SPAR Hungary is reducing its plastic use by 84 tonnes per year with new packaging materials used in its logistics department. The company is also continually increasing the number of their biodegradable and compostable products, as well as products made of recyclable plastic.
“One of the most important pillars of SPAR Hungary’s sustainability program is the protection of the environment. Our ambition includes environmentally-conscious corporate governance, a reduction in the emission of pollutants, and the use of modern packaging technologies. Therefore we are reducing the amount of plastic we use during the production and logistics phases in several stages. We have used 13.5 fewer tonnes of plastic in the packaging of Regnum meat tray products in 2022. Now we have made changes in our logistics department, with the introduction of a new, thinner material used for wrapping leading to a reduction in plastic by 84 tonnes,” shared Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR Hungary.
The company’s warehouses started using a new type of wrapping foil last year, which resulted in an 84 tonne reduction in foil usage last year. As part of SPAR Hungary’s sustainability strategy they continue to extend their product range of goods that support sustainability. More and more of their products are made of recycled, biodegradable, or organic materials such as cane, wood, or paper. The number of recyclable plastic products have increased as well including cups, utensils, plates, and silicon lids. At the end of May the company stopped using the 100% plastic bags in their bakery sections and swapped to bags made almost entirely of paper.
https://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/spar.png170450Takacs Ivetthttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngTakacs Ivett2022-06-20 10:19:522022-06-20 10:19:5284 fewer tonnes of plastic in SPAR logistics hubs
SPAR is taking another step towards its sustainability goals: from the 19th of May they will discontinue the use of 100% plastic wrapping and bags in their bakery sections and will switch to ones that are predominantly made of paper.
“SPAR has been committed to reducing environmental waste and are constantly working to reduce the amount of plastic used for their food packaging. We are currently testing the new biodegradable and compostable bags which replace the old plastic ones in the fruit and vegetable sections in some of our stores, and now we are replacing the 100% plastic bags used in the bakery sections with paper bags in all SPAR and INTERSPAR stores around the country,” explained Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR Hungary.
With the more regular use of paper bags that have plastic windows, less plastic is being used which helps reduce the amount of environmental waste. SPAR has already implemented several alternatives to help customers use environmentally-friendly accessories when they do their shopping. This includes the introduction of multiple use bags for bakery products, fruit and vegetables, as well as encouraging customers to use their own bags or to avoid using any bags and wrapping at all.
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From 12 May for 6 weeks, shoppers will be able to discover more than fifty new products from new suppliers in the Székesfehérvár and Zalaegerszeg regions in four INTERSPAR and eight SPAR stores in Budapest, where tastings will also be held to present the special quality food products produced in the region.
When SPAR Hungary launched the Treasures of the Regions (Régiók Kincsei) project in 2021, it had the aim of supporting local small producers and meeting the needs of customers alike: with the programme, regional centres have been or will be established in six major cities – Székesfehérvár, Zalaegerszeg, Hódmezővásárhely, Nyíregyháza, Pécs and Győr – where micro and small enterprises can supply products to the retail chain.
The two regions presenting the new range of products this time include 24 small and medium-sized enterprises which together employ around 50 people and provide livelihoods for local families.
“With this initiative, we are not only improving market access for small domestic producers, helping to develop the local economy and stimulate demand for regional products, but also creating the possibility for food products to reach consumers as quickly and efficiently as possible. This will not only improve the shopping experience, but also helps the environment by cutting transportation distances, reducing transport costs and getting sustainably-produced goods onto the shelves. The Treasures of Regions (Régiók Kincsei) initiative primarily provides tangible support to small family enterprises and private businesses trading with locally-produced agricultural products to take a step forward, also supporting the economic development of each specific region,” explained Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR Hungary.
Shoppers will be identify these products from the red apple logo and the “Régiók Kincsei” (Treasures of Regions) label. Many of them will be displayed in selected stores in a thematic display, also showcasing foods produced in the Székesfehérvár and Zalaegerszeg regions. The products of the Székesfehérvár region will be available from 12 May to 1 June, while those of the Zalaegerszeg region will be available for three weeks from 2 June in selected SPAR and INTERSPAR stores in Budapest.
