Nothing is infinite, a statement that is particularly true of our planet's resources. At Deutsche Bahn, this awareness has spurred us on to adopt a host of proactive measures. For us at Deutsche Bahn, this means that we use raw materials with caution and reuse as much as possible. We believe this is the only way to ensure that future generations will have a planet worth living on, one with a healthy environment.
Strengthening the circular economy is our key contribution to conserving resources. At Deutsche Bahn, we are committed to recycling materials and lengthening the lifespan of our products. We have already achieved a lot: a recycling rate of over 95%.
We have implemented a range of effective measures to reduce our use of valuable resources.
Recycled materials for infrastructure projects
Whenever possible, we recondition existing material and put it to work somewhere new. For example, we do this with concrete sleepers, track ballast and platform paving.
Extending our fleet's service life
By redesigning our trains and upgrading the technology used in them, we can keep them in service longer. We also make use of 3D printing, an innovative form of technology that ensures we always have specific replacement parts for our trains as well as any parts that are non-deliverable.
Recycling at the office
At Deutsche Bahn, we use digital tools to cut down on paper consumption – wherever possible. And if something needs printing, we use recycled paper.
We also go the extra mile to conserve raw materials.
Reusable, not single-use
We make a point of equipping our staff restaurants with reusable tableware. Similarly, we offer our customers the DB reusable cup as an alternative to cups that get thrown away after just one beverage.
Sustainable products
We will continue to identify new sustainable offerings for our customers and employees alike. Passengers on our long-distance trains can already enjoy fair trade products such as coffee and tea in our on-board bistros. By using the new half-liter reusable bottle from the start-up share, we are reducing plastic waste on our trains by around 38 tons a year compared with conventional reusable bottles. And we don't dispose of a lot of food from on-board catering that is still edible but no longer sold but donate it to food banks like the Tafel organization.
Products without microplastics
Passengers on regional and long-distance trains use hand soap that is 100% free of microplastics. This safeguards our water supplies by preventing contamination with ultra-fine particles of material.
