Zedler Institute
- Year of foundation: 1993
- Company headquarters: Ludwigsburg
- Employees: 30
- Turnover: not specified
An eco-house in an industrial estate is unusual in itself. However, the flat-built company building of the Zedler-Institut in Ludwigsburg is the absolute best in environmental terms. It has even been awarded the platinum seal of the German Sustainable Building Council - the organisation has no higher praise to bestow. To get this far, the architects had to pull out all the stops. They used as much wood and as little concrete as possible. Rainwater is collected and makes a significant contribution to the building's water supply. An ingenious ventilation system, insulation and construction make it possible to dispense with air conditioning. Heating is mainly provided by the waste heat from the testing machines and air compressors as well as three heat pumps, which in turn are powered by Black Forest hydropower and the energy from the building's own solar cells. "With a building as well insulated and constructed as ours, you're more likely to have a problem with too much heat in summer than too little in winter," says Dirk Zedler. 80 sensors constantly check the power and heat management to detect even the smallest compressed air leaks and wastage.
When it comes to materials, Zedler's eco-ambitions extend to door handles made from old stems and coat hangers made from old aluminium rims. Packaging materials for shipping the test samples are always recycled. A separate warehouse contains sorted cardboard rolls and boxes as well as padding materials.
The day-to-day work of the boss and his employees is also a little "greener" than in the companies around them: there have been no more business flights since 2018, and a railcard and folding bike are available for external appointments. The employees cover three quarters of their journeys to work on foot or by bike. If they work up a sweat, climate-friendly heated shower water awaits them - and a free apple spritzer from local orchards.
Interview Zedler: Testing is environmental protection
BIKE: The company building, which has won an award for its eco-design, is certainly a good signal. But in your case, isn't it more effective to start on the customer side?
Dirk Zedler: Of course, a manufacturer that produces tens of thousands of bicycles uses much more material than our medium-sized service company. Sustainability there is already a central part of our work by increasing durability. Our advantage is that, through our work as experts, we can see exactly what damage occurs to a bike in practice. If certain damage patterns are repeated, we develop machines and procedures to reproduce them in tests. The manufacturer can then take targeted countermeasures. In most cases, this is not immediately successful across the entire range, but in two to four years, the products will have reached the point where the damage no longer occurs. Making products more durable is the core of our work.
Is that what the manufacturers want? They will then sell less.
Yes, there is a need for this, even without any major environmental concerns. Firstly, nobody wants to risk a customer being seriously injured or dying with a faulty product. Secondly, the retailer must be satisfied, otherwise they will have to deal with complaints. And thirdly, a brand's reputation with the end customer is quickly ruined.
Dirk Zedler: "With a product that makes cities more liveable, is healthy, climate-friendly and fun to use, the cycling industry has important trump cards up its sleeve. Now is the time to stand together as an industry to set the course in politics for a mobility turnaround in favour of cycling."
Isn't the improvement from generation to generation a very long way to a durable product?
We have certainly helped to accelerate the improvements in durability enormously. Because we disclose our test procedures, some suppliers in Asia copy them. They then write "zedeler testing" or something like that in the product description. It's kind of funny, but this has become the established term for testing above the minimum requirements. And it avoids a few bad products. Of course, we are constantly developing the processes and then testing them to the latest standards. I am convinced that our work avoids a lot of scrap and waste - which ultimately ties up the same amount of raw materials as a functioning, durable product.
Is the bike industry generally on a sustainable path?
I don't want to make that general judgement. Some things are getting better, others are getting worse. Let's put it this way: as a small company, we have proven that you can achieve a lot with little effort. Of course, I find it sad that others with a lot more money at their disposal put so little thought into it.