At the end of the aisles, a special top banner, flags and shelf strips will draw shoppers’ attention to the special goods which will include cheese waffles, wine, beer, pálinka fruit brandy, gin, eggs, pasta, mustard, ketchup, seed oil, crisps, neapolitaner wafer, honey cakes, crescent vanilla biscuits and pickles. These product ranges include real, cooked, Mediterranean-flavoured artisan mustard, artisan beer and artisan pasta.
The success of the Treasures of the Regions programme so far is also demonstrated by the fact that, in response to customer requests, the number of stores where the products are available in the Székesfehérvár region is being increased by 4 more locations.
Treasures of the Regions products are available in the following stores in Budapest from 12 May.
INTERSPAR hypermarkets:
1032 Budapest, Bécsi út 154. (GOBUDA Mall)
1191 Budapest, Üllői út 201.
1117 Budapest, Október 23-a utca 8-10.
1106 Budapest, Kerepesi út 61.
SPAR supermarkets:
1021 Budapest, Hűvösvölgyi út 138.
1118 Budapest, Rétköz utca 7.
1026 Budapest, Gábor Áron utca 74-78/A.
1025 Budapest, Törökvész utca 87-91.
1123 Budapest, Alkotás utca 53.
1024 Budapest, Lövőház utca 2-6.
1066 Budapest VI., Nyugati tér 1-2.
1097 Budapest, Könyves Kálmán krt. 12-14. (Lurdy Ház shopping centre)
https://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/spar.png170450Takacs Ivetthttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngTakacs Ivett2022-06-20 10:11:032022-06-20 10:11:03SPAR Treasures of the Regions programme puts products from 24 Hungarian small enterprises on the shelves of company stores
SPAR Hungary and the Országos Állatvédőrség Alapítvány (National Animal Rights Foundation) has joined forces to arrange a two-day campaign called “Mancs a bajban!” (Paw in trouble!) to collect pet food in selected INTERSPAR stores on 7-8 May. Thanks to customer donations, more than 10 000 kg of dry dog food and close to 2000 kg of dry cat food was collected.
“Our hypermarkets all over the country have participated in the ‘Mancs a bajban!’ (Paw in trouble!) programme for the second year in a row, which we started last year and thanks to its popularity we are turning it into an annual campaign. We are working on bringing in more and more animal rights protection organisations to help pets in need with a programme that also creates a community. SPAR’s customers have yet again proven their selflessness and commitment, as well as showing how much they care about the importance of social responsibility. As a local store chain we have been supporting the work of Hungarian animal shelters, zoos, and wildlife parks for more than ten years by donating our surplus and not for sale animal products to them,” explained Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR Hungary.
During the “Mancs a bajban!” (Paw in trouble!) animal food collection campaign, the company involves customers in helping animals in need while raising awareness for the importance of responsible pet ownership and animal protection, as well as providing an insight to the important work of non-governmental organisations. Campaigns like this are a great help for the participating organisations, as it allows them to utilise their budget on other important things such as must-have pet accessories, life-saving medical procedures and improvements to their facilities.
Activists from more than thirty animal protection organisations collected donations such as dry pet food, cans, animal accessories, and cleaning products on the 7th and 8th of May 2022 in selected INTERSPAR stores.
Across the two days of the pet food donation campaign, the volunteers from the non-governmental organisations collected more than 10 000 kg of dry food and 3500 cans for dogs; and more than 1700kg of dry food, 2700 cans, 4400 pouches and 1400kg of litter for cats.
https://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/spar.png170450Takacs Ivetthttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngTakacs Ivett2022-06-20 10:07:432022-06-20 10:07:43SPAR customers raised more than 12 000 kg of dry pet food for animal shelters
SPAR Hungary is adding almost thirty new products including fresh meat and meat products, and to protect the environment they will reduce the amount of plastics in their packaging. Brand new “free from” products are hitting the shelves from the SPAR enjoy. convenience plant and they are also extending partnership with celebrity chef Jenő Rácz.
