Internship at Galaxus: turning theory into practice

You’re a student and intern at Galaxus in Krefeld until August. What are you studying?
Edisa Vent: I’m studying two courses at RWTH Aachen University: Political Science and Theology and Global Development. In both courses, I’m focusing on sustainability. I'm also writing my master's thesis about sustainability, more specifically the Supply Chain Law in Germany and the changes this law bring with it for businesses.

How do theology and sustainability go together?
We work closely with the aid organisation «Bischöfliche Hilfswerk Misereor», so development work is one focus in this course – especially regarding human rights and sustainability. We develop solutions for development cooperation. This means, for example, that we investigate how the sustainable use of resources could take place in order to combat hunger and strengthen agriculture and human rights in affected countries.

What are you responsible for in your internship at Galaxus?
I take care of sustainability issues at Galaxus Deutschland, focusing on cardboard boxes and packaging, but also on stakeholder analyses and reporting, CO2 values and waste management. I get to take a look at everything, which is very exciting. That's also the beauty of sustainability, it connects various business areas.

And how well are we positioned at the moment?
Galaxus is on a great path. I think it's very important to be innovative in terms of sustainability these days. If you didn't start yesterday, you're already behind. The fact that Galaxus offers the option of climate-neutral shopping for each product, for instance, is a good start. Shipping orders in one parcel is also great. This is the default way of shipping. If customers want faster but partial delivery, they need to activate this option.

What’s your impression of Galaxus as an employer?
I particularly like the working atmosphere. I don't have to be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. Everyone is friendly and happy to help. That's why I feel very at ease at Galaxus. This isn’t easy, especially in times of Covid and working from home, but Galaxus does a good job of creating this friendly atmosphere. I'm very happy about that.

Do you have a favourite Galaxus product?
I wouldn’t say so. Having said that, I’m most interested in camera lenses and cameras. When Covid started, I lost my job in the restaurant business and suddenly I had a lot of time on my hands. I started taking more pictures and shooting videos. Especially as a student, you need to compare prices, so Galaxus definitely has good offers.

Thanks for the interview, Edisa.

Find out more about sustainability at Galaxus here:
The Galaxus community invests around 1.3 million euros in climate protection
Adieu CO2 – Galaxus introduce CO2-neutral shopping