Werner & Mertz is a “beacon of sustainability in the sea of consumer goods brands”

Business magazine brand eins visited the eco pioneer in Mainz

Why is there such a great discrepancy between companies that advertise sustainability and those that actually conduct business in an ecological way? How have just a few exceptions successfully made the ecological transformation? The business magazine brand eins took up these questions in its August issue in an article entitled Die Einsamkeit der Pioniere (The Loneliness of Pioneers). Journalist Harald Willenbrock visited three “exemplary green entrepreneurs”, including Werner & Mertz owner Reinhard Schneider whose company was described in the article as “a beacon of sustainability in the sea of consumer goods brands.”

A cleaning product bottle for the Frosch brand costs just 1.4 cents more than a conventional bottle made from fresh crude oil as the former is made from recyclate, i.e., used plastic from post-consumer waste collections like the Yellow Bag. According to the article, that price difference is the main reason why Werner & Mertz competitors generally prefer to use fossil resources.

Journalist Willenbrock pointed out that it takes more than financial investments to master the ecological transformation. A company needs risk tolerance, courage, persistence and endurance. Plus patience and perseverance to be able to cope with setbacks while keeping an eye on the long-term goal. Those are all qualities that are more apt to be found in an owner than in a hired manager. That’s why it’s no coincidence—the journalist concludes—that ecological pioneering companies are majority-owned by their management. The company Werner & Mertz belongs to Reinhard Schneider and his two children.

When in doubt, says the article, most other managers stick to what they know. Or as Schneider puts it: “Sustainability looks like a swimming pool. Companies stand at the edge of the pool and outdo each other with grand announcements. But hardly anyone takes the plunge.“

The complete brand eins article (in German) Die Einsamkeit der Pioniere can be called up with the following link: brandeins.de

A 60-minute podcast entitled “How did your Frosch become king, Reinhard Schneider?” can be called up with this link: Podcast with Reinhard Schneider .