2_0_DiscoverGermany_August 2015_Issue29:Scan Magazine 1
27/7/15
16:49
Page 107
Discover Germany | Green Business of the Month | Germany
townships: They are part of a community,” he explains. And it does not stop here, as he continues: “With the revenue we gain, we fund education for our workers. Most of
them do not even have a proper school education. They are able to gain a school leaving qualification during work hours and it always amazes me to see how conditions improve every time I visit.”
expansion is quite a challenging process, but we are very excited about it. We are also currently developing new solar products, but details are confidential so far,” Neubig drops a hint.
Truly sustainable
Great, yet simple award-winning design
The concept is almost too simple to be true. Solar panels on the top of the jar catch the sunlight at daytime, which can be used after dusk. High quality LED lights provide a warm light that lasts for hours. Handmade with love in South Africa, over one million jars have been produced so far by the people of Alexandra and Soweto. “Unfortunately sustainability has become a bit of a corporate buzzword in recent times. But it really should be a concept and core value of a company. It starts with the corporate mission, the product design and the client relationships far across the borders of ecological issues. For us this is normal,” Neubig points out. At SONNENGLAS™ every single step in the production chain is put into question over and over in order to identify room for improvement.“We just replaced the padding material for the packaging with recycled paper. This recycled paper comes from a plant close to our production facilities. Cutting the recycled paper is a slightly more costly than using the old foam fillers for packaging. Bottom line is that it costs more, but at the same time it is a truly sustainable solution. It is all a question of priorities,” Neubig explains.
The SONNENGLAS™ has won numerous design awards and is known globally as Consol Solar Jar. Its natural and beautiful design has already gained a loyal fan base across the globe and it seems that designsavvy and eco-conscious customers can’t get enough of developing ever-new decoration ideas.The jar can be filled with sand, pebbles, shells or whatever matches one’s personal preferences and it provides a romantic and cosy ambience all year round, outdoors and indoors alike. Be it a dozen of jars in a garden tree or a glass filled with miniature figurines on the dining table inside the house, options are endless. The SONNENGLAS™ is ideal for any purpose. No batteries needed, it helps to something good to our planet. Putting it on the table at a dinner party, placing it next to the BBQ or bringing it along as a gift for the host, certainly brings along interesting small talk opportunities and those who haven’t heard about the ingenious jar yet, will definitely be amazed.
2015 is another exciting year for SONNENGLAS™ as expansion plans into North Africa are currently under way.“The
www.sonnenglas.net
Getting a SONNENGLAS™ (or a few more) is a win-win situation for everyone – here in Northern Europe and in the remote valleys of South Africa.
Issue 29 | August 2015 | 107