Family business Mewa: Linen transport by cargo bike – car & mobile

Even before environmentalists discovered “sharing” as a resource-saving form of ownership, the Wiesbaden-based company group Mewa was already at the start: It rents and washes work clothes, cleaning cloths and other company textiles using the reusable method. 5700 employees work for the family company at 45 locations in 14 European countries, and sales in 2020 amounted to around 745 million euros. The latest highlight in terms of sustainability is the use of cargo bikes in Berlin. If successful, the pilot operation will be expanded to other locations. Service director Hans Peter Weidling explains what the customers get out of it and why it also benefits the company.

SZ: You bring clean company laundry to customers in Berlin by cargo bike. Have the Greens thanked you yet?

Hans-Peter Weidling: That is not necessary. Much more important is that the idea is good for the Berlin city air and that our customers like it. In any case, it is well received that we not only talk about environmental protection, but also do something to help it.

How should you imagine it: Hundreds of service drivers now cycle across the capital every day?

We are currently still in the pilot phase. We are initially using cargo bikes as a test on certain routes in Berlin-Mitte to find out how well the pedal service works and whether this is a sustainable option for us.

Head of Service Hans Peter Weidling.

(Photo: Jürgen Mai / Mewa)

So far, you have been delivering to pharmacies, car workshops, bakeries, the building trade and food retailers by truck. Isn’t that more efficient?

That is also the subject of our test. We want to find out which solution makes the most sense for the future. We think of the economy as well as the environment and the satisfaction of our employees. We have not yet received any feedback from the Berlin Senate Department for the Environment. But our drivers are happy to be able to leave the grueling traffic jams behind.

In many places there are efforts to ban trucks from the inner cities. Do you want to forestall that?

It goes without saying that this is an important point for us. Like other suppliers, we have to face this challenge, and that’s what we’re doing with this idea. We would like to have an economically viable solution ready and established in good time. After all, we can’t really ask our customers to pick up their workwear at our company.

Doesn’t delivery by bike take significantly longer?

You should think right? But not true. We have built an intelligent system of small warehouses in the outskirts. From these city hubs, we bring the clean clothes to the customers by cargo bike or with electrically operated vans and take the used laundry with us. Because it is easier for us to get through the dense city traffic with our bikes, it is often faster than before. And there is another advantage. We can now also serve customers who we were previously unable to reach because the road is too narrow or blocked for trucks. All in all, this leads to positive feedback not only from our customers, but also from our employees.

Will the delivery and collection service by cargo bike become more expensive for customers?

That doesn’t have to be the case if you plan the process carefully and have reliable drivers on board who enjoy their job and understand that you don’t get a clean environment for free. We have only been there for a few weeks, but according to initial estimates, changing the means of transport will be at least cost-neutral. If this is confirmed, we can speak of a win-win-win situation – for the environment, our customers and us.

Have you replaced professional drivers with cheaper cyclists?

One should not underestimate the activity. The cargo cyclists are trained by us as well as the truck drivers. We will definitely not replace our highly qualified service drivers with inexpensive courier drivers.

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