For over 150 years, responsibility has been at the heart of our corporate identity at Deutsche Steinzeug. Alongside quality, respect, integrity and transparency, it is one of the five corporate values that we strive to harmonize with regulations, external initiatives and international guidelines for a sustainable world of tomorrow. We use management systems to define goals, measures and responsibilities and control processes. They are based, for example, on the internationally recognized ISO 9001 standards for quality management. However, the best proof of our sustainable corporate culture is provided by our employees. Guided by our Code of Conduct, they shape the trusting relationship with our customers and partners in all matters. This forms the basis for all our business activities.

Our tiles and slabs are made from 100% natural raw materials (including clay, feldspar and quartz), which are available in Germany in excellent quality and sufficient quantities.

When developing an antibacterial surface finish, we asked ourselves whether even nature could be made a little better and developed Hytect to make cleaning easy and protect the environment. The sustainable technology is not applied, but baked directly into the glaze. Its hydrophilic property has the ability to rinse away dirt and remove dirt such as grease particles easily. Hytect also contributes to a better indoor climate. As a catalyst, the surface finish triggers a reaction with oxygen through light. Microorganisms, algae, fungi and moss are decomposed and air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides are reduced. This makes Hytect a forward-looking partner for a healthy living climate.

We are aware of the urgency of sustainable construction. That is why we are constantly researching and developing new products to help reduce the carbon footprint and improve the impact of the construction industry on the environment and climate. The re:use approach is not possible with many permanently installed materials. This also applies to ceramic tiles. During dismantling, breakage occurs that can still be recycled, but cannot be dismantled undamaged. As a member of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), we also see it as our responsibility to develop product innovations that make ceramic tiles recyclable.

With the Drytile tile, which has a cork granulate backing, we have eliminated the need for a mortar bed, adhesive and primer for the tile. The system consists of just two components and can easily be measured qualitatively and quantitatively as part of building planning to determine the CO₂ footprint of a building. Drytile already has cradle-to-cradle certification and, with the free-floating tile, we have created the best conditions for implementing a consistent circular economy. We have also taken a significant step towards preserving the value of materials and buildings with our systems for ventilated ceramic façades. These are becoming increasingly important with regard to recyclable building concepts, as they enable sustainable aesthetics based on our many existing colors, formats and profiles and allow reuse without major technical and transport costs.

As a company with high energy requirements, we use energy consciously in our own interests. We have been certified to DIN EN ISO 50001 for many years and are committed to saving energy every year. Various measures are taken to achieve this: Parts of production are equipped with heat recovery systems. Pumps and motors make an important contribution to reducing overall energy consumption. And electricity is even saved during the production process by "dedusting" the machines.

Sustainability is based on many measures. In order to go further with our contribution to a sustainable future, we are investing, looking for cooperation with other industries and creating the basis for economic synergies - so that we can make the use of alternative energies such as hydrogen possible for our production. We not only accept the development and use of newCO₂-free processes in tile production as a challenge, but also want to help accelerate them as steps towards a better future. Deutsche Steinzeug has made progress by investing in a new kiln at the Schwarzenfeld plant. The 116 m long roller kiln saves the energy of around 110 households every year. It is not only the possibility of being able to run on hydrogen in parts - should this be available in the future - that makes our production fit for the future. Above all, the latest control technology and its individually adapted entry and exit make it a versatile component of our sustainable production.

At Deutsche Steinzeug's four plants, our most pressing concern is to produce economically and conserve resources through responsible tile production. Our production is 90% wastewater-free, as we recycle our water and treat some of it in our own wastewater treatment plants. The waste heat from the kilns is used to pre-dry unfired raw materials. This saves firing energy and reduces "gray energy". Production waste is systematically collected, processed and fed back into the production process.

The long cultural history of ceramics in our latitudes is based not least on the fact that the main raw material, clay, is available in almost unlimited quantities and is also easy to quarry and process. And so it is no coincidence that the roots of our company and its production sites, which date back to 1755, are located exactly where there are still natural clay deposits today. This means short transportation routes and the environment is protected right from the raw material extraction stage.

Short transportation routes and regional suppliers are also important to us when it comes to packaging our tiles. Wherever possible, we use corrugated cardboard. This is almost completely recycled in Germany and we procure it within a radius of no more than 100-150 km from each of our plants. In addition, we are constantly reducing the amount of packaging, as material that does not even come into circulation is best for the environment.