Sustainability

With the guiding principle "experience the tropics in many ways", the environmental idea encompasses our whole thinking and acting. The Biosphäre Potsdam sensitises visitors and employees to sustainability and environmental protection.

As part of the permanent exhibition in the Biosphere Potsdam, visitors can get a lot of interesting information on the implementation of a more sustainable lifestyle on the sustainability path.  

Information on the Sustainability Path

In Germany alone, around 24 million new smartphones are sold every year. The environmental impact of the extraction and production of raw materials is immense. At the same time, it is estimated that there are around 200 million old, unused cell phones in our drawers. With the correct collection and recycling of them, the environmentally harmful depletion of resources is reduced.

For this reason we work together with our partner "Handys für die Umwelt", who does something good for the environment with your old phones.

What is happening to the cell phones?

Every smartphone handed in is checked to see whether it can still be used or whether spare parts can be obtained from it. If this is not the case, the raw materials such as gold, silver and copper are recycled, for which otherwise a thousand times the amount of rock would have to be mined. The devices also contain other pollutants, such as heavy metals and flame retardants, which are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

In addition, you support environmental projects with it!

With € 2 for each reprocessed and € 0.40 for each recycled cell phone, environmental and nature conservation projects of the German Environmental Aid are supported.

You can also participate with us. Hand in your old cell phone and do something good for the environment!

Candle wax is made from oil-containing plants, crude oil or bees - all three scarce goods. Plants containing oil require large cultivation areas, which are otherwise used for food or as forest areas. Crude oil is also a major environmental burden, not only because of its scarcity, but also because of the CO2 it releases.

However, wax residues are only recycled to a limited extent and often end up in household waste. For this reason we work together with our partner "SinnLicht" and collect our candle scraps, which we cannot use for any other events.

You too can take part and hand in your leftover wax to us. New candles are made and sold by hand and from 100% recycled wax. 5% of the turnover of every candle sold is also donated to a non-profit organization.

Sustainability starts with the little things!

On 25th September 2015, the United Nations adopted a total of 17 sustainable development goals. The SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) are divided into all three dimensions of sustainability: economy, social and environment. These goals are to be achieved by all member states by 2030. To this end, the Federal Government in Germany published a sustainability strategy in 2016 that ties in with the 17 SDGs. Many institutions and organisations in Germany have committed to the sustainability goals, including the Biosphäre Potsdam.

Here you can find further information on the 17 goals of the United Nations for sustainable development.

In the past ten years, the employees of the Biosphäre Potsdam have optimised the tropical adventure world in all three dimensions of sustainability and will continue to drive this process forward with great commitment.

The Biosphäre Potsdam is committed to the following SDGs:

• Quality education
• Affordable and clean engergy
• Resonsible consumption and production
• Climate action
• Life below water
• Life on land

As an extracurricular learning location, the Biosphäre Potsdam offers a comprehensive guided tour and workshop on key sustainability issues, such as rainforest and climate protection. On 20th November 2019, the Biosphäre Potsdam was awarded as a learning location for the UNESCO World Action Program for Education for Sustainable Development.

Electricity and water are used with care. If possible, no standby settings are used. The ventilation systems are equipped with heat recovery systems. When purchasing new LED lights and other devices, attention is paid to the absence of pollutants and energy balance. The incoming solar radiation supports the tropical hall with the heat regulation. Rainwater from a special rainwater collection system is used to water the plants.

In the Biosphäre Potsdam, employees in all departments use recycled paper (flyers, copy paper, etc.). In addition, an enormous paper reduction is aimed for. Only environmentally friendly give-aways are distributed, e.g. pens made out of recycled paper. In the shop paper instead of plastic bags are distributed. Shop items are preferably made in Germany in a way that conserves resources and is environmentally friendly.

At the heart of the Biosphäre Potsdam, the tropical garden, in special exhibitions and guided tours, visitors are shown the connections between their own consumption and actions and their global consequences, and alternatives are presented.

The in-house gastronomy of the Biosphäre Potsdam pays attention to the conscious, resource-saving and sustainable processing of food. The kitchen values freshly prepared dishes as well as regional and seasonal products. Palm oil-free products are preferred and disposable packaging is reduced. In addition, the Biosphäre Potsdam only sells organic and fairtrade certified beverages.

In all departments of the Biosphäre Potsdam, goods from the region are preferred, in order to avoid unnecessary transport routes. Visitors are advised to use public transportation. For this purpose, the Biosphäre Potsdam has a discount cooperation with local public transport.

In the future, the Biosphäre Potsdam team will try to make events with unavoidable CO2 emissions greenhouse gas neutral by compensating them.

In the exhibition "Aquasphäre" the Biosphäre Potsdam presents the effects of human trade on the mangroves as well as the seas and oceans. The exhibition deals with the problem of plastic in the sea and possible countermeasures. The aquariums with numerous fish and corals delight visitors to the Biosphäre Potsdam and show the beauty and value of these ecosystems.

In the interactive permanent exhibition of the Biosphäer Potsdam and when working with school classes, the Biosphäre Potsdam provides daily educational work to protect the tropical rainforest. Some exhibition areas inform visitors about the use of resources in the rainforest.

When designing and constructing exhibition elements, attention is also paid to sustainable construction. E.g. no tropical woods, only wood from the region is used. Topics such as the threat to tropical rainforests and their effects, but also biodiversity are discussed in detail in the exhibition as well as during tours and workshops. Special exhibitions address environmental issues such as climate change and insect death. In addition, they provide information on a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.