Sustainability at die wohngemeinschaft
Sustainability and climate justice are what drive us. We’re all about change and constantly on the lookout for fresh ideas, smart hacks, and creative ways to make our favorite place even greener, fairer, more inclusive – and simply more awesome to live in.
And hey, we’re always happy to hear from you, too! If you’ve spotted something we could improve or you’ve got a brilliant idea to help us get closer to our goals – hit us up!
Here’s what we’ve already achieved and what we working on:
Powering up with renewables
All of our electricity comes from 100% renewable sources. We’ve been with eco-provider Naturstrom since 2008, and since March 2025, we’re producing around 35% of our energy right here on site with our own solar panels. Our heating comes from district heating, which will also be fully free of fossil fuels by 2030.
Cutting down on water use
Our waterless urinals at the bar already save about 3,000 cubic meters of water every year – and there’s more to come. We’re careful with water use across the board and only use biodegradable cleaning products.
Keeping it local
Since 2022, we’ve had a solid plan in place to shorten our supply chains and buy as much as possible from local producers. It’s good for the climate and supports the local community. And in 2024, we’ve even launched our own Vodka and Gin brand called "Kosmos", made entirely from regional ingredients.
Looking out for animals
die wohngemeinschaft is fully vegetarian and becoming more and more vegan. That includes our catering, breakfasts, cakes at the bar and the delicious food from the street food trucks you’ll find in front of the house on some days. Order a flat white in our café? You’ll get oat milk by default.
Less waste, more taste
Wherever hygiene regulations allow, we go completely plastic-free and separate our waste. In our supply chain, we work with partners who – like us – are cutting down on packaging waste. For example, we completely skipped individual packaging for all our food offers.
Being part of the change
We co-founded two cool projects: the Green Gastro Guide by IG Kölner Gastro and “Zukunft Feiern” by Klubkomm. In 2025, we were one of ten live clubs awarded a climate grant by the city of Cologne to help us take our next steps towards climate justice.
Stronger together
We offer free meeting space to initiatives, NGOs and changemakers working for climate justice, democracy, and social inclusion. We offer inclusive jobs and apprenticeships, and our theater stage regularly hosts talks with smart people discussing all of the above.
Embracing the digital
Going digital has already helped us reduce our paper use by 90%! It also lets us run lighting, cooling, and heating way more efficiently and understand our energy needs much better.
From grey to green
Even though we’re right in the middle of the city, we’re doing our best to bring back nature. From vertical gardens to planting up concrete spaces – we’re making space for biodiversity and turning this place into a little green oasis for you.