Description
memo is a German mail-order company that sells more than 20,000 products for the office, home and everyday life chosen for their sustainability, and ships them in a reusable box at no extra charge, for businesses, public bodies and private customers.
memo AG is based in Greußenheim near Würzburg and has selected its products by sustainability criteria since 1990; in 2025 it celebrated its 35th anniversary. Products are assessed on materials, durability, repairability, recognised labels and information about production and origin. The labels it names include the Blauer Engel, FSC, GOTS, Grüner Knopf, Fairtrade and the EU Ecolabel, and its shop lists more than 1,000 products with the Blauer Engel. The range covers paper and office supplies, household goods, furniture, food, clothing, natural cosmetics, garden, technology and promotional items.
Since 2009 memo has offered the memo Box, a reusable shipping box made of recycled plastic, for delivery and returns without surcharge; it carries the Blauer Engel and, according to memo, was used for 23 % of shipments in 2024, saving 24 tonnes of cardboard. A box that customers keep costs from €23.35. memo won the German Sustainability Award for products in 2025, for the memo Box, and for companies in 2026, in the consumer-goods wholesale category.
Strengths
- Every product is selected by published sustainability criteria, with more than 1,000 Blauer Engel items.
- The reusable memo Box replaces cardboard and carries the Blauer Engel itself.
- It serves businesses, public bodies and households from one catalogue, which makes switching an office’s purchases simple.
Weaknesses
- Not every product carries a label; the criteria leave room for the company’s own judgement.
- The memo Box is used for less than a quarter of shipments, according to memo’s own figure for 2024.
- Its pages don’t say who owns the company, and the reuse and cardboard figures come from memo itself.
Who it is for
Offices, schools, associations and households in Germany who buy office supplies and everyday goods online and want a supplier that selects for sustainability and delivers in reusable boxes.
Sources
- memo: home, about memo, memo Box, Blauer Engel, German Sustainability Award 2026, legal notice (checked November 2026)