Environmental protection

For some time now, CEWE has been working on an ecological upgrade for the premises in Oldenburg as well as at other locations with nesting boxes, castles for bumble bees as well as domes for hedgehogs. These upgrades help to create greater biodiversity and provide food, shelter and nesting options for a range of animals.

Bee colonies at CEWE

There is a humming and a buzzing at CEWE's business premises! Since the end of June 2019, two honeybee colonies which by now have grown to four, have made their home next to a hotel for insects. The colonies are a fixed feature of CEWE because, contrary to many other businesses, they have not been leased, but bought. The beekeeper's association Imkerverein Oldenburg e. V. helped to make this colony become a reality. The chairperson of Imkerverein Oldenburg e.V., Dörthe Heuer, helps to care for the colonies. In the medium term, however, CEWE employees are to independently care for the bees and harvest the honey. For this, they must first train to become a beekeeper and learn all there is to know about beekeeping. Three CEWE employees started their training to become certified beekeepers in early 2020 and successfully graduated in mid-July.

Cooperation with NABU

CEWE aims to protect the environment in a very practical way. The locations in Oldenburg, Mönchengladbach and Eschbach work closely with the local nature conservation group, NABU. In 2013, this cooperation went cross-regional with the Federal NABU association. This includes, next to shared photography competitions and sponsorships of nature conservation projects, the ecological and animal-friendly design of the company's premises in Oldenburg. For example, roses and trees have been planted in Mönchengladbach to create an oasis-like environment in which employees can take their break; in Oldenburg, a meadow of wild blooms is currently in the making. To green the business premises in Eschbach and Oldenburg, nesting boxes for songbirds and insects plus a nesting area for the common swift, as well as domes for hedgehogs, castles for bumble bees and bird feeding stations were set up. Also, an insect hotel was built which is to offer a nesting space for wild bees, bumblebees, and wasps.

CEWE even funds NABU to support the acquisition of land. This is important to create a long-term prospect for nature because the land is largely left unattended for the wilderness to evolve naturally there.

CEWE clean-up

The annual "Oldenburg cleans up" campaign is a fixed event in CEWE's calendar where employees collect refuse all around the business premises. This clean-up mission is initiated by the City of Oldenburg to maintain a neat and appealing city image.

#einheitsbuddeln

On the Day of German Unity, CEWE participated in a large planting campaign in Oldenburg – #einheitsbuddeln – initiated by the Schleswig-Holstein state chancellery. Many employees from Oldenburg participated and planted somewhere around 100 seedlings at the Oldenburg premises and in their home gardens, all of which were financed by CEWE.