World record celebration in Berlin focuses on confidence, trust and environmental relief

On 23 June the counter jumped to one billion. That’s the number of rPET bottles made of 100 percent used plastic (Post-Consumer Recyclate) Werner & Mertz has brought to market since the Recyclate Initiative was founded with cooperation partners in 2012. On the next day, the world record was celebrated by the Mainz manufacturer of cleaning products— best known for its Frosch brand—with 300 guests on site and more than 70,000 viewers via livestream.  

Highlight of the Frosch event: Werner & Mertz owner Reinhard Schneider spoke about sustainable business with the former Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck and author the book Den Bach rauf‘ in the 11^th edition of the talk show Die Zuversichtlichen. 

Werner & Mertz should not remain a lone world record holder

Right at the start, Habeck congratulated Werner & Mertz owner Schneider  on the new world record: “That‘s a confidence-building achievement!” The politician, who has been a guest of Werner & Mertz in Mainz more than once, did not yet know about recyclate on his first visit in 2019 and considered it a niche topic. So today he appreciates even more the benchmark that Werner & Mertz has set.

In the next step, attention will be drawn to the success of the Recyclate Initiative in order to prompt other companies to join in. Price is currently an obstacle for many. As before, plastic made from fresh crude oil, referred to as “virgin plastic” is still less expensive than recyclate. “Right now more plastic from the Yellow Bag is incinerated  than ever before in Germany because there simply is no overall demand. The price of petroleum is enticingly low. It cannot be that the chance to do what’s ecologically sensible depends on current political crises around the world!” said Schneider. “As a rule, the structural constraints in the markets are always stronger than the corporate commitments toward sustainable products,“ said Habeck.  

Verifiably effective resource protection vs. populism and ideological accusations

Schneider appealed above all to politicians who should create better general conditions to encourage entry to the ecological transformation. Habeck and Schneider agree that it is difficult, given today’s heated political discourse, to advance concepts for effective resource protection such as mechanical recycling from used plastic from the Yellow Bag.   

“We are accused of ideological bias when we criticize chemical recycling, for example. If we then invoke the majority opinion of independent scientists instead, we ourselves are grouped with the ideologues,” said Schneider.   

“The ideological accusation is treacherous,” said Habeck. “The word is being reinterpreted. ‘Ideology’ means you are have a closed world view and do not perceive changes in reality. You live in a capsule and don’t look left or right. The reality, however, is that bottles can be made from recyclate without adding crude oil. And that’s called ‘ideology’? No. The failure to see altered reality is the real  ideology.”

For many years Werner & Mertz has made the case for rules and laws that would create a level playing field. One example is levying the plastic tax on the polluter, i.e., the distributor who puts packaging made of virgin plastic on the market. Schneider said another is requiring audits by independent experts who examine companies on site to see what they actually do to comply with ESG criteria.

“We have a unique position in credibility and consumer trust,” he said. “We work to keep our promises instead of repeatedly coming up with new ones. That’s our model for financial success.”

Habeck said that such an audit is an example of bureacracy. Today existing rules and laws for the supply chain, taxonomy or sustainability criteria are often equated with bureaucracy or anti-business policy. “The discourse has shifted so far that many no longer trust themselves politically to say that (an audit should be made) out loud, unless of course,” he said, motioning to Scheider, “one does trust himself to say that.”  

Mechanical recycling contributes to security and prosperity

Both emphasized that the circular economy convincingly contributes to environmental and climate protection and may also play a role in the solution to other current crises:    

“If we are to minimize military conflicts brought on by raw material shortages, it makes sense to re-use the things we have. Our country would be more secure if we were less susceptible to blackmail by other countries and if we could keep ourselves out of conflict zones. At a time when it is difficult to speak out in favor of the circular economy for resource conservation and environmental protection, then at least the argument for security and conflict minimization should convince,” said Habeck.  

“The circular economy is a model for hope of how we can maintain our Western standard of living without making great sacrifices and without ruining our natural resources. When there are so many wins, I think it’s a no brainer to do that,” said Schneider.

