GreenSign Institut GmbH is a leading institute for sustainability certification in the hotel industry. With its expertise, it sets standards for environmentally friendly and socially responsible hotel operations
In the heart of the Black Forest, in picturesque Bad Herrenalb, a pioneering vision has become reality. Stephan Bode, the managing owner of the SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA Hotel, had a clear desire to take the topic of sustainability to a new level and act as a pioneer in the transition to a circular economy. Stephan Bode had already been working intensively for several years on his visionary concept of “Circular Living”, which puts the principles of the circular economy and cradle-to-cradle into practice. When redesigning the hotel rooms, the aim was to create a closed-loop process that does not allow any waste to be produced. In the new rooms at the SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA hotel, 100 per cent of the materials are fully recycled at the end of their useful life. After renovating the first rooms, Stephan Bode recognised the importance of sharing this revolution worldwide. RITTWEGER + TEAM, the strategic partner, already provided support in the development of “Circular Living”.
On 19 November 2023, the Hotel SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA was the first of its kind to receive GreenSign Circular certification in the area of modernisation. This award followed an in-depth assessment of the 24 renovated rooms, which follow the circularity concept. The evaluation included criteria such as material health, manufacturing processes, the degree of decarbonisation of the product and company, circularity and compliance with social standards. Water quality, soil quality and biodiversity were also assessed. The test criteria differ from conventional methods, as they not only emphasise the ecology and energy efficiency of premises and buildings, but also take a holistic, life cycle-oriented approach. This certification confirms the Hotel SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA as a quality feature that not only guarantees value stability but also sustainability.