“SPAR Hungary is constantly working on providing customers with the best quality products. To achieve this, we need to be open to new things, react to the competitive market, understand ever-changing consumer trends, use the latest and most environmentally friendly production technologies, and grow our product range. The latter is an especially exciting task since it’s a long process originating with an idea through the stages of planning, production, testing and evaluating feedback until we achieve our goal. We only put the best possible food products in terms of price and value on our shelves. Our product development team is really flexible, always ready for challenge, and never shy away from new tasks even if they seem impossible at first glance,” said Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR.
SPAR Hungary is starting several new and exciting projects in 2022. They are developing nearly 30 new meat products in their Regnum Meat Processing Plants located in Bicske and Perbál. The partnership with celebrity chef, Jenő Rácz has been extended to provide customers with even more exciting culinary experiences. This partnership is based on a mutual appreciation of quality ingredients and the appetite for continuous improvement. In addition to the fresh beef and seasoned mince products introduced in last year’s campaign, this year’s focus will be on the quality pork products produced in the meat plant which will be seasoned using the chef’s special spice mixes. In cooperation with the talented chef, three new products will be added to the current range this year. In cooperation with the chef, three new products will be added to the current range this year.
The company is planning to develop five new products in the plant in Bicske including red meat goods, spicy speck, and parboiled sausages. The factory in Perbál started major renovations in January including platform works, the expansion of the additive storage facility, lighting renovation, and window replacement. It will be producing 19 new products such as boiled and smoked speck and bacon, different types of brawn, blood sausages, and premium ham products. SPAR is continuously improving its production technologies in order to provide customers with the best quality meat and meat products. In the factory’s lab in Perbál they run several microbiological and analytical tests and experiments to ensure the quality and safety of production processes, and recently renewed their certification for the production of quality of organic fresh meat goods.
SPAR enjoy. – convenience is key
Since its inauguration in 2018, the SPAR enjoy. convenience product plant has produced an increasingly wide range of sandwiches and salads to each store of the retail chain. SPAR’s 1,500m2 convenience product factory which opened in 2018 is located in Üllő and they have been adding new products and machine line in recent years.
Their range of sandwiches and salads have also grown to offer a fast but quality food product. They have added a number of new “free from” products to their convenience line such as chicken stuffed with lactose-free cheese fried in gluten free batter, the vacuum-packed gluten-lactose-palm oil-free vegan coleslaw, and the Veggie corn salad. They are launching their hot-dog and vegetarian sandwich products and mayo based seasonal salads this year, as well as continuing to add new options to the current sandwich range.
From the award-winning sausage to the vegan burger
“We were able to build on last years’ developments, which received positive feedback from our customers, in process
of preparing our new offerings for 2022. Last February, we began producing dry food products in our meat factory in Perbál. The smoked sausages are made from pork we also use for producing salami and are available in two flavours: sweet or spicy paprika. We also have some award-winning products in our own branded range. Our Regnum sheep intestine sausage was named one of the best of its category in the Big Sausage Test (which only premium category products can enter) organized by the Made in Hungary Top Gastronomy Association. Some of the products made in our plants in Bicske and Perbál were granted the Hungarian Brand Trademark logo in November 2020 and got renewed again for 2021. This means that we currently have 16 products using this trademark. We introduced 22 new convenience products to our SPAR enjoy. line in our stores including burgers with our own branded meat patties, both regular and vegan, as well as the spicy cottage cheese spread, fried cold cut and chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, pulled pork sandwiches, low-carb ham sandwiches, pickle salads, and coleslaw,” – emphasised Márk Maczelka.
Less plastic in packaging
SPAR prioritises reducing plastic in its product packaging and product development teams are constantly looking for new solutions. With the Regnum Meat Plant meat trays, they reduce the amount of plastic used in the trays using a technology which still complies with storage and protective gas packaging regulations. Therefore, they will start using cling wrap which is 10% thinner than previous packaging. The new trays will be thinner than previous, but it won’t affect their stability. They make almost fifty different meat products at the plant in Bicske, such as fresh raw meats, raw and packaged minced meats, and grill products, all of which will be packaged using the new cling wrap. It means that SPAR will reduce their plastic waste by almost 13 500 kg in 2022, which will help protect the environment. They have plans to use a similar method to reduce the use of plastic with vacuum packaged goods. The group is constantly analysing possible new technologies which will help with the production of environmentally-friendly goods for its customers.