Habeck responded to a question about how he remains confident and keeps on going: “Confidence is work, not blind hope, and it doesn’t happen by itself. The reverse is grim—without hope or readiness to believe that things will work out but rather assuming that everything will go down the drain. That motivates no one. Ultimately, it is our fate to be confident!”

Functioning circular economy always in the focus

In the lead up to the Zuversichtlichen talk, the entire event revolved around a functioning circular economy. NGOs that cooperate with the Frosch brand and Werner & Mertz on environmental and climate protection matters presented their joint work to the invited guests. They included NABU, the NGO Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS), the species protection organization AGA that protects mangrove forests in Kenya, and the Austrian Alpine Association.

Looking ahead with confidence

Another group discussion took up the topic of ways to give people hope that an end to climate and environmental crises is possible. Katharina Beck, spokesperson for the Green Party’s  financial policy and author of Green Ferry, Jan Hegenberg, author of Weltuntergang fällt aus, and Christian Salewski, investigative journalist for Flip, spoke with moderator Zackes Brustik.

“This celebration of the world record shows that we can contribute to solving crises—that is encouraging and inspiring!” said Beck. She appealed to politicians to make it easier for companies to do business sustainably.

Salewski called the media to account: “News fatigue is terrible. What’s needed is solution-oriented journalism that continues to uncover problems, but doesn’t stop there!” He said the Flip Website has mostly positive examples.  

Hegenberg added: “People are emotional beings. We don’t get to them with facts, but rather with the stories we tell about those facts. Ultimately, we all want to live on a clean planet.  To that end, we have to go through a dark cave – but there is light beyond it and we’ll get to it – together!”

Frosch brand in harmony with Nature

Later, Karin Greve, Head of Marketing for the Frosch brand in Germany, and Nina Huster, Media Manager for the Frosh brand, provided an exciting look at the communications concept and the image of the eco brand. Hanna Gersmann was the moderator for this segment.

In times of many crises and conflicts, people want small, perfect worlds at home to help them cope with world events. “Relief is a need that we, as the Frosch brand, can credibly meet by taking on that responsibility with our integrally sustainable products,” said Huster.  

“People look for meaning. The core concept for our Frosch brand is the connection to Nature. We look to Nature to learn and do not want to burden it. With our products, we create everyday solutions for consumers. At the same time, they help to sustain our planet in the long term,” said Greve. That’s apparent in the new Frosch advertising spot which was released on 23 June when the world record of 1 billion bottles made with 100 percent Post-Consumer Recyclate was set. More about that here.

About the Recyclate Initiative

Together with like-minded cooperation partners along the entire value chain, Werner & Mertz launched the Recyclate Initiative in 2012 and since then has advanced the mechanical recycling of used plastic for high-quality closed-loop circulation of packaging. The initiative sets new standards in ecological feasibility, particularly in the use of material from the Yellow Bag, and has repeatedly increased the proportion in the packging over the past 11 years. The latest success was announced when the world record of 1 billion rPET bottles of 100 percent recyclate was achieved. Effective immediately, all bottles will be converted to 100 percent recyclate from the Yellow Bag!

More info:

About the format Die Zuversichtlichen

In the successful talk show format Die Zuversichtlichen (more than 70,000 livestream viewers), the entrepreneur and author Reinhard Schneider invites authors, networkers and pioneers to speak about the topics we need to discuss if we want to move Germany and the world ahead.   

The entire show can be watched here: diezuversichtlichen.de

Another milestone: Effective immediately, Werner & Mertz will begin converting the rPET bottles for the Frosch brand to 100 percent recyclate from the Yellow Bag!

A Rhineland-Palatinate medium-sized enterprise shows the rest of the world how it’s done. The Mainz cleaning products manufacturer Werner & Mertz – best-known for its Frosch brand – set a new world record on 23 June. Since the start of its Recyclate Initiative, the eco pioneer has brought one billion rPET bottles of 100 percent Post-Consumer Recyclate to the market.

