Muggensturm/Berlin, June 13, 2024. A pair of skylarks nesting on the green roof. A natterjack and green toad habitat around a foil pond near the canteen. Sand lizards and wall lizards on the site, as well as over 30 bird species and the endangered green grasshopper. The area around the L’Oréal distribution center in Muggensturm near Karlsruhe has a unique biodiversity. For this reason, the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) awarded it the DGNB gold certificate for outdoor spaces that promote biodiversity. The award ceremony was recently held at the Allianz Forum in Berlin. Drees & Sommer SE is a consultancy specializing in construction and real estate and provided comprehensive support for the project.
Ina Allmendinger, Junior EHS (Environment, Health & Safety) Manager at L’Oréal’s largest logistics center worldwide in Muggensturm, believes the award is proof that the company’s biodiversity strategy is working: “L’Oréal has a comprehensive biodiversity management guideline for all company sites. Our goal is for our sites and the buildings we operate to have a positive impact on biodiversity in their surroundings by 2030. In addition to climate protection, resource conservation, and minimizing water use, biodiversity is particularly important to us as it is crucial for preserving our ecosystems.”
Of course, L’Oréal’s goal is ambitious, explains Laura Lerner, Drees & Sommer auditor for outdoor spaces that promote biodiversity. However, she added: “The distribution center in Muggensturm shows that industry and nature don’t have to contradict each other and that good planning makes it possible to design outdoor spaces that are close to nature and promote biodiversity on site.”
The distribution center in Muggensturm was officially opened in 2019 after just one year of construction, meaning it has already been in operation for five years. With around 180,000 square meters of space, it is L’Oréal’s largest logistics center. 450 employees supply the German, Austrian and Swiss markets of the global market leader in the cosmetics industry from the center. L’Oréal is present in more than 150 countries with 37 brands. These include well-known names such as Garnier, Giorgio Armani Beauty, La Roche Posay, and Redken. Products from the Consumer Products, Pharmacy Cosmetics and Professional Hairdressing divisions are delivered from Muggensturm. The investor and property owner of the center is Prologis, the world’s leading provider of logistics real estate.
A role model for sustainability and biodiversity
Sustainability played a central role in the construction of the L’Oréal distribution center right from the start. The building was designed to be carbon neutral, with around 7,400 solar panels on the roof generating the electricity required for operation. The roof is also greened, providing a habitat for various animal species, just like the surrounding area’s climate-diverse and biodiverse concept. This also includes a comprehensive drainage concept with a large, greened water retention basin. The collected rainwater is used to water the green areas, clean the halls, and flush the toilets. Increased insulation of the facility and a building management system, which can be used to centrally control the lighting and ventilation, also save energy.
“L’Oréal uses many opportunities to make the site biodiversity-friendly and to constantly optimize it,” says Laura Lerner. A pair of skylarks nest on the green roof, which is unique in Germany. A foil pond in the inner courtyard adjacent to the canteen provides a habitat for the natterjack toad and the strictly protected green toad. The sighting of the sand lizard and wall lizard on the site provides evidence of two strictly protected reptile species. In addition to skylarks, the green grasshopper, which is at risk of extinction, and the strictly protected blue-winged grasshopper also live on the green roof. 30 bird species, 9 bat species, 15 butterfly species, 17 species of moths and grasshoppers and various large mammals such as foxes have also been identified in an expert report. In total, the site provides a habitat for 173 different animal species.
“Our company has very ambitious sustainability and biodiversity goals and thus embodies the deep conviction that companies can and must be part of the solution to the world’s challenges,” emphasizes Philipp Wentz, Head of EHS & Facilities at the L’Oréal site in Muggensturm. The L’Oréal Group has been awarded a triple A rating by the non-profit environmental organization CDP for the eighth time in a row. The award recognizes companies that lead the way in environmental transparency and demonstrate outstanding performance in tackling climate change, protecting forests, and safeguarding water supplies. Out of over 21,000 companies assessed, L’Oréal is one of only ten companies to achieve a triple A in 2023. For more information on L’Oréal For The Future, L’Oréal’s sustainability program, click here: L’Oréal For the Future Germany.