European Waste Prevention Week – at RAJA
6min read
22/04/2024
It is currently European Week for Waste Reduction (EWAV) or European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR). This campaign week has been taking place all over Europe since 2009. It has long since become the largest communication campaign on the topic of waste prevention. This year, the focus is on “sustainable communities” – i.e. the search for ideas on how – in addition to the contribution of each individual to waste reduction – waste reduction can be lived within a community. This year’s motto:
We together for less waste - our community for more sustainability!
What is behind the EWWR and what are RAJA’s approaches to waste reduction? We go into this in the blog:
The aims of the EWWR
The EWWR is considered the largest, Europe-wide campaign to raise awareness of waste prevention. Under the “umbrella” of the EWWR, a wide variety of activities are bundled by a wide variety of actors. Private individuals, schools, companies, NGOs, clubs, regional associations and the like are called upon to present their ideas and their contribution to waste prevention. The documentation of these actions creates a kind of archive of suggestions that can be imitated throughout Europe. At the same time, interested participants can use a map to view actions already planned in their vicinity – and then ideally participate in them. The concrete goals of the EWWR are:
- Raise awareness of the issues of waste prevention, reuse and re-use of products and waste recycling.
- Provide a stage: Showcase the actions of individual participants to inspire others
- Motivate and inform: Familiarise people across Europe with the 4 simple basic principles of waste prevention
- Empower: Empowering all stakeholders by providing a “stage” using modern communication tools and with the help of training and education
The “waste hierarchy”
Behind all EWWR actions lies the so-called waste hierarchy, or the 3Rs:
Level 1: REDUCE
This is what the EWWR says:
Essentially what is meant by this is: before I act, for example before I make a purchase, I ask myself the question: can I reduce waste - that is, before it is even created? Using the example of a new electric hedge trimmer: Do I really need the product? Or can I perhaps recycle things I already have, borrow the product from a friend, repair a broken item or share the tool with a neighbour? If the answer to any of these questions is YES, then I can - and should: Reduce! The reduction principle also applies, of course, to the packaging in which some products come. Because it's one thing for the hedge trimmer to end up in the cellar after a single use and then in the trash - but the packaging, including the cushioning material, ends up there in any case.
The Reduce approach at RAJA - the company:
Far too often, more packaging material is used than is necessary for optimal product protection. This is largely the case with food and convenience packaging. But also in shipping and transport, too much material is often used. The main reason: for reasons of cost optimisation, many shippers use shipping packaging in standard size(s) - and then fill the resulting cavities with filling material that would not be necessary in a precisely fitting shipping carton. We always take this aspect into account when advising our customers: Where can they save material? You can find out what role the right carton size plays for the environment, what savings opportunities are available with optimised shipping packaging and how you can remain flexible in shipping and transport with variable-volume cartons for divergent sizes of your products in conversation with our customer advisors and here in the blog. And in our webshop, our carton finder will help you find the right carton in just a few clicks. Our packaging suitable for return shipment, such as the resealable kraft paper shipping bags or pre-stretched hand stretch film, also offers less material consumption.
The Reduce approach at RAJA - the employees:
We offer our staff tea, coffee and (sparkling) water at the touch of a button from vending machines in the office, and there's a juice bar in our canteen for water-tastes-only representatives. So bringing PET drinking bottles and coffee-to-go cups to work is absolutely unnecessary. Thanks to our canteen booking system, exactly the right amount of food is always prepared, food waste is thus reduced to a minimum. By reducing the number of catalogues sent out, we have reduced the amount of paper by 29% since 2015. We already offer a real alternative to the catalogue with our webshop. Our customers also have the option of "unsubscribing" to catalogue mailings and switching their invoices etc. to paperless, i.e. digital. We are also breaking new ground in the acquisition of new customers and will gradually reduce the number of catalogues sent out.
Proper and good packaging means: Reduce!
That sounds paradoxical? Only at first glance. Because if you save on packaging, the product will arrive damaged. And has to be returned, replaced and/or disposed of. That costs material and resources. So it’s better to do it right the first time
Step 2: REUSE
EWWR says:
Recycling is better than landfill, but not our preferred option. Why? If you have to recycle something, it means that the waste has already been created. If you pursue points 1 and 2 vigorously, recycling should only be a small part of your efforts
The Reduce approach at RAJA - the company:
Wherever product protection allows, we always offer our customers products made from recyclate or recyclable products across the entire product range. For example, all our carton and container products bear the RESY logo - and are therefore recyclable. You will always find this information directly "on the product" both in the web shop and in the catalogue. Here you can find a lot more information about our packaging principles and the labelling of our environmentally friendly packaging.
The Reduce approach at RAJA - the employees:
Here we probably move in the absolute "middle ground". Of course we separate our waste and send it for recycling, separated according to recyclable materials. What other approaches do you know? Do you have any other suggestions for us from your everyday office life? We look forward to your comments!
Furthermore…
…RAJA offers facilities for charging e-cars in the company car park and participates in JOB Bike, offering its employees a real alternative for their commute to work. We, too, have learned an incredible amount about mobile working and, even after the situation has eased, we will continue to encourage our employees to spend a certain amount of their working time in mobile working.
