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P3 7-8/2020 en
Paper Atlas 2020
Growing Amount of Recycled Paper in Municipalities and Universities
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Federal Minister Svenja Schulze honored the winners of the 2020 Paper Atlas in the Federal Environment Ministry in Berlin on October 6th. More than 180 municipalities and universities took part in the competition launched by the Initiative Pro Recyclingpapier (IPR) and its partners in this extraordinary year. Erlangen prevailed as the “most recycling paper friendly city”, the Paderborn district as the “most recycling paper friendly district” and the FernUniversität in Hagen as the “most recycling paper friendly university”.
The “Rookie of the Year” awards went to Cuxhaven, the Ilm district and the University of Cologne. The cities of Freiburg and Siegen as well as the University of Tübingen received special awards for many years of outstanding commitment.
The paper atlas shows the paper consumption and the proportion of paper with the Blue Angel in German cities, districts and universities. The 99 large and medium-sized cities achieved a new record with an average recycling paper quota of 91 percent - for the first time in the history of the paper atlas, it was above 90 percent. The district competition sets two new records: Despite the extraordinary circumstances, 40 districts took part for the first time. The new attendance record underlines the great willingness to disclose data on paper consumption and recycling paper quotas, and to measure oneself in the positive competition. The districts also set a new record when it comes to using paper with the Blue Angel: The average recycling paper quota has risen again - to 85.48 percent. The 43 universities are also continuing their course and are using more than 75 percent Blue Angel paper for the first time. Together, the participants achieve a saving of 528 million liters of water and 108 million kilowatt hours of energy.
“The impressive participation this year shows once again that the switch to recycled paper has become a calling card for sustainable action in more and more municipalities and universities. The paper atlas has offered transparency, orientation and motivation for thirteen years now, ”said Ulrich Feuersinger, spokesman for IPR.
The paper atlas was launched by IPR in 2008 in order to promote the use of recycled paper with the Blue Angel in cities by means of a positive competition. Universities and districts have been able to participate in their own competitions since 2016. Partners are the Federal Environment Ministry, the Federal Environment Agency, the German Association of Cities, the Association of German Cities and Municipalities, the German District Association and the German Association of Universities.
