Sustainable by Tradition

A slogan with a history

“Sustainable by Tradition” is not just a short-term advertising slogan for the ZIMMERMANN Group. The tagline grew out of the evolution of a family-owned business that has been passed down from one generation to the next since 1962 and whose operations have been focused for decades on the proper handling, recycling, and treatment of waste.

In June 1962, Eberhard and Christa Zimmermann laid the foundation for what is now the ZIMMERMANN Group. They first established a trucking company, to which a construction and fuel trading business was added shortly thereafter. In the mid-1960s, Eberhard Zimmermann began to explore the concept of waste management in greater depth and invested in the company’s first vacuum truck and the first high-pressure flushing truck.

Against the backdrop of increasing demands on waste management, Eberhard and Christa Zimmermann focused the company’s strategic planning on waste disposal as early as 1968. This laid the foundation for what is now the group’s core business.

"There has to be an easier way."

As its customer base grew, treatment found itself facing an increasing need for long-distance and costly transportation of liquid hazardous waste and industrial wastewater. Company founder Eberhard Zimmermann therefore sought a more practical solution.

“There has to be an easier way.” – Eberhard Zimmermann

In the mid-1970s, he conducted his first experiments with a small off-site wastewater treatment plant in northern Germany. The experience gained from these experiments paved the way for the company’s further development and led to the construction of its own, larger treatment plant for industrial wastewater.

Since the 1980s, Eberhard Zimmermann GmbH & Co. KG has continuously refined its processes and technologies. Building on this foundation, the company has increasingly specialized in the treatment ( treatment ) and recycling of liquid hazardous waste and special waste.

Our Understanding of Sustainability

At ZIMMERMANN, sustainability is not limited to a single environmental impact. We apply the term to three interconnected areas: environmental, social, and economic responsibility. The following statements describe specific aspects of our operations and corporate characteristics. They do not constitute a blanket statement about the environmental impact of the entire corporate group.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

For decades, the ZIMMERMANN Group has specialized in the legally and environmentally compliant treatment, recycling, and treatment of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. The goal of our work is to properly collect and treat waste and to direct suitable material streams toward recycling or further use, provided that this is technically feasible given their properties, legally permissible, and specified in the specific process. To this end, we operate our own treatment facilities and continuously refine the processes and techniques we use.

What Our Tagline Actually Means

Tradition represents the company’s founding in 1962, the family-run growth of the corporate group, and the shared responsibility of the second and third generations today.

Sustainable At ZIMMERMANN, sustainability refers to the combination of three specifically defined areas: our long-standing specialization in waste disposal and treatment services that comply with legal and environmental requirements; our collaboration with more than 700 employees from approximately 20 countries; and the long-term economic development of a family-run business.

We do not view “Sustainable by Tradition” as a general promise of comprehensive or particularly strong environmental performance. Rather, the slogan describes our origins, our core business, and our commitment to integrating environmental, social, and economic responsibility into our day-to-day business practices.