Together with like-minded cooperation partners along the entire value chain, Werner & Mertz launched the Recyclate Initiative in 2012 and since then has advanced the mechanical recycling of used plastic for high-quality closed-loop circulation of packaging.    

The company, considered a pioneer for recyclable products beyond its own industry, repeatedly sets new standards for ecological feasibility, particularly in the use of material from the Yellow Bag for its packaging. At the world record celebration in Berlin, Werner & Mertz owner Reinhard Schneider announced the next milestone. Effective immediately, Werner & Mertz will begin converting the rPET bottles for the Frosch brand to 100 percent recyclate from the Yellow Bag!

With the achievements of its initiative, Werner & Mertz demonstrates that it is possible to offer effective, verifiably resource-sparing products which do not demand that consumers give up quality, performance or sensory experience.

“We are not making ascetic products for a niche market; we are specialists in making a sustainable lifestyle attainable for the majority. The key is a cheerful appeal. To that end we bank on the best combination of consistent, highly effective resource efficiency per product and achievable reach in terms of market share,” says Schneider.    

Demonstrating courage with cooperation partners

When Werner & Mertz founded the Recyclate Initiative, it set aside the problem of what came first—the chicken or the egg. Hardly any company used recyclate at that time because it was significantly more expensive than plastic made from fresh crude oil, which is also known as “virgin plastic”. Economies of scale would make recycling less expensive, but someone had to take the first step by investing in recyclate. Werner & Mertz demonstrated that courage and sought partners along the value chain. Current partners include NGO NABU; plastic specialist Alpla; packaging concern Mondi Group; and, the most recent addition, waste and recycling company PreZero.   

“The recycling of plastic reduces our overly high use of raw materials and thus helps to protect the climate and environment. With pioneering spirit, Werner & Mertz  has innovatively and courageously forged ahead in its decision to use one hundred percent recyclate from the Yellow Bag. NABU has supported this commitment since the start. We need effective examples of how the circular economy functions in practice,” said NABU President Jörg-Andreas Krüger.

“Successes like this one satisfy the longing for good news and show that a lot can be accomplished by working resolutely. They are the antidote to the widespread feelings of helplessness in the face of current crises,” said psychologist Katharina van Bronswijk, who spoke at the celebration about the positive experience of self-efficacy. 

Major milestones of the Recyclate Initiative 

Reaching the one billionth bottle of 100 percent Post-Consumer Recyclate is only the most prominent example among many milestones achieved within the initiative to date. Particularly noteworthy is the continuously increasing share of Yellow Bag material in packaging over the past 11 years:    

• 2014: pilot testing of Frosch dishwashing detergent in rPET bottles made of 100 percent Post-Consumer Recyclate, 20 percent of which comes from the Yellow Bag (80 percent from European deposit bottle collection – disposable and reusable bottles)
• 2016: rHDPE bottles of 100 percent recyclate from the Yellow Bag (for emsal and Green Care Professional brands)
• 2019: first bottle produced with 100 percent rHDPE from the Yellow Bag, for use in cosmetics sector (Frosch Senses shower gel)
• 2021: Increase from 20 to 50 percent Yellow Bag material in rPET bottles (50 percent from European deposit bottle collection)
• 2023: Increase from 50 to 75 percent Yellow Bag material in rPET bottles (25 percent from European deposit bottle collection)

Now, since 23 June 2025, the increase to 100 percent Yellow Bag material in rPET bottles! Yet another fantastic pioneering achievement by the initiative, especially today when large quantities of recyclable packaging in the Yellow Bag are still senselessly burned and turned into CO₂ because there is a lack of industrial demand.  

The increases in the share of Yellow Bag material were made possible by the high technical standard of the sorting facilities along with acquired knowledge and close monitoring of the plastic bales delivered to the recycling plant. On site, packaging experts from Werner & Mertz regularly inspect the plastic bales and evaluate the quality of the materials available for recycling. Knowledge about this waste stream goes into process development.

“A strong vision, close cooperation and the use of the newest technologies made it possible for us to develop a consistently good recyclate product despite changing conditions in the Yellow Bag stream,” said Alpla CEO Philipp Lehner.

