3Bears – Making a difference

3Bears founders Caroline and Tim Nichols are passionate about the environment and acting responsibly. That's why they do a lot to keep their impact on the environment as low as possible and are actively committed to the environment. Sustainability has many aspects for the company: sustainable production, shortest possible supply chains, compatible packaging options, as well as dealing with the impact of their work on our planet and society. That's why 3Bears has been investing in sustainability for the sake of the environment...

3Bears Products and the people behind them

For 3Bears, the main responsibility is the manufacturing process of the products – which for them translates into "Made in Germany". The 3Bears porridge recipes are mixed and filled in the south of Germany, on Lake Constance – not far from the mill. Wherever possible, their production partner works with German partners and importers when purchasing raw materials. For the organic range, Wild Bowls and Wild Kids, the 3Bears team works with a producer in Franconia who specialises in natural and organically produced food.

The main ingredient, the oat flakes, comes from Rubinmühle in the Black Forest for both the organic mixes and the conventional range. Rubinmühle is a family-run company in its third generation and has been at 3Bears' side since the very beginning.All recipes and varieties are still created by the 3Bears founders themselves in their own kitchen.

Organically packaged with Green PE

To recycle plastic is good – to avoid it is even better. That's why 3Bears has been packaging all its standard varieties and Pocket Porridge in packaging made from renewable raw materials since the beginning of this year: Green PE. Green PE is the abbreviation for Green Polyethylene, an organic plastic made from sustainably grown sugar cane. Each tonne of Green PE saves up to 3.09 tonnes of CO2 in the atmosphere and thus also contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

3Bears started with Pocket Porridge. In the meantime, they have also converted all 400 gram and 50 gram bags to the organic plastic. For the organic products, they currently use an OPP multilayer foil and an FSC-certified outer carton. Their goal is to convert the foil to Green PE here as well.

3Bears Packaging and Plastic Bank

Sadly, it is not yet possible to use no plastic at all, as the products have to be protected from external factors. Through Green PE, however, 3Bears can greatly reduce plastic consumption. Through the cooperation with Plastic Bank, they can also compensate for the consumption. By becoming a member of Plastic Bank, 3Bears is committed to reducing plastic waste in the world's oceans. Plastic Bank has set itself the goal of combating plastic waste in the world's oceans, so-called Ocean Bound Plastic, and at the same time improving the living conditions of the poorer population. To achieve this, several plastic collection centres have been set up in Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world, and in the Philippines. The local population can hand in the plastic waste collected on the beach or on land and receive a payment for it. The plastic thus becomes a currency that can be used to pay for basic needs such as food or school fees.

This is what 3Bears 2020 has achieved together with Plastic Bank:

• Prevented 1,560,228 plastic bottles from entering the oceans.
• 31,204 kg of plastic put into the recycling system.
• Supported 13 communities in need.

Through their partnership with Plastic Bank, 3Bears returns more plastic to the recycling system than they put into circulation through the sale of their products. If every customer also puts the empty packaging in the recycling bin, 3Bears has really made a difference.

Climate-neutral delivery with DHL GoGreen

The 3Bears online shop is an important retail channel for the company, alongside the food retail trade. The disadvantage of online shopping: the CO2 emissions caused by shipping. That's why 3Bears relies exclusively on DHL GoGreen to ship its products – a more sustainable and environmentally friendly solution. The programme aims to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants, thereby reducing the impact on global warming.

1% for the planet

A lot can be said about protecting the environment and sustainability. While some are sticking to empty promises, others are taking clear steps. For example, a handful of environment-conscious companies and organisations founded "1% for the planet" in 2002. Their goal: to work together for sustainability and the preservation of our environment.

3Bears works with raw materials that are provided by nature. Therefore, they also see it as their responsibility to protect and preserve nature and the environment. Since January 2020, the company has therefore been a proud member of "1% for the planet". As a member, 3Bears has since donated 1% of its annual turnover to the protection and preservation of the environment.

To ensure that the donations actually reach where they are needed, members are only allowed to donate to the more than 3,000 environmental protection organisations that have been checked by the network. For the 2020 donation, the company has chosen a very special partner to support. There is more information on this in this blog.