Premises at Hanover logistics center redesigned in a natural way

Together with NABU, the company has redesigned the outdoor area of the 50,000 square meter Hannover Messe logistics center in the Bemerode district in a way that is close to nature.

"Sustainability is an integral part of our corporate strategy," says Heiko Pikal, Director Central Services at Arvato Supply Chain Solutions. For example, the global supply chain management and e-commerce service provider has set itself the goal of being completely climate-neutral by 2030. To this end, 100 percent of electricity consumption is to be converted to green electricity, greenhouse gases are to be reduced by 50 percent and environmental protection is to be promoted with further measures. Heiko Pikal: "When we heard about the new NABU project, it quickly became clear to us that we were participating."

The logistics location in Bemerode am Kronsberg, where mainly online orders for the fashion trade are processed, offers a high potential to create new habitats for the native flora and fauna and thus promote local biodiversity. "There is a large proportion of green spaces on the site that could be transformed into flower-rich meadows or are still being converted through mowing management to provide plenty of food for insects, birds and hedgehogs," explains NABU project manager Sabrina Schmidt.

Specifically, a near-natural redesign has now taken place on several action areas. In order to transform the lawns surrounding the logistics centre and the car park into a flower meadow, NABU has developed an improved mowing management system. The turf of the areas was sufficiently loosened and flowers and wild herbs were sown. In addition, nesting boxes were set up on the approximately two-and-a-half-meter-wide green strip next to the footpath leading to the entrance, the parking lot and the tram, a pile of brushwood was created and a hedge of native small shrubs with different flowering times was planted. Sabrina Schmidt: "The newly designed areas contribute to environmental education and also provide additional habitat for animals from the neighbouring area on Kronsberg, especially breeding birds."

A detailed illustrated information board was also set up, which describes the benefits of the individual measures for the environment, but at the same time is intended to encourage employees to take their own ecological action. The effort for the near-natural design is shared by NABU and Arvato Supply Chain Solutions. While Arvato will cover the costs of converting it into a flower meadow, NABU Niedersachsen and the sponsor, the German Postcode Lottery, will bear the other costs.