“Thanks to years of development with our partners, modern recyclate can be called a ‘drop-in solution’. That means the recyclate can be used in place of new plastic without requiring any major modifications to existing production systems,” says Alexander Schau, Head of Packaging Development at Werner & Mertz.

More technological and pioneering achievements in pouches and caps

Once the Recyclate Initiative had successfully converted the PET and HDPE plastics to 100 percent used plastic from the Yellow Bag, the next step was driving forward the technological development of packaging made of PP and LDPE.  

In 2018 Werner & Mertz brought to market the first high-quality recyclable stand-up pouch of a monomaterial. The pouch reduced the amount of required plastic by 70 percent compared to a rigid bottle with the same fill volume. The one drawback: Until that time, it had not been  possible to produce the pouch from recyclate because there was not enough film packaging available that complied with Design for Recycling guidelines. So the initiative launched another lighthouse project to solve that problem. Effective immediately, 27 percent of the total packaging consists of Post-Consumer Recyclate from the Yellow Bag!

Most closures on Werner & Mertz products, as for these product groups, consist of polypropylene (PP). In 2022, the company did without the green pigment for the Frosch brand, switching to transparent colorless closures for the sake of optimized recyclability. In the same year, Werner & Mertz jointly developed with a cooperation partner a trigger spray head made of a monomaterial (PP), which was, for the first time, completely recyclable. In a worldwide  first, the functional internal components of the pump are made of Post-Consumer Recyclate (29 percent). In the Business to Business area Werner & Mertz brought to the market a new packaging system for professional cleaning, consisting of a refillable recyclate bottle with integrated PP dosage mechanism of 100 percent recyclate. In the next step during the current year, many closures for the Frosch brand will be converted to gray recyclate with the goal of recycling this material too at a high quality.

“When developing our projects, we always ask ourselves: ‘How far can we go in terms of sustainability and the circular economy without our consumers having to give something up?’ As far as the closures are concerned, our customers have come to accept the color grey and still enjoy the products. But the interim step of the colorless closures was important to getting there,” says Schneider.

Demands made on politicians in Berlin and Brussels:

With its Recyclate Initiative, Werner & Mertz has proven hundreds of millions of times the scalable feasibility of its approach—for cosmetic products too. Despite all this progress and financial success, very few companies use high-quality recyclate from the Yellow Bag. That cannot be attributed to any technical reasons, but rather to a lack of political interest in creating a level playing field for recycled materials and plastics made from crude oil. Therefore, the medium-sized enterprise, together with like-minded associations, NGOs and its cooperation partners, will continue demanding that politicians create general conditions to strengthen the circular economy. The following are some of the measures:  

Polluter pays the plastic tax:
Instead of making all consumers bear the burden of the plastic tax, the distributor of climate-damaging new plastic should pay the tax while Post-Consumer Recyclate remains tax-exempt. These measures generate an economic incentive for increased investment in recycling technologies.

Elimination of  subsidies for climate-damaging fossil resources:
The legal favoritism for new plastic – such as the exemption from the energy tax – should be terminated. Instead, funding should be redirected to support innovations in the recycling sector.

Establishment of a binding legal framework: 
Legal minimum quotas  for the proportion of recycled material in new goods should be introduced, coupled with incentives for exceeding the target by up to 100 percent, and binding quality standards for imported recyclate. 

Promotion of innovation and investment in recycling technologies:
A fund should be set up into which all companies that use new plastic would pay. The funds should flow into research, development and the expansion of modern, high-quality recycling processes.      

Inspection and certification of imported recyclate:
Recycling facilities in foreign countries should be required to prove by means of independent audits that they meet European quality and environmental standards. Only equivalent recyclate may enter the European Single Market.

Green Public Procurement as strategic lever:
Government support of the circular economy as with consideration of recyclate and recyclability as criteria in requests for bids.  

The increased use of recycled material contributes to resource sovereignty; makes Germany, which lacks primary raw materials, less dependent on imports; and strengthens the country‘s resilience in the long term. 

