. STILL and KLU have developed an unprecedented joint training concept as part of this pilot project, and the first training sessions for sales employees have already taken place. "Sustainability has long been more than just a reputation. It offers significant benefits to customers and is in high demand. We therefore consider it essential to provide our colleagues in direct contact with customers with the best possible training in this area," explains Dr Heydenreich. Following the successful pilot project, the training and certification concept will be rolled out to other areas of the company.

Transparent, up to date – and award-winning

STILL's wide-ranging endeavours are attested to by numerous awards, ratings and certificates from external institutions. At the beginning of this year, STILL was awarded platinum status once again in EcoVadis's world-leading sustainability ranking, placing it in the top one per cent of all assessed companies. In addition, the STILL branch in Mannheim received the 'Achievement Award' at the end of last year for passing the 'Workplace Condition Assessment' conducted by the quality assurance expert Intertek. STILL also performs strongly in the areas of community and social sustainability, having been recognised for its promotion of young talent, its excellent training programme, and its high occupational safety standards, among other things. STILL transparently summarises all relevant key figures and activities in its annual sustainability report. The report is available to download in digital format at Sustainability | STILL UK.