The Westeifel Werke group of companies manufactures street furniture using the labour of people with disabilities. The production processes have to be adapted to promote people’s strengths and reduce the consumption of resources at the same time. Roland Thommes explains what ecological and social responsibility means for sustainable development.

Continuous optimisation

What measures does Westeifel Werke take to minimise the impact on the urban microclimate in the production of street furniture?

Selection of materials: We use materials that come to us from a sustainable economy.

Longevity: By producing more durable products that need to be replaced less frequently, the need for short replacement cycles is reduced, thereby reducing energy consumption during production and transport in the long term.

Energy-efficient production: Modern machinery and optimised manufacturing processes ensure low electricity consumption. When selecting our electricity supplier, we attach great importance to regionally generated, green electricity.

Conservation of resources: We focus on reducing the consumption of resources by continuously optimising our production methods and ensuring that the excess consumption of our raw materials is kept to a minimum when developing new products.

Inclusion

How does Westeifel Werke promote social sustainability in urban development through employment in workshops for people with disabilities?

Inclusion and participation: By employing people with disabilities, Westeifel Werke creates inclusive jobs that enable these people to actively participate in social life. This promotes social integration and reduces social inequalities.

Challenges and Opportunities

What particular challenges and opportunities arise from the production of heat-resistant street furniture in workshops for the disabled?

 The challenges

Costs for specialised equipment: The purchase and maintenance of specialised machines that are capable of efficiently processing the required wood cross-sections and types of wood leads to higher costs.

Adaptation of production processes: Production processes need to be adapted in order to do justice to the individual skills of the employees and to promote their strengths.

Opportunities

Inclusion and challenging tasks: involvement in the production of street furniture offers people with disabilities the opportunity to participate in technically demanding and socially important projects. This strengthens their professional development and self-confidence.

Development of new skills: Production requires learning new techniques and handling specialised materials, which enables employees to develop valuable craft skills and enhance their professional qualifications

Role model function: By successfully mastering the challenges of producing street furniture, sheltered workshops can serve as role models for other organisations wishing to implement similar socially and technically demanding projects.

Long-term jobs: The demand for street furniture is endless and will always be there. We too must constantly evolve by continuously working on new products and carefully examining alternative materials. In this way, we can always offer our customers the best possible product, prioritising sustainability and providing alternative solutions in the long term.

Ecological and social responsibility

To what extent do social responsibility and climate protection play together in the development of new products from Westeifel Werke?

Social responsibility and climate protection are two important factors in the development of new products, but also in the further development of existing product lines. We have to make sure that people with disabilities can also master difficult and complicated tasks and our design minimises the amount of excess material. Our wooden benches are designed in such a way that even the smallest offcuts are not thrown away, but are recycled into heat energy. These approaches combine ecological and social responsibility and contribute to sustainable development.

Natural and ergonomic seating surfaces

How can street furniture from Westeifel Werke improve urban life for vulnerable groups during heatwaves?

Natural surfaces: Using materials that do not heat up strongly.

Creating rest areas: Shaded rest areas provide sufficient opportunities for breaks.

Ergonomic seating: Seating is designed and continuously improved to be comfortable and easily accessible to allow older people and other vulnerable groups to rest comfortably. In addition, integrated stand-up aids make it easier to get up from our benches.

About Westeifel Werke

The Westeifel-Werke group of companies has been known for creating jobs for people with disabilities since 1973. In its work, Westeifel-Werke pursues the goal of not excluding anyone. The right to experience and meeting people at eye level with respect are at the centre of the work. With a total of 13 locations in the Vulkaneifel district and the Eifel district of Bitburg-Prüm, Westeifel-Werke is the largest employer for people with disabilities in the region. From assembly and wood processing to jewellery production, the group of companies offers a wide range of services.

https://westeifel-werke.de/  | www.freiraumausstattung.de/

This interview is part of the Beat the Heat initiative, which Westeifel-Werke is supporting. Find out more about Beat the Heat here.