Additional Information:

Recyclate Initiative Chronology  
Dates, Facts & Figures  
Website wir-fuer-recyclat.de/en

In 2024, Green Care Professional once again demonstrated that a consistently implemented circular economy has a positive impact on the environment. By using sustainable cleaning solutions and recycled plastic packaging, 316 tons of crude oil, 128 tons of plastic and 994 tons of CO₂ were saved.

Following the principle of “safe for people and the environment,” Green Care Professional has been continuously optimizing its products for more than 30 years. Valuable raw materials are conserved, for example, through:

• The use of renewable, plant-based raw materials in place of fossil-based raw materials.
• The use of post-consumer recyclate, e.g. from the household waste collection.
• The use of renewable energies and sustainable production according to ISO 14001 / 50001 at our EMAS-certified European locations with their own water treatment.
• The combination of maximum cleaning performance and sustainability. As part of Ecolabel certification, performance is verified by market tests or performance tests by external testing institutes. Our intelligent dosing systems support the efficient use of our cleaning products.

Green Care Professional customers can calculate their own contribution using the Green Care Performance Calculator and prove their success with a certificate.

In 2025, the Mainz-based company and its partners aim to continue saving valuable resources and making an important contribution to a more sustainable, cleaner planet. Further product optimizations are in the works and will be presented this year at the CMS trade fair in Berlin.

From March 25 to 27, 2025, the trade fair Europropre took place in Paris Porte de Versailles. With 195 exhibition stands and over 14,000 visitors, Europropre is the most important trade fair for hygiene, cleanliness and multiservices in France and is one of the most important industry events in Europe.

As part of this year’s edition of the trade fair, the “Trophée de l’innovation” (innovation trophies) were awarded on March 24. The competition is held under the auspices of the FEP and is organized in partnership with the magazine “Services”. Three innovative solutions were awarded in the three categories “electrical equipment”, “non-electrical equipment and consumables” and “product”. More than thirty applications were reviewed by the 14-member jury of experts, which initially selected nine nominees.

One of the proud winners this year in the “Product” category is Werner & Mertz Professional with the innovative Switch System. In addition to the ultra-concentrated formula, the jury was particularly convinced by the certified ecology of the packaging and the precise dosing made possible by the innovative dosing cap. Switch is the first system on the market to combine efficient, precise dosing without additional equipment with the benefits of sustainable, economical refilling.

The next issue of the “Services” magazine in May/June 2025 will be specifically focused on the innovation trophies and will cover all the innovations presented by the exhibitors at the Europropre trade fair.

The Europropre Innovation Award demonstrates once again that Switch is convincing all along the line – for the entire industry, not just for the niche.

You’ll find more information about the innovative Switch System here:
www.green-care-professional.com/switch

Manual dosing of liquid detergent from a 5 litre canister can be inconvenient. From now on, using ACTIV liquid from Green Care Professional will be easier. The tried-and-tested, concentrated liquid heavy-duty detergent with the EU-Ecolabel has been given new packaging: the handy 5 litre bottle with carrying handle and dosing cap replaces the 5 litre canister.

More washing convenience just like at home: ACTIV liquid in the 5 l bottle with handle. © Tana-Chemie GmbH

The user enjoys greater washing convenience with these benefits:

• The new bottle offers more safety and control when dosing thanks to the scaling on the side of the bottle.
• The ergonomic handle is equipped with anti-slip studs for safe handling of the container.
• The dosing cap makes dosing more convenient and accurate.

ACTIV liquid is the ideal solution for efficient washing of white and coloured fabrics from 30°C. Bleach-free, the formula offers maximum material compatibility. Another advantage: ACTIV liquid has been specially developed for cleaning microfibre textiles. But that’s not all! The new HDPE bottle is made from 100% recycled material and is 100% recyclable. Clean for the laundry – clean for the environment.

Just a few clicks to certificate for resource conservation

Tana-Chemie GmbH has significantly improved its Green Care Performance Calculator for users in many ways. The free online tool makes it possible for companies in the professional cleaning industry to calculate the avoidance of CO₂, virgin plastic and crude oil that they can achieve by switching to sustainable products from Green Care Professional.

