In Waidhofen an der Thaya in Lower Austria, an area of forest lost to climate change has been reforested.
The young trees are the result of the Austria-wide collection drive as part of the "Stöpselwald" project. From the end of September to the beginning of November, 3.8 million beverage caps were collected, recycled and reused in over 300 PENNY shops.
The project shows how easily the circular economy works. With the net proceeds from the valuable plastic, 1,000 new trees have now been planted under the guidance of the waldsetzen.jetzt initiative, thus reforesting an area of woodland that has been lost due to climate change.
Fighting climate change
The joint project between Waldquelle Mineralwasser and PENNY Austria, which is now taking root in Waidhofen an der Thaya, was created under the motto "To protect nature and combat climate change, every recycled beverage cap counts". Under the guidance and expertise of the waldsetzen.jetzt initiative, which has been campaigning for the reforestation of local woodland for years, and with the help of the many volunteers, the area of forest lost due to a bark beetle infestation was reforested by local forester Erich Kasses within a single morning.
A climate-fit mixed forest was planted with sycamore maple, black alder, spruce and fir, which is precisely adapted to the location and can therefore withstand the increased drought and pests. "The importance of native forests for a functioning ecosystem is often underestimated. A mature tree provides the oxygen that ten people need to breathe every day. Trees, including the newly planted ones in Waidhofen an der Thaya, also process carbon dioxide, which is very harmful to the environment," says Thomas Göttinger, Chairman of waldsetzen.jetzt
Responsibility for nature and the environment
With the pioneering project in collection behaviour and the 1,000 new trees in Lower Austria, PENNY and Waldquelle are reaffirming their responsibility for nature and the environment, which they want to continue to promote in the future and in the interests of consumers in order to raise awareness of sustainability on many levels. "Sustainability is not just part of our DNA in theory, it is a living reality in our shops. We not only have a good working relationship with our long-standing retail partner Waldquelle, but also a consistent commitment to sustainability," emphasises Ralf Teschmit, Managing Director of PENNY Austria.
Monika Fiala, Managing Director of Waldquelle Mineralwasser, points out the vital cycle of trees, nature and water: "We are aware of the great responsibility we bear for the environment. We have the forest in our name, so we also have to do something for the forest; our aim is to raise awareness of the circular economy. Together with PENNY and waldsetzen.jetzt, we are managing to make another important contribution with 1,000 new trees and lots of oxygen. I am very pleased that we have motivated so many consumers with the 'Stöpselwald' project for a functioning circular economy and have now been able to ensure a little more nature in Austria as a thank you."
Stopper becomes tree
The 3.8 million beverage caps travelled directly from the PENNY shops to the recycling plant. The raw material was processed and prepared for reuse. The waldsetzen.jetzt initiative and winners of the Waldquelle Future Prize 2021 used the net proceeds from the raw material sold to plant 1,000 trees in Waidhofen an der Thaya together with Waldquelle Mineralwasser and PENNY. Over the years, the Central Burgenland mineral water has already planted 5,000 trees in Austria.