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Shoppers can support the summer holiday camps for disabled and poor children by returning cans to SPAR as part of the joint programme between the store chain, Returnpack, and the Charity Service of the Order of Malta called ‘Every Can Counts’.
SPAR customers can help significantly reduce environmental pressure and simultaneously support the holidays of children in need if they return used aluminium cans to the purpose-built machines. The store chain has partnered with the Hungarian Maltese charity Service for more than 25 years, helping people in need not only during festive seasons but year-round. From 31 March 2022 there will be a new opportunity to help those in need, thanks to this new initiative which focuses on sustainability as much as on social responsibility. The organisers ask shoppers to return household waste aluminium cans to the machines in the participating SPAR and INTERSPAR stores and choose the donation option at the end of the return process to make sure that the value of the cans will go towards charity.
“Thanks to the partnership with the organisers of the All Cans Count campaign we will not only reduce waste by placing aluminium cans in communal bins or preferably in selective bins, but also donate to charity by returning them to the machines at SPAR’s selected stores. The saying little streams make great rivers is very true, and we hope that we can make many children’s vacation a memorable one in the summer camps organised by the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service. More than 320 tons and approximately 20 million cans were returned by shoppers to the 30 available machines in 2021, which is close to 2% of all aluminium cans currently on the Hungarian market. We trust that many shoppers will donate the return fees towards this charity,” said Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR Hungary.
“Children living in poverty or with disabilities are deprived of opportunities for various reasons. Their young years are spent very differently to their more privileged peers. The equality programmes organised by the Maltese Charity primarily target these children to try and prevent them from having to grow up too early. By returning and donating the price of the aluminium cans, shoppers give these children experiences which they probably would not have access to otherwise,” said Tamás Romhányi, head of communications of the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta.
“Returnpack installed the first aluminium can return machine at the INTERSPAR hypermarket on Sibrik Miklós út in Budapest in the spring of 2010. This was followed by more than 30 new machines all over the country, mainly at INTERSPAR stores. Every year, shoppers return an average of 20 million cans to these machines. Approximately 220 million aluminium cans weighing 3.5 tonnes have been returned and recycled over the course of the 12-year partnership. This amount has reduced the emission of greenhouse gases by 14 000 tonnes. During this partnership, the amount of returned and recycled cans resulted in saving the yearly energy supply of 55 000 people – which equals the population of Zalaegerszeg, Békéscsaba, or Eger,” explained Péter Vida, representative of All Cans Count in Hungary. Returnpack’s environmentally-friendly operation collects and recycles almost 70 million cans a year, which is more than 1000 tonnes of aluminium. They are a member of the Every Can Counts program which is a not-for-profit initiative working towards advancing the recycling of aluminium cans in 19 countries across Europe and Brazil.
https://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/spar.png170450Takacs Ivetthttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngTakacs Ivett2022-06-20 09:57:472022-06-20 09:57:47Aluminium cans returned to SPAR serve a good cause
SPAR Hungary is committed to supporting organisations and causes related to health, social issues, education, culture, and sports. In 2021 they spent more than 230 million forints on goals related to social responsibility.
School equipment donation campaign with the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service
The Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta has been a strategic partner of the store chain for three decades. One of the most important of their joint campaigns is the ‘Joy to Give!’ (Adni Öröm!) Christmas food collection charity campaign. The charity organisation and SPAR organised the first ‘Joy to Give!’ school equipment collection campaign between 21 July and 5 August last year. The volunteers of the Order went to 33 INTERSPAR stores across the country between 25-28 August to collect donations to the campaign in person. Customers bought more than 57 000 school equipment items to donate to children in need and raised 2.2 million forints with donation cards to support them for the start of the new school semester. SPAR Hungary donated a further one million forints to the money raised. Financial donations were spent on school supplies, which were then delivered to families in need, to ease the hardship of the beginning of the new school semester for 1500 students.
25 years of ‘Joy to Give!’
