Do we appreciate the future?

The pandemic showed the fundamental problems of our healthcare, education and food supply systems, but at the same time we could also experience how much cleaner the air and our natural waters can be with a lower level of transportation, tourism or industrial production.

A zöld beruházások hosszú távon költséghatékonyságot és válságállóságot is eredményeznek

Gábor Lévai, managing director of international organisation GREEN BRANDS in Hungary told: for more than a decade they have been working hard to make the business operations of companies more ecologically conscious. Just like other investments, green investments typically start to make returns in the medium or long term. However, once this happens the given business’ operations become cost-effective and crisis-resistant. This is why one of the most important tasks of GREEN BRANDS (www.green-brands.hu) is to communicate that ‘Going green is good for business’. What is more, thanks to their scientifically backed and transparent audit system, they can also tell consumers which companies just seem to be green and which are those that really are.

Is our future becoming greener?

Gergely Hankó
managing director
KSZGYSZ

Within the framework of the Széchenyi 2020 programme, the Hungarian Association of Environmental Enterprises (KSZGYSZ) has been granted more than HUF 40 million state funding for improving the labour market conditions of future environmental industry workers – they are the future pillars of the green economy. The ‘other side’, KSZVGYSZ members are going to rely on them in their work. This year the association organises its own eco-innovation expo, ÖKOINDUSTRIA for the sixth time. Managing director Gergely Hankó told: they are glad that several ministries and their background organisations are actively participating in the organising work. Just like in former years, KSZGYSZ is regularly cleaning the river Tisza, as in the last two years the flood brought record volumes of waste from other countries. These efforts also gave birth to the PET Cup competition.

We don’t throw away as much food as before

Andrea Sczígel
external relations director
Hungarian Food Bank Association

In the last few months, consumers became more conscious and this can lead to lower-level food waste in the long run. According to Andra Sczígel, external relations director of the Hungarian Food Bank Association, people went shopping fewer times, planned purchases better and cooked during the lockdown; they did stockpile too, but the director hopes people will actually consume what they purchased. The Food Bank continued working during the pandemic; they even increased their capacity as suppliers gave them the leftover cooking ingredients after schools and restaurants closed. Ms Sczígel added that for two weeks in June they ran a consumer food surplus collection programme in partnership with the National Food Chain Safety Office (NÉBIH). Just like before, in the future, the Food Bank will keep focusing on collecting the food surplus from manufacturers and retailers.

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On the way to a World Without Waste

Orsolya Nyilas
external communications manager
Coca-Cola HBC Mo.

Sustainability forms an integral part of Coca-Cola HBC’s business model, and in early 2018 the company launched its global programme, World Without Waste. The PET bottles that we use are 100-percent recyclable. Currently, they contain almost 24 percent recycled plastic and the company’s objective is to increase this proportion to 50 percent by 2030. With support from The Coca-Cola Foundation, last summer we started the Zero Waste Tisza programme. //

Renewable cleanliness – in 90% from waste as raw material

Sunny Bhasin
owner
reNEW Technologies

A method developed by reNEW Technologies can recycle leftover sludge from wastewater treatment. During the process acids are generated, for instance acetic acid, which is the main component of the world’s first 90-percent recycled cleaning product, CYCLE – which is a perfect example of the circular economy. Sunny Bhasin, the owner of reNEW Technologies told: their products don’t even contain a drop of drinking water, just water recycled from biomass. The company’s cleaning products are 100-percent natural and very efficient, as it is certified by SGS Institut Fresenius. //