Germany's front-runner in recycling, Bremen city excels in waste management.
Bremen, Germany, has emerged victorious in the Paper Atlas Cities Competition 2024, beating 99 other cities in the process. The competition, part of the Pro Recycling Paper initiative, aims to document paper consumption and recycling paper quotas in German cities annually since 2008.
The shift in paper usage in Bremen has resulted in significant savings. Over 17.8 million liters of water, equivalent to the daily requirement of more than 147,000 people, have been saved in the past year. The energy saved could cover the annual electricity needs of around 1,150 three-person households.
Bremen's success can be attributed to its widespread use of Blue Angel paper. Almost 100 percent of the paper used in Bremen's administration and schools is now Blue Angel paper, instead of fresh fiber paper. This change has contributed to Bremen being recognised as the "most recycling-friendly city" among the participants.
Finance Senator Björn Fecker accepted the award for Bremen at the ceremony, which took place today at the Federal Ministry of the Environment in Berlin. The image above shows Senator Fecker with the other winners of the Paper Atlas 2024 and Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke.
Special awards as "multiple winners" were given to Bonn for 15 years, and Erlangen and the Kreis Paderborn for 5 years of outstanding performances. The "rising stars of the year" are Offenbach am Main, the Ostalbkreis, and the TH Aschaffenburg. The "most recycling-friendly university" was awarded to Niederrhein.
Senator Fecker emphasised that the "recycling-friendly city" award is not just about resource savings, but also contributes to climate protection. The use of recyclable materials protects forests, reduces energy consumption, and creates sustainable solutions for future generations.
However, detailed information about Bremen's achievements or quantified savings in water and energy from using Blue Angel Paper in the competition could not be found in the available search results. If more specific sources become available, further insights into Bremen's success can be expected.
- By using Blue Angel paper extensively, environmental-science has played a crucial role in Bremen's transition to sustainable-living, contributing to its recognition as the "most recycling-friendly city" in the Paper Atlas Cities Competition 2024.
- The shift toward using Blue Angel paper in Bremen's administration and schools has had a profound impact on the environment, with savings like the prevention of water consumption equivalent to the daily needs of 147,000 people and energy savings that can cover the annual electricity needs of around 1,150 households.
- The transformation in Bremen, as evident in the Paper Atlas 2024 competition, has demonstrated the importance of science, and more specifically, climate-change research, in promoting home-and-garden and lifestyle choices that prioritize the environmental welfare of the community.
