Responsibility for culture, nature and society
Success comes with responsibility. This is even more true in a world where helping one another is increasingly becoming a thing of the past. As a family-owned company, we want to take responsibility. Whether in SOS Children's Villages, for historical buildings or when it comes to conserving water – with our cleaning technology, expertise and donations, we are playing our part in cleaning up the environment and helping people in need.
Being a corporate citizen means taking responsibility
What distinguishes a company that claims to be a good corporate citizen? Is it the support of cultural initiatives? Environmental protection? Donations of money or donations in kind for those in need? We think being a good corporate citizen means taking responsibility. We want to make the world a better place to live in for as many people as possible.
For us, as manufacturers of cleaning equipment, that primarily means contributing to a cleaner environment. Not only through the economical use of resources such as raw materials, energy and water, but also through ambitious cleaning projects related to our shared cultural heritage. Our idea of creating a liveable society also includes helping people.
Preserving values is at the centre of our action. Nature, culture and society are important values for us, the preservation of which we advocate and take on responsibility for.
Insight: Our work and projects for culture, nature and society
Active worldwide: Our social commitment
At Kärcher, we are conscious of our social responsibility and want to make a contribution to things both big and small. Every year we fund organisations which campaign for the preservation of nature, culture and society. Find out more about them with our interactive map.
Experts on the preservation of monuments
Monuments are an important part of a society's cultural identity. When cleaning and restoring them, finesse is wanted. But what exactly is the cultural value of a monument? Who decides? And how can the perspective on the value of a monument change? Three experts discuss this.
Overview: Our commitment to culture, nature and society
One Earth – One Ocean
Since 2019, we have been carrying out beach clean-ups on the German North Sea and Baltic coasts together with the One Earth – One Ocean (OEOO) association. The cooperation is part of our 2025 sustainability strategy, in which we have targeted, among other things, the reduction and reuse of ocean plastic. As part of this cooperation, we also support the technical innovations from OEOO which, for example, collect plastic in rivers or estuaries and return it to the reusable material cycle.
Clean Water for the World
Water conservation is becoming ever more significant in our global responsibility for the environment. Together with the Global Nature Fund, we launched the "Clean Water for the World" initiative in 2012. As part of this initiative, we are providing financial assistance for building green filter systems for environmentally friendly water treatment using plants – especially in developing and threshold countries. Read here about how green filter systems are built. Since 2019, we have also been realising numerous systems for drinking water provision in Central Columbia and African countries. These measures will provide over 6,000 people with drinking water.
Kärcher and SOS Children's Villages: A strong partnership
Kärcher is a family-owned company, which means that, for us, social engagement is a family matter more than anything. As a cooperation partner of SOS Children's Villages, we are helping to provide a happy home for disadvantaged children and young people all over the world. Since 2011, Kärcher has been supporting Children's Villages every year in two respects at once – firstly with funding for financing important projects, secondly with product donations that make daily life in the facilities easier. Since then, over 1,000 machines have been donated to 33 countries.
Thank Your Cleaner Day
A sign of appreciation. Day in, day out, cleaners tirelessly work to ensure that our living and working environment is hygienic and safe. It's time to say "thank you". In 2015, Kärcher and various partners launched the global "Thank Your Cleaner Day" campaign to bring to the forefront the essential role that cleaners play in society.
Solidarity with people in need
Whether floods, earthquakes or other natural disasters – we provide assistance by making employees and machines available anywhere in the world in no time. Our employees get rid of dirt and mud with our powerful cleaning machines. In many cases, we also donate life-saving machines such as water treatment systems and mobile supply systems to aid organisations. During the coronavirus pandemic, we have donated wide-ranging protective materials such as face masks, overshoes, headgear, disposable gloves and disinfectants to emergency services, retirement and care homes and social facilities.
"Europa Minigärtner": Children try their hand at gardening
As a cooperation partner of Europa Minigärtner gUG (Europe's Mini-Gardeners), we help to raise young people's awareness of the nature that can be found in gardens. The initiative aims for children aged between nine and eleven to experience first hand the nature that can be found in gardens and to find out more about what working as a gardener entails. In addition to providing financial assistance, we also support the project at strategic and operational level. In 2017, we set up our own mini-gardener regional group at our Winnenden site.
difference Award: The Kärcher short film prize
We awarded the "difference Award" for the first time in summer 2018 – a prize for a short film produced by a budding film-maker. Students from Germany's most prestigious film academies were tasked with creating a personal and aesthetic short portrait of one of Kärcher's everyday heroes. For us, everyday heroes are people who are committed to changing something every day – this also includes using Kärcher products.
