Harburg district: 30% less paper consumption thanks to the Blue Angel!

Harburg district: 30% less paper consumption thanks to the Blue Angel!

The Harburg district is once again showing itself to be a pioneer in environmentally conscious administration and is committed to sustainable paper procurement. As part of the current Paper Atlas 2024, it is clear that the use of Blue Angel paper is not only given high priority in the district, but is also underlined by a huge decline in paper consumption.

In 2023, recycled paper consumption was 4,682,500 sheets, while in the last twelve months this number was reduced to just 3,258,000 sheets. This means a decline of more than 30 percent, which leads District Administrator Rainer Rempe to give a positive assessment of his initiative: “We rely on recycled paper to make a contribution to climate and resource protection - this is one of many building blocks for a climate-neutral district from 2040.” Continuously reducing paper consumption not only makes economic sense, but is also an important sign of environmental protection.

Role model function and awards

According to the Paper Atlas 2024, the district administration of Harburg is one of the most recycled paper-friendly districts in Germany. This year, District Administrator Rainer Rempe's commitment is particularly highlighted as part of the Pro Recycling Paper Initiative (IPR) competition. He is one of the few district administrators who have decided to exclusively use Blue Angel paper in internal and external communication. The use of recycled paper in administration was already at an impressive 99.46 percent in 2024.

District Administrator Rempe also emphasizes the importance of digitalization as a further approach to paper reduction. The implementation of e-files in administration helps to further reduce paper consumption while increasing efficiency. “At the same time, we of course want to use 100 percent recycled paper again in the future,” he adds.

The positive environmental impact cannot be overlooked. By using recycled paper, the Harburg district was able to save a remarkable 633,008 liters of water and 142,819 kilowatt hours of energy compared to fresh fiber paper. To put this into perspective, the amount of water saved is equivalent to the daily drinking water needs of over 5,000 people. The energy savings, on the other hand, are comparable to the annual electricity consumption of around 40 households with three people. Such savings are clear evidence of the recommended action: less is more.

The initiative for the paper atlas has been jointly supported by the Federal Environment Ministry, the Federal Environment Agency and the German District Association since 2018. This year, 244 districts, municipalities and universities took part, which represents a record participation. 91 districts submitted their data for the competition and achieved an average recycled paper share of over 85 percent.

The constant pursuit of reducing paper consumption shows the importance of integrating environmentally friendly practices into everyday management. The Harburg district has not only established itself as a model for other regions, but is also setting an example at a time when climate change is increasingly becoming the focus. Details about this incident are still sparse, but www.landkreis-harburg.de reports that advancing digitalization promises even more savings. In this way, the district will not only minimize its ecological footprint, but also use raw materials more consciously.