Reusable tour through Rhineland-Palatinate
Environment Minister Höfken and cooperation partners kick off the state-wide reusable campaign "Müll nicht rum - #borg's dir" at the Studierendenwerk Vorderpfalz in Ludwigshafen.
"Around 2.8 billion disposable cups for hot drinks are consumed every year. This means that a quick coffee in your hand causes around 40,000 avoidable tons of waste and 84 tons ofCO2 every year in Germany. These figures show: We need to act - everyone is called upon. Because only together can we tackle this problem," said Environment Minister Ulrike Höfken today at the Studierendenwerk Vorderpfalz in Ludwigshafen, where she launched the state-wide reusable campaign "Müll nicht rum - #borgs dir". The visit to the Studierendenwerk is also the start of her two-week reusable tour, during which the Minister will visit initiatives and institutions in Rhineland-Palatinate that are already committed to waste prevention.
One click away: New website enables search for reusable suppliers
"In Rhineland-Palatinate, numerous reusable systems have already been established by municipalities and companies, which we would like to bring together and support with our reusable campaign in order to jointly save disposable items and avoid waste under the umbrella brand 'Müll nicht rum - #borgs dir'," Höfken explained. At the heart of the campaign is the new website www.muellnichtrum.rlp.de, which provides information on various reusable systems for hot drinks in Rhineland-Palatinate. Citizens can click on a map to find out which initiative is in their area and in which cafés, bakeries or petrol stations they can exchange their deposit cups or fill their own reusable cup. "We see the new website as a platform for information and exchange. It makes it easier for citizens and interested parties to use reusable systems thanks to the clear map. In addition, municipalities and cities can gain ideas and suggestions to initiate further projects. Currently, 18 cooperation partners such as cities and municipalities, providers of reusable cup deposit systems, associations and guilds of bakeries and confectioners, universities, waste management companies and environmental associations are participating in our umbrella brand. And we look forward to further cooperation partners," emphasized the Minister.
Support planned for other reusable products
The reusable campaign will initially start with a focus on reusable systems for hot drinks. "Next year, we want to expand the campaign to include other reusable products such as cans for cheese or sausage or nets for fruit and vegetables. Citizens will then be able to find out, for example, which butchers or supermarkets allow them to fill their own containers with the sausage they buy. In this way, we want to gradually conserve more resources, reduce the burden on our planet and protect the climate," explained the Environment Minister.
Studierendenwerk Vorderpfalz: pioneer in the introduction of a reusable cup deposit system
Studierendenwerk Vorderpfalz is a cooperation partner and pioneer in the introduction of a reusable cup deposit system. The Studierendenwerk introduced the deposit system at some cafeterias back in 2018 and since September of this year all locations in Ludwigshafen, Worms, Landau and Germersheim have been connected to the "ReCup" deposit system. "Around 14,000 disposable cups used to be thrown away every year in Ludwigshafen alone - that's now a thing of the past," said Managing Director Andreas Schülke. "Sustainability is not a goal, but a daily journey that you have to be prepared to take as a company, in steps that your customers also follow. But it's definitely worth it for all of us in the end, because one thing is clear: we have an obligation to treat our shared resources with care," Schülke continued.
Background:
The reusable campaign "Don't litter - #borg's dir" emerged from the "Coffee-to-go" round table, which was launched by the Ministry of the Environment at the beginning of 2018. The aim: to develop solutions to prevent waste and promote plastic recycling. As a first step, the Ministry of the Environment successfully launched the BecherBonus initiative in May of this year, which is a component of the reusable campaign. The 560 participating sales outlets now offer a discount of at least 10 cents per hot drink if customers bring their own reusable cup. Under the umbrella brand "Don't litter - #borg's dir", reusable cup deposit systems are now being brought together and supported alongside the BecherBonus. Further information is available online at: www.muellnichtrum.rlp.de
To draw attention to existing initiatives and the reusable campaign, Minister Höfken will visit three otherprojects and initiatives that are committed to waste prevention during her reusable tour from October 15 to 25, 2019. In addition, a short film will be shown in 23 cinemas in Rhineland-Palatinate over the next four weeks to draw attention to the reusable campaign.
Otto-Schott-Gymnasium Mainz - Kick-off Plastic Competition 4.0
Thursday, October 17, 2019, at 3 p.m.
An Schneiders Mühle 1, 55122 Mainz
Bakery chain "Die Lohner's" - participation in the "BecherBonus" with 146 branches
Thursday, October 24, 2019, at 3 p.m.
Marktstraße / corner of Neustraße, 56727 Mayen
Café Speh - participation in the Felke Cup
Friday, October 25, 2019, at 10.30 a.m.
Marumstraße 2, 55566 Bad Sobernheim