Thanks to the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta and SPAR Hungary’s 25th anniversary ‘Joy to Give!’ Christmas food collection campaign, 188 tonnes of food products were sorted into gift bags to be delivered to families before Christmas in 2021. Approximately 26,000 gift bags were delivered as part of the campaign, which kicked off on the 1st of December across 137 stores. Donation cards were also available for purchase which meant another 12 million forints were raised, and tens of thousands of shoppers brought donations into the stores to hand over to the volunteers between 16-21 December. Over the last 25 years the ‘Joy to Give!’ campaign has become an important part of the advent period for many Hungarian families and made Christmas brighter for all of us.
Make dreams come true
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” This quote inspired the Charity Service of the Order of Malta to launch its social enterprise project called Máltai Manufaktúra. The unique initiative was brought to the market and promoted by SPAR Hungary. The town of Tiszabura located in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County is one of the poorest places in Hungary. It’s been six years since the so called ‘Presence’ programme was launched here to help Tiszabura advance, by building a joinery and a sewing factory where they started making their own products such as canvas shopping bags for SPAR’s nationwide network in 2018. They also make jams, chutneys, syrups, pickles, and teas in the Order’s factories in Páty and Gyulaj. Many families in need can earn a living as a result, and a documentary called ‘Presence’ (Jelenlét) was filmed and produced by the company to tell their story. The people behind the programme have emphasised that doing good wasn’t their only purpose; they also wanted to create a competitive and independent business. It makes them proud to have people with troubled backgrounds who have been left behind in the job market learning new professions and making products that are available for everyone on the shelves of SPAR and INTERSPAR stores.
A Long Way: disabled workers employed in the SPAR network
SPAR Hungary has been awarded the Disability Friendly Workplace award four times and have also received a special award for their Inclusive Workplace programme, which was launched in partnership with Janka Tanya in Tótvázsony. This community supports disabled adult workers. The colleagues at INTERSPAR in Veszprém spend 2-3 days per week with these young people who do shelf-stacking and warehousing. The products they handmake are available for purchase at the annual Christmas and Easter fairs at the company’s headquarters. The everyday lives and working experiences of these young disabled people from this small town in Veszprém county inspired the makers of the documentary ‘A Long Way’ (Hosszú út) which was also broadcast on ATV television channel in February 2021
The group provides space for Szerencsejáték Zrt. in almost a hundred supermarkets and hypermarkets where they employ disabled workers who sell lottery tickets. The company currently employs 119 people with disabilities and ten young colleagues with autism. Their integration is guided by an Equal Opportunities Officer.
Feed the Doctor! – a thousand sandwiches a week for the heroes of the pandemic
SPAR Hungary joined the initiative of the Etesd Nonprofit Közhasznú Ltd. to support frontline workers during the pandemic in 2020. During the ‘Feed the Doctor!’ campaign which began at the end of March 2021, the store chain has supplied frontline workers with a thousand sandwiches per week made in the SPAR enjoy. convenience factory in Üllő. It was important for them to support the work of the frontline staff such as doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, and professional organisations during the global pandemic.
Caring for four-legged friends
SPAR Hungary has been supporting the work of animal shelters, wildlife parks, and animal foundations for over ten years. Since the launch of the programme, the store chain has primarily donated excess items, products no longer fit for sale, or those withdrawn from the market. In addition, the National Animal Protection Foundation regularly arranges animal food collection in SPAR stores.
The ‘Mancs a bajban!’ (Paw in trouble!) campaign was first organised in May 2021 across INTERSPAR stores raised more than 14 tonnes of dog food, 2 tonnes of dry cat food, and more than ten thousand cans and treat packages from customer donations. They had volunteers from 34 animal protection organisations accepting the donations on site. Following the success of the initiative, the store chain will make the nationwide charity campaign a regular occurrence and add even more locations to the list. In addition, SPAR Hungary donated a million forints in 2021 towards the work of the National Animal Protection Organisation to provide help to as many rescue animals as possible.
SPAR Budapest Maraton® Festival
Despite the pandemic, more than 13 300 runners participated in the SPAR Budapest Marathon in 2021 and this time there were almost 1100 foreigners from 74 different countries who also competed. Four-fifth of the runners entered to complete the marathon distance. The running festival – sponsored by SPAR since 2008 – is one of Hungary’s biggest outdoors sport events. As a company that’s committed to a healthy lifestyle, SPAR Hungary also had its Regnum Lifestyle food stall at the festival and donated all of its proceeds to the Hungarian Maltese Charity Service.