The tool has enjoyed great popularity among customers of the Mainz manufacturer. In the current version the basic method of calculation is unchanged. What’s new is the design and the optimized navigation. Changes have been made to the certificate, which the user receives when the calculation is completed.

“With the newly designed Green Care Performance Calculator, we give our customers an even better instrument to help them quantify their engagement in the circular economy and communicate their results,” said Thomas Ulbricht, Head of Werner & Mertz Professional. “In times when the focus on sustainability is growing, our tool provides black and white proof of our products’ ecological benefits.”

Modern look and improved use

For one thing, the overall design has been modernized to give the Website a streamlined appearance. The user experience and the tool’s operability have been optimized. Intuitive navigation and easily understood text make it even easier with just a few clicks to determine resource conservation achieved with the use of Green Care Professional products.

With a fresh look: The certificate with an integrated company logo is an effective tool for sustainability communication, with which you can clearly differentiate yourself from less environmentally friendly competitors with concrete savings. © Tana-Chemie GmbH

Sustainability calculator is helpful tool for bids

The calculator compares products from Tana-Chemie with identical cleaning products that do not use plastic recyclate and renewable raw materials. Resource savings in packaging and formulations also are taken into consideration. The tool permits certification of results that support bids for tenders based on sustainable procurement criteria.

The calculator compares Tana-Chemie products with identical cleaning agents that do not contain recycled plastic or renewable raw materials. The tool enables certification of the results and thus supports tenders based on sustainable procurement criteria. In order to reach an increasingly international audience, the new version of the Performance Calculator is now available in 15 language versions.

You can find the new Green Care Performance Calculator here: https://www.green-care-professional.com/performance-calculator/

Maintaining the natural beauty of stone floors, ensuring slip-resistance and preventing re-soiling are tasks that a stone care product must fulfil, especially in the cold and wet season. However, this should not come at the expense of the environment. LONGLIFE stone, now available under the Green Care Professional brand, meets all the important criteria that you should consider when selecting a product.

The care dispersion should be extremely resistant and specially developed for use on natural, artificial stone and stoneware.

The special durability permanently protects the stone floor from heavy dirt and heel marks absorption. Once applied, the dispersion forms an homogeneous surface, which makes maintenance cleaning much easier and reduces the adhesion of any upcoming soiling. This saves time and money.

The durability of the care film can be increased by high-speed polishing, which compacts the polymer dispersion and gives it a longer service life as well as an improved look and feel.

The care film should have a high filling power and provide an even, high-gloss appearance even after the first application.

High-performance maintenance components guarantee optimum slip resistance even with heavy foot traffic.

The formula does not contain any hazardous ingredients such as zinc, TBEP, perfume or fluorinated levelling agents.

The LONGLIFE stone care dispersion from Green Care Professional, certified with the Austrian Ecolabel, is suitable for all natural and artificial stone as well as stoneware (do not use on glazed tiles, fine stoneware and highly polished natural stone). Easy to use, LONGLIFE stone helps to maintain the value of stone floors. The canister is made from 100% recycled material and is of course 100% recyclable again.

The task, that in usual cleaners is performed by surfactants, is in the case of TANET karacho spray performed by complexing agents that bond the dirt. Unlike surfactants, these complexing agents do not settle in microporous surfaces or upholstered furniture, for example, thus preventing rapid re-soiling.

The use of a microfibre cloth is recommended as it increases the cleaning performance without additional effort. Bianca Nerowski, Head of Product Management at Tana-Chemie, explains the advantages of cleaning without surfactants in a ready-to-use spray: “In everyday life, it makes sense to have an all-rounder at your side. Whether in the office, hotel or care home, a wide variety of materials come together and often need to be cleaned in between. What characterizes Tanet karacho spray is its extended range of applications. Even non-washable textiles and materials with microporous surfaces can be cleaned. For outstanding cleaning performance and to prevent re-soiling, Tanet karacho spray is the ideal solution for desks or stainless-steel elements as well as ceramic surfaces, armchairs and carpets.”