Kaisersesch, September 1, 2025 – With a pilot project that is unique in Germany, the CLASSEN Group and HAWO GmbH are sending a strong signal for a circular economy in the flooring industry. CLASSEN has already established successful take-back systems for production residues with industry partners; with hawo GmbH, this approach is now being applied to returns from the trade for the first time. Since January 1, 2025, both partners have been testing a joint take-back concept for CLASSEN's PVC-free CERAMIN products. The pilot project will run until the end of the year and is intended to lay the foundation for further sustainable cooperation.
As part of the project, leftover tiles and residual goods from CERAMIN products are collected by craftsmen via HAWO branches and returned to CLASSEN – in the future, this will also include whole, already installed goods. The returns are collected in plastic boxes provided by hawo in its branches. Once filled, these boxes are transported to the hawo headquarters in Heppenheim, from where CLASSEN organizes their onward transport to Kaisersesch for environmentally friendly and complete recycling. The project will be closely monitored, evaluated, and improved during the project period. It is an expression of a trusting, long-standing cooperation in which hawo is open to innovative approaches and actively works with CLASSEN to further develop sustainable solutions in line with the circular economy.
"At CLASSEN, we are committed to further developing the circular economy in the flooring industry and establishing sustainable solutions throughout the entire product life cycle. We are therefore all the more delighted to be working with our customers to test such models in practice in order to develop a future-proof and sustainable concept for the industry. This form of take-back is one of many possible options for enabling the material recycling of CERAMIN. The basic prerequisite for this is that CERAMIN is „Designed for Recycling“ ist.“ sagt Sebastian Wendel, Nachhaltigkeitsbeauftragter der CLASSEN-Gruppe.
“As a family-owned company, we at hawo GmbH are convinced that sustainable solutions and active responsibility are crucial for the future of our industry. We have already successfully established take-back concepts in other product groups and are now bringing this experience to the CERAMIN sector in collaboration with CLASSEN.”
Outlook for the project
The pilot project will run until December 31, 2025, and will be closely monitored and evaluated throughout its duration. If it proves successful, there are plans to expand it to include additional partners with the aim of establishing the circular economy even more broadly in the construction industry.
For more information about CERAMIN, please visit the website: www.ceramin.com
About HAWO GmbH
As a manufacturer and wholesaler, hawo GmbH supplies high-quality products for facades, interiors, and floors, as well as tools and machinery. The focus is on excellent customer service, expert advice, the highest product quality, fast delivery, and sustainability. With qualified and motivated employees, standardized processes throughout the company, and a large number of branches in southwestern Germany, painters, plasterers, floor layers, and interior designers are served optimally and with a high degree of flexibility through direct sales. find efficient and sustainable solutions for their projects.
About CLASSEN
As a leading German manufacturer of wall and floor coverings, the family-owned company stands for technological leadership and sustainability. Under the motto "Floors For A Better Tomorrow", the approximately 2,000 employees of the CLASSEN Group are committed to a sustainable future in all areas of the value chain. With great passion and expertise, they achieve outstanding results - from the conservation of resources and the long life cycle to the complete recycling of healthy living wall and floor coverings.
CLASSEN deliberately avoids the use of chlorine, PVC and plasticizers for its healthy living wall and floor coverings. With numerous patents, which are available to the entire industry, the company not only underlines its own independence, but also its continuous commitment to our livelihoods. With CERAMIN®, CLASSEN has developed a material that consists largely of plastic recyclates and is 100 percent recyclable. In this way, CLASSEN makes an exemplary contribution to the circular economy.
The family business, founded in 1962 by Dr. Hans-Jürgen Hannig, is currently run by three generations, including the founder himself, in operational management.
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