10th Rosalia – Rosé and sparkling wines in the Park
More than 90% of the food and beverages products in SPAR Hungary’s stores are made in Hungary, with 100% of their wine range produced nationally. Therefore, the company was delighted to sponsor the Rosalia Festival. Organised for the 10th time in 2021, the Rosalia Festival showcases the rosés and sparkling wines of more than sixty wineries. To celebrate SPAR’s 30th and the Rosalia Festival’s 10th anniversary, the company partnered with Hungarian Vine-growing and Viniculture Nonprofit Ltd. (Borkult) to call for contenders to find the favourite rosé of last summer. The winner – the outstanding rosé of the Paulus Molnár Winery from Mór – was voted for by wine experts, festivalgoers, customers, and employees at SPAR and Borkult. There were more than fifty contenders and customers were able to test the winner both at SPAR’s festival stall and buy it in SPAR and INTERSPAR stores.
Budapest Wine Festival turns 30
The Budapest Wine Festival was first organised around the time SPAR Hungary was established in 1991, and since then has become a popular and prestigious cultural event of the harvest season attracting tens of thousands of visitors. SPAR Hungary was the main sponsor of the joint 30th birthday celebration in 2021 and offered high quality wines prepared for the occasion at their stall. The wine festival isn’t only an event to promote gastronomy, Hungarian wines, and sophisticated wine consumption; it also benefits social causes. The money raised at the Charity Wine Auction – close to 13 million forints bid on 39 items – is donated towards the purchase of new ambulances for the Maltese Ambulance Service.
Hungaricool by SPAR extended
‘Hungaricool by SPAR’ was launched two years ago as a unique initiative which aims to support Hungarian product innovation, prioritise sustainability, and provide customers of INTERSPAR stores and the SPAR Online shop with original flavours and inventive food products.
The company partnered with RTL Klub’s ‘Cápák között’ business start-up tv show where Hungarian investors and business leaders with international reputations assess the creative ideas. There were seven winners announced in 2021 and these brands now produce more than 30 products in INTERSPAR’s range. Furthermore, in the spirit of social responsibility, the company provides these brands with ongoing business mentoring and marketing support.
Regional Treasures: new supply system to benefit regional producers
Many family and small businesses with outstanding food and craft products have difficulties finding their ways to customers. SPAR Hungary’s ‘Regional Treasures’ programme provides direct support for small scale agricultural producers, which enables them to provide customers with healthy, good-quality Hungarian products. The company is committed to supporting small scale producers and their products, by marking them with the red apple logo. This clearly signals to shoppers that if they buy these products, they don’t only get good-quality items, but also directly support Hungarian small-scale producers and help create more jobs. SPAR will be creating six regional centres in the countryside in Nyíregyháza, Pécs, Győr, Székesfehérvár, Zalaegerszeg, and Hódmezővásárhely by the end of 2022. These centres will serve as a logistic base to distribute products with the red apple logo to the supermarkets in their region. They will focus on doing it in the most environmentally friendly way possible by keeping transport, petrol, and others costs to the minimum. The 1.7 billion HUF ‘Regional Treasures’ initiative further develops the sales potential of Hungarian small-scale producers. According to their plans, this new regional collaboration project will create 23 new jobs at SPAR by the end of 2022 and aims to also create more jobs with the suppliers.
https://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/spar.png170450Takacs Ivetthttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngTakacs Ivett2022-06-20 09:53:172022-06-20 09:53:17With a Good Heart – SPAR Hungary donated more than 230 million HUF to charities in 2021
SPAR Hungary collects paper, metal, plastic, and glass waste selectively in all stores and puts out special collection bins in more and more supermarkets.
“One of the most important aspects of SPAR Hungary’s sustainability program is environmental protection. Within this, modern waste management and raising social awareness are key elements. Our store chain has taken significant steps over the last three decades towards expanding our selective waste management capacities. At the beginning our recycling ratio was 46%. This has grown to 70% and provides the benefits of environmental sustainability as well as the positive economic impacts,” explained Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR.
