The European Waste Reduction Week awards were presented

(Photo: Pixabay)

Anikó Raisz, the Hungarian coordinator, emphasized at the event held in ÉMI’s industrial park in Szentendre, that the circular economy is much more than recycling, as the generated waste represents raw material and value for another company. “This is how the circle is closed and the linear economy is transformed into a circular one, without wasting the available resources,” he said. Reducing the amount of waste and resource consumption is not only a smart organization of waste collection and treatment, but also includes conscious shopping and local composting of food waste, the state secretary pointed out. Anikó Raisz also spoke about the fact that sustainability is not only a political and governmental issue, in order to be successful, individuals, families, businesses and civil organizations must also follow such goals and values, make their everyday decisions in such a way, and engage in such initiatives , which can ensure the achievement of a sustainable society.

The state secretary also mentioned that in order to increase environmental awareness, the ministry organizes and supports a number of environmental education programs and attitude-shaping events every year

“Where there is a significant social cause, there is always a place for social cooperation and innovation,” and the program of the recent European Waste Reduction Week is an excellent example of this, he said. He explained that more than 16,000 participants across Europe had registered for the program. Hungary finished in fifth place, and the popularity of the program is growing year by year, the number of actions in the country has increased by 40 percent compared to 2021 – he pointed out, and called it particularly gratifying that the program has received more and more attention in educational institutions as well. The main topic of 2022 was circular and sustainable textiles, the focus was on reducing the ecological footprint of the textile industry, preventing the generation of textile waste, reusing and recycling textiles and clothes, and increasing their lifespan. Among other things, Adrienn Buday-Malik, CEO of ÉMI, spoke about how the issue of the circular economy and the environment creates a community and unites actors who might otherwise have little to do with each other. Local government representatives, private individuals, artists, researchers, representatives of the scientific life, politicians and representatives of the government sit at a table and stand by a cause. ÉMI, as a construction professional organization, stood by as a coordinator a cause that is definitely a common cause, he added.

The initiative started in Europe in 2009, and Hungary has been participating in it since 2013

He is the domestic coordinator of ÉMI Építésügyi Quality Control Innovation Nonprofit Kft. for the third year. The program is organized in the third week of November every year. Among the sixteen prize winners of 2022 are, for example, the Márki Sándor Primary School in Kétegyháza, the Humus Association, the Somogy County Government Office or the József Katona National Theater in Kecskemét.

MTI