Bremen and Cochem-Zell win: Germany's recycled paper champions 2024!

Bremen and Cochem-Zell win: Germany's recycled paper champions 2024!

As part of a solemn event in the Federal Environment Ministry in Berlin, the winners of the paper atlas 2024 took place. Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke honored winners from various categories who practice the use of recycled paper as exemplary. The city of Bremen was chosen as the "most recycling paper-friendly city", while the district of Cochem-Zell and the Niederrhein University of Niederrhein also reached the top in its categories.

The award of the "promoted team of the year", which was awarded to Offenbach am Main, the Ostalbkreis and the Technical University of Aschaffenburg, is particularly remarkable. They made significant progress compared to the previous year. Bonn was honored as a "multiple winner" for his 15-year best, while Erlangen and the district of Paderborn were awarded permanently high recycled paper quotas for five years. The paper atlas, a joint project by Initiative Pro recycling paper (IPR) and various partners, documents paper consumption and recycled paper quotas in German municipalities and universities every year.

recycling paper rate reaches new highs

The latest numbers from the paper atlas show that the use of recycled paper with the blue angel in all three categories (cities, counties and universities) is above the level of the previous year. Among the 99 participating large and medium-sized cities have made use of over 90 percent of recycled paper, while 91 counties reach a quota of over 85 percent. The universities come up with almost 70 percent. These numbers illustrate the trend towards sustainable paper use.

Overall, the participants achieved remarkable ecological savings within one year. With their commitment, they saved 130 gigawatt hours of energy, as well as 576 million liters of water and over 2,000 tons of CO2 equivalents. These numbers show how important the use of recycled paper is actually, not only for the environment, but also for resource conservation.

"The impressive participation underlines the relevance of the paper atlas as a yardstick for environmentally conscious paper procurement," explained Marc Gebauer, spokesman for the Pro Recycling paper initiative. He emphasized that the consistently positive development of the average recycled paper rates in the competitions leads to measurable ecological improvements.

long -term initiatives and collaborations

The paper atlas has been published annually since 2008, with universities and districts since 2018 have been included in the recycling of the recycled paper quotas. Cooperation partners include important institutions such as the Federal Environment Ministry, the Federal Environment Agency and various associations that are committed to sustainable practices in public procurement. The competitions are under the patronage of Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, which underlines the official support and importance of these initiatives.

This year's numbers and the associated honors also show that a rethink in the areas of paper use and resource conservation has taken place. It remains to be seen how this trend will develop in the coming years. according to recyclingportal.eu increased use of recycled paper not only help to improve the environment, but also set a strong sign of sustainability.