SPAR Hungary’s new measures have played a significant role in the growth of the ratio of selective waste management. Today, all stores of the chain accept customers’ commercial waste. They also provide collection spots for PET packaging, aluminium cans, glass bottles, plastic shopping bags, Tetra Pak (milk carton) boxes, corrugated cartons, foil, paper and newspaper waste, as well as other types of paper waste.
The placement of waste collection islands in the store has significantly increased the amount of waste paper, plastic, metal, and glass they can recycle. Shoppers will have access to an interactive map where they can locate collection spots of SPAR Hungary’s store network for the disposal of PET packaging, aluminium cans, paper, glass and used batteries or cooking oil. Aluminium can recycling machines are also marked on the map.
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Brussels, 19 May 2022 – Today, Daikin Europe N.V. kicked off the construction works for its new EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Development Center building in Ghent, Belgium. This € 140 million investment will bring together all heat pump heating and refrigeration R&D activity in one central knowledge hub. At the same time, the company announced additional investments for its heat pump production capacity, with another production line in Ostend, Belgium. Combined with the production line that has been inaugurated in April, the company invests € 23 million in its Ostend plant.
With these investments in both product development and production capacity, Daikin Europe emphasizes its commitment to take the lead in the race towards a carbon-neutral society. With its new building, Daikin’s EMEA Development Center (EDC) will cement its position as the leader in innovation in heat pump and refrigeration technology for the global group. Earlier this year, this investment won the Foreign Investment of the Year Trophy 2022 by Flanders Investment & Trade, a clear recognition of its importance.
The new site of EDC Ghent will be located at the Technology Park in Zwijnaarde and will consist of 14 office floors and a technical building. Daikin aims to create a unique innovative ecosystem, in close cooperation with the University of Ghent. Part of the building will be reserved for innovative start-ups and spin-offs. The building will be completed by April 2024 and house 400 engineers. For this, Daikin Europe is actively searching new recruits.
Crucial in this R&D center will be the technical building, which will house no less than 22 test chambers. These test chambers are essential in Daikin’s product development to simulate operating effectiveness and efficiency under extreme climate conditions. Centrepiece will be the double EMC test chamber, in which devices are tested for electromagnetic interference. Daikin Europe will be one of the very few companies in the industry in Europe to operate this scale of testing capacity in-house.
EDC Ghent will become a global R&D hub that builds on Daikin’s own knowledge and experience, but also on the research being done right here at the University of Ghent and the innovations that come from new spin-offs and start-ups.”, says Toshitaka Tsubouchi, President of Daikin Europe. “This way, EDC Ghent will become a real pressure cooker for technological development and innovation for the next century in the existence of Daikin.”
New investments in Ostend will quadruple production capacity
The demand for heat pumps is rapidly increasing in Europe. This is driven by the many initiatives of Belgian and European authorities to promote this carbon neutral heating technology. To meet increasing demand, Daikin Europe today also announced a new investment in its production capacity in Ostend.
With this new production line, Daikin will more than double its Belgian production capacity for heat pumps by the Summer of 2023. The same plant already announced it had doubled its capacity with the inauguration of another new heat pump production line in April. These two new lines represent a total investment of € 23 million. Investments like these reaffirm Daikin Europe’s commitment to keep its production facilities close to the market.
“This new investment further highlights our commitment towards Ostend and Flanders as a key production site for Daikin Europe”, comments Wim De Schacht, Vice President of Daikin Europe. “All this is part of our ambitious Fusion 25 plan, which we unveiled last year. Daikin Europe is investing € 840 million by 2025, creating no less than 4,000 new jobs in Europe.”
Fact Sheet EDC Ghent
Location: Technology Park Zwijnaarde
Total floor area: 30.600 m²
12.000 m² laboratory and test chambers
Rest is offices and support infrastructure
BREEAM “Excellent” label
Investment amount: EUR 140 MIO
Final number of employees: 400 -> unites all R&D staff from Ostend and Ghent
Up from current: 250+
100 to be recruited in 2022
Office building with 14 floors
One floor reserved for start-ups
Technical building with 22 test chambers
Initiate testing activities as from 2023
Completion of entire site by April 2024
About Daikin
Air is essential to our existence. It has always been Daikin’s mission to make the air we breathe and live in the best possible. Our innovative products and solutions are designed to improve people’s health and well-being and reduce the environmental impact of heating and cooling. By 2050 Daikin aims to be carbon neutral throughout the full value chain and the full life cycle of its products and solutions.
