April 2025 - Page 2 of 2

More than 1.1 million Munch food rescue packages have sold across SPAR stores

In total, more than 1.1 million Munch food rescue packages have been purchased by SPAR customers since the launch of the innovative service in 2022. Among these, around 500,000 bakery product and more than 400,000 vegetable packages were sold at up to 60 percent cheaper than their original price.

“Food waste management is a global problem. Even though only 5% of food waste is generated in trade, SPAR Hungary treats this issue as a priority within its strategically important sustainability programme. Our company joined the Munch food rescue in 2022, through which the remaining, but still good quality food can reach our customers at a significantly lower price compared to their market price. Following the test period, we introduced the service in all SPAR and INTERSPAR stores because of the positive experience. It has become part of our employees’ daily routine to separate fresh products by determining what might go into a Munch package. We are very pleased that the programme was a great success among our customers, and more than 1.1 million food rescue packages have been purchased to date,” said Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR Hungary.

“The results of the Munch and SPAR collaboration clearly demonstrate that significant progress can be made towards food waste reduction. These results reflect not only our efforts, but also the commitment of customers to saving food. Together, we are proving that small steps can make a big difference in the fight against food waste. Based on the feedback of our community, using Munch is easily integrated into everyday life. Not only do we do good for our environment, but we can also save time, energy and money while trying new types of food,” said Albert Wettstein, co-founder of Munch.

Up to 60% discount on Munch packages

In SPAR Munch food rescue packages, shoppers can find vegetables, fruits, juices, pre-packaged and unpackaged breads, various bakery products, savoury and sweet delicacies, dairy products