Corporate Social Responsibility

The Bresser group of companies – working to achieve environmental, social and educational goals

The principles of sustainability are deeply ingrained in the Bresser group of companies and integrated into all of our business processes. Thanks to an extensive range of close partnerships, we are actively engaged in education, environmental protection, social issues and health. Read on to find out more about our projects!

Education

At Bresser, we know that curiosity and a good education are essential to expanding your horizons. For this reason, we support numerous projects that inspire young people to connect with nature and help to stimulate their interest in science and technology. Together with our partners, we also give adults the opportunity to acquire new skills and knowledge.

At our headquarters in Rhede in northwest Germany, we organise on-site visits for schools and kindergartens to give the next generation of researchers their first insight into space and the micro-cosmos. As part of our cooperation with the local secondary school, we regularly invite students to complete an internship with us and learn more about our organisation. We also hold inspiring presentations and training sessions for a project organised by local family associations in Rhede, Bocholt and Isselburg, as well as for the local adult learning centre (Akademie Klausenhof).

The Haus der kleinen Forscher (‘House of Little Scientists’) is a non-profit foundation committed to ensuring that young children have access to a good education in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The foundation aims to give children the skills they need to think independently and act responsibly through discovery and research-based learning. BRESSER supports this exciting project by providing microscopes and accessories for the mobile research van, which travels to kindergartens and primary schools to help young children explore the micro-cosmos.

In addition to its scientific research, the Bochum Observatory (Sternwarte Bochum) offers a wide range of educational programs in astronomy, space travel and environmental themes, which aim to inspire people of all ages, from nursery-school children to interested pensioners. BRESSER is also committed to developing products that meet a wide range of needs, so we are delighted to have this successful partnership.

Telescopes for a good purpose? Count us in! BRESSER regularly donates telescopes and accessories to the ‘Sterne funkeln für jeden’ initiative (‘Stars shine for everyone’). The donated equipment is signed by inspiring personalities including famous scientists, Nobel prize winners such as the physicist Dr. Reinhard, and astronauts such as Alexander Gerst from the ESA. The telescopes are donated to special-needs schools, where the students build their own wooden mounts for discovering the night sky.

Telescopes on six wheels – the perfect introduction to stargazing! The Mobile Observatory gives people their first taste of the world of astronomy. The vehicle makes regular appearances at schools and kindergartens, where it has proved particularly popular among young children. BRESSER donates a range of products to the initiative.

Named after our founder, we have played an active role in the Josef-Bresser Observatory (Josef-Bresser-Sternwarte) since the days of its conception. BRESSER is proud to support the observatory in Hoxfeld, which is operated by the Borken Astronomical Association (Verein der Sternfreunde Borken).

Social responsibility and health

We are committed to sharing our success, both with the region and with people who need and can benefit from our help. We participate in regular dialogues with other local companies and provide financial support and advice to the RHEDENSwert store, which sells a range of local products. We also donate numerous products each year for a wide range of events including summer festivals, events for local clubs and associations, charity events, raffles and prize draws. In addition, we have a particularly close partnership with the following organisations:

The German Red Cross offers a wide range of important services and deserves our full support. In order to make a contribution, we regularly donate funds and equipment from our product range. Our staff also promote the organisation’s valuable work – they make annual donations by rounding their salary down to the nearest euro. We match their donations in recognition of their contribution.

We know better than anyone how the right optics can change people’s lives. We make regular donations to the One Dollar Glasses initiative, which provides glasses to visually impaired people in developing countries for one dollar. This great project has enabled many people to see properly for the first time.

Almost everyone knows someone who has suffered from cancer. Unlike many other types of cancer, leukaemia can be treated effectively. In order to make a contribution to the fight against leukaemia, BRESSER pays for its staff to become members of the German charity Wir besiegen Blutkrebs (‘Let’s beat leukaemia’), which enables people to become stem cell donors. One of our staff recently became a donor and saved the life of a young girl.

We believe that everyone deserves a chance and that diversity is a precious asset. We therefore offer internships and job opportunities to help refugees settle in Germany.

Environment

We only have one earth, and it is under threat like never before. At BRESSER, we strive to make the hidden wonders of the world visible. We also hope that these wonders will be available for future generations to enjoy. We are therefore committed to making a contribution to environmental protection.

At BRESSER, we believe that change should come from within. Our efforts to protect the environment include replacing bulbs with LEDs, recycling cardboard packaging, reducing the amount of colour packaging, the use of document pouches made from 100% recycled film, online catalogues and the elimination of plastic in product packaging. All of our staff share our commitment to the responsible use of environmental resources – after all, we all want to be able to explore nature for many years to come!

ÖKOPROFIT (ECOPROFIT) is a programme for promoting environmentally-friendly business practices. We are proud that BRESSER was designated as an outstanding enterprise by ECOPROFIT in 2014 in recognition of our systematic and consistent changes to our environmental protection policy.

JNF-KKL is Israel’s largest and oldest environmental organisation. Its numerous joint projects with German partners help to build a bridge between Germany and Israel. A special friendship for a good purpose: the conservation of nature. BRESSER contributes to a wide range of projects in parks and forests, archaeological sites, children’s playgrounds and educational institutions.

As part of our commitment to nature conservation, we support NABU (Nature And Biodiversity Conservation Union), one of Germany’s largest environmental associations. We have been donating funds and equipment to the local association in Rhede for over 10 years. In addition, we also participate in the “Old phones for more environmental protection” initiative, which was launched by NABU and Telefonica. As part of a spring flower initiative, we have also planted 1200 flower bulbs around our premises and brought a smile to the faces of our staff. Our goal: to ensure that people live in harmony with nature!