Representatives of the Austrian Ecolabel, the Vienna Environmental Advocate's Office, DIE UMWELTBERATUNGand the Lower Austrian Energy and Environment Agency (eNu) took part in the workshop.

A pioneer in ecological product development

In 2002, the company hollu Systemhygiene GmbH launched the first cleaning products in Europe to be awarded the EU Ecolabel and the Austrian Ecolabel. The range grew over time - the company now offers more than 30 award-winning products under the "hollueco" label. In addition, a core element of the Ecolabels, the so-called "critical dilution volume", is used to evaluate the environmental performance of all cleaning products produced in-house.

Research projects on the use of sustainable raw materials

The company is increasingly using chemicals based on renewable raw materials. This often requires fiddling around to optimise the formulation. Together with partners, the company is also working on funded projects for this purpose. These deal with various topics:

• bio-based or biodegradable polymers as a substitute for microplastics
• the use of press residues (pomace) from the production of apple juice as a raw material
• a method to prove the disinfection effect in real time
• or workshops for schoolchildren on the topic of microplastics
• Digital cleaning and facility management

As a service for customers, Hollu has developed an open, digital platform solution for the documentation, monitoring, control and optimisation of all work processes as well as for the training of employees. NOA, as this software solution is called, can not only be used for buildings, but also controls a wide range of processes for more complex areas, such as entire municipalities.

About hollu

The company has been in existence for more than 115 years and currently has more than 400 employees in 9 locations in Austria and Northern Italy who look after approx. 18,400 customers. Hollu Systemhygiene has been EMAS (Certified Environmental Management) and ISO 9001 (Quality Management) certified for many years. The company strategy is aligned with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - these form the basis for day-to-day operations. Thus, by 2025, climate neutrality will be achieved in the energy supply, the use of raw materials and the vehicle fleet through various measures. Social aspects are not neglected at hollu either. The satisfaction of the workforce is an important success factor for the company. For example, in the future there will be a nature recreation park, a large biotope on the company premises with a bee house, a herb garden and much more to provide for the employees.