Daikin Europe N.V.
Daikin Europe N.V. is a subsidiary of Daikin Industries Ltd. and the leading provider of heating, cooling, ventilation, air purification and refrigeration technology. The company designs, manufactures and brings to market a broad portfolio of equipment, as well as tailored-made solutions for residential, commercial and industrial purposes in Europe, Middle East and Africa. To date Daikin Europe N.V. has over 12 000 employees across more than 24 EMEA affiliates. It has 12 major manufacturing facilities based in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Austria and the UK. The headquarters of the Daikin Europe Group are in Belgium, Ostend. The company was established in 1972, production in Europe started in 1973.
Total Solution provider for heating, cooling, ventilation and refrigeration
Daikin Europe can rely on a strong network of installers and partners across its regions thanks to nearly 50 years of innovative and energy efficient air conditioning systems business development.
To date, Daikin Europe is also market leader for Heat Pumps in Europe and well known for the Daikin Altherma hydronic heat pumps for private heating applications, which it pioneered in 2006. With high demand for low carbon heating in Europe, these heat pumps are made in the Belgian, Czech and Germany factories in Europe.
In recent years, Daikin Europe has added total solutions for the cold chain to its lines of business. Next to own refrigeration innovations, the company expanded its portfolio and network through several acquisitions. In 2016 Daikin Europe N.V. acquired Zanotti, Italian manufacturer of industrial and transport refrigeration. In 2017, Hubbard (UK) was integrated into the group, shortly followed by Tewis Smart Systems (Spain). The most recent acquisition to reinforce the full line up for retail cold chain was the global refrigeration group AHT Cooling Systems GmbH, headquartered in Austria.
About Daikin Industries Ltd.
Daikin Industries Ltd. based in Osaka, Japan, employs around 89,000 people worldwide and achieved sales of € 23.7 billion in financial year 2021 (1 April 21 – 31 March 22). The company is the global market leader for heat pump and air conditioning systems, as well as air filtration. Daikin Industries Ltd. is the only air conditioning manufacturer in the world that develops and produces all important components such as refrigerants, compressors and electronics in-house.
https://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/daikin-1.png170450Takacs Ivetthttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngTakacs Ivett2022-06-20 09:42:012022-09-16 10:17:39Daikin Europe kicked off construction of its EMEA Development Center in Ghent and announces new investments in production site in Ostend
We exhibited at YBL’s Professional Day on 14 April, but instead of investing in plastic pens, branded mugs, and fridge magnets that don’t last two minutes, we used the budget to plant a tree in the MyForest community forest on behalf of the students.
Our initiative has been a huge success, and Hungary will soon have 130 trees that we can thank the new generation for.
And why is this important?
Because one of the most important causes of global warming is the fact that two-thirds of the world’s forests have disappeared since the beginning of industrial civilization.
And the remaining one-third of forests are no longer able to absorb the CO2 emitted by human activity, leading to global warming and the eventual destruction of human civilization (source).
Another major cause of climate problems is the construction industry, which contributes 38% of CO2 emissions.
This can be greatly reduced through the efficiency of digitization tools (we talk about this in an interview with Portfolio.hu), but we also regularly support other organizations working towards similar goals.
One such organization is MyForest, which has set a goal of doubling the number of forests on the ground; roughly 200 trees per person on the planet would need to be planted to double the size of current forests and restore at least two-thirds of the forests that existed in the 1700s-1800s.
So there’s work to be done, as a company we’re paying attention, not producing unnecessary marketing material, not printing, and working to restore ecological balance wherever possible – so do the same for you!
https://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Buildext.png170450Takacs Ivetthttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngTakacs Ivett2022-06-20 09:35:552022-09-16 10:19:47130 trees planted with the help of YBL students