Viva! Cheers to life!
La vita, our life, takes place 90 percent within our own four walls. In order for us to feel comfortable there, the choice of wall paints and varnishes that are not harmful to health is particularly important. The AVIVA wall paints and the interior glaze LIGNOVIT Interior UV 100 from the traditional Tyrolean company ADLER are the right decisions in this respect, because both have been awarded the Austrian Ecolabel since 2013.
AVIVA & LIGNOVIT. It's all about life at ADLER: Both ADLER product lines, which have been awarded the state seal of approval, convey the call for a healthy existence in their very names! Viva! long live man - and his environment! That is why the range of wall paints from ADLER was baptised AVIVA! In addition, the paint buckets are emblazoned with the Austrian Ecolabel designed by Hundertwasser.
But the wood in the interior must also be able to breathe. This is why the name LIGNOVIT is given to ADLER's water-based, breathable professional wood finishing line. The interior glaze Lignovit Interior UV 100 for natural wood surfaces gets by without chemical wood preservatives, prevents wood yellowing.
Environmentally responsible quality creates rooms of well-being. In the Tyrolean company ADLER (https://www.adler-lacke.com/), based in the district capital of Schwaz, around 380 employees take care of the production of varnishes, paints and wood preservatives. We spoke there with Claudia M. Berghofer, Head of Corporate Communications at ADLER, about her company and its Ecolabel products. She is an absolute expert when it comes to painting and varnishing. Therefore, the company's maxim is: "Colour flows in our veins!
Ms Berghofer, your company was founded in 1934 and is still a family business? That is correct. ADLER is run by my family in the third generation. Today, my sister Andrea Berghofer as managing director and I myself are in charge.
Why was ADLER interested in certifying products with the Austrian Ecolabel? Environmental protection has been a central component of ADLER's corporate strategy and mission statement for decades. It has the same priority as the economic goals of the company. Certification with the Austrian Ecolabel makes the high ecological standard of our products visible and helps us to explain the quality of our environmentally friendly product range to our customers, painters and DIY enthusiasts.
Ms. Berghofer, what distinguishes the two Ecolabel product lines with regard to environmentally friendly production and application? All our products are as environmentally and health-friendly as possible and free of carcinogenic substances. Furthermore, our products awarded the Austrian Ecolabel are free of solvents and, if used correctly, are absolutely harmless to health. They are low-odour and provide a pleasant, natural and healthy room climate.
The idea of sustainability and environmental friendliness runs through our entire production chain: At the start of this chain, we set high standards for our raw material suppliers in terms of sustainability and ensure that raw materials are delivered by rail in an environmentally friendly manner wherever possible.
In our new water-based paint factory, we use an innovative modular production method that is 30 percent more energy-efficient than conventional manufacturing processes. Part of the electricity required for this is generated in our own photovoltaic system. Since 2018, we at ADLER have been 100 percent climate neutral.
Is the environmental awareness of your customers increasing? In general, it can be observed that purchasing behaviour is becoming increasingly more environmentally and health-conscious. The demand for ecological products is increasing. In addition, there is also a trend towards sustainability, i.e. products with a high proportion of renewable raw materials.
Due to the significantly more complex production process, the price of organic products is sometimes higher than that of conventional products. Fortunately, the number of environmentally conscious consumers who are willing to pay reasonable prices for organic products is also increasing.
Do you have the impression that your customers are familiar with the Austrian Ecolabel and know which strict criteria your company has to meet to be awarded it? The Austrian Ecolabel is mainly present among environmentally conscious consumers and is becoming more and more well-known. Especially due to the large number of different environmental labels from abroad, many of them from Germany, it is often difficult for consumers to keep track and assess how strict the criteria of the respective label are. Against this background it would certainly make sense to market the Austrian Ecolabel even more aggressively as a high-quality environmental label "Made in Austria".
Are there plans to acquire the Ecolabel for other product groups as well, Ms Berghofer? Yes, we are planning to obtain the Austrian Ecolabel also for other wall paints from our AVIVA range.
Viva! a shout-out to the traditional Tyrolean company ADLER for its commitment to a healthy life in our own four walls and the protection of our planet!
TIP: Anett Brandl, energy consultant of Energie Tirol, can give you further important tips on how to design your feel-good rooms here: https://www.energie-tirol.at/wissen/richtig-wohnen/wohlfuehlraeume/.