the wearness

We talked to Alexander Gretschmann, Melanie Hirsch and Stefanie Osterholzer, the founders of LENA, a platform where you can find everything about sustainability - from products, services and exciting articles to suggestions on how we can improve our lives in a more sustainable way. 

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELVES BRIEFLY TO US ...
We are LENA, a sustainability start-up from Munich. LENA stands for "Lieber Eine Nachhaltige Alternative“ (Rather A Sustainable Alternative) and that is exactly what we want to convey.  There is a sustainable alternative for almost everything in life that you can choose from - whether it is in everyday life, in the area of energy, when travelling, in regard to personal financial issues or your own job. Often, even small changes are enough to make a difference in the bigger picture.

WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO?
On lena.de we offer all you need to know about sustainability in one place. This includes sustainable products, inspiring articles and contributions as well as local offers. In addition, LENA offers logged-in users suggestions on how to make life more sustainable. The so-called sustainability compass shows on the basis of different metrics, such as CO2, water or animal lives saved, how much can be saved by implementing the suggestions. At the same time, users can collect sustainability points if, for example, they opt for imitation leather instead of genuine leather shoes. The compass offers suggestions for different areas of life that are easy to implement. After all, everyone can live more sustainably.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA TO FOUND LENA?
LENA was born out of the desire to encourage more people to live more sustainably. The problem with sustainability is that it is often associated with renunciation. It is also difficult to find one's way through a vast amount of information, and often there is no guarantee of the validity of this information. We wanted to counteract this, which is why we developed our Sustainability Compass with the Institute for Sustainability Nürnberg and ensure that we are transparent with our sources. In addition, the topic of sustainability is often treated in a dogmatic way. It is not about right or wrong, but about taking a first step and being willing to question one's own actions. 

HOW DO YOU GET THE DATA?
We get the data for our calculations from the Sustainability Compass from Ecoinvent & GaBi.

YOU ARE CURRENTLY RUNNING A SLOW FASHION WEEK. IS THERE AN IMPORTANT INSIGHT YOU MADE DURING YOUR RESEARCH IN THE FIELD OF FASHION?
During our Slow Fashion Week, we want to increase our users' awareness of sustainable fashion. Fortunately, the topic is becoming more and more popular and the range of beautiful brands in this area is growing. Nevertheless, a lot of fast fashion is still being consumed. Education and awareness of the social and environmental consequences of such consumption are very important.

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT INSIGHTS WHEN IT COMES TO FASHION?
The main findings are that sustainable fashion is just as fun as non-sustainable fashion. There are now great designers and brands that make modern but also durable clothes that don't look "eco" at all. There has been a shift in materials in recent years: there are vegan leather alternatives made from food scraps. Pineapple leaves, mango and banana peels, but also mushrooms and coffee beans serve as material sources. In addition, there are great fabrics from plant sources or biodegradable materials or biodegradable plastics. Thus, there are no more excuses not to switch to these sustainable alternatives.