Vollherbst receives sustainable value chain award

Vollherbst has received the Carlo Business Award 2026 as Most Sustainable Value Chain Partner from the sustainability program Fair'n'Green, recognizing the company's role in advancing environmentally responsible practices across the label and print value chain.

The fourth-generation family business, with more than 100 years of experience in label production and printing, has developed a range of approaches to embedding sustainability into label production without compromising brand quality. These include craftLABEL, a finishing concept incorporating natural particulates such as stone or ash to create tactile surfaces; recycled-content papers such as rCrush Citrus, which replaces virgin fibers with citrus processing by-products; and circular return-and-recycle programs for hot-stamping foil waste. The company also operates on certified green electricity, generates solar power on site and has implemented digitalised workflows to reduce makeready waste and energy use.

'Sustainability is not theory, it is practical application,' said Matthias Vollherbst, owner of Vollherbst. 'It defines how brands are experienced as tangible objects, through materials, processes and production decisions. Our role is to translate sustainability into something real, something consumers can see, feel and trust, without compromising the strength of the brand.'

Vollherbst has maintained partnerships with South African brands for nearly 30 years alongside its German operations, a reach Vollherbst describes as reflecting the global nature of sustainability challenges.

'Sustainability has become a baseline expectation across the market,' added Vollherbst. 'Brands are required to deliver credible solutions, not only in what is said, but in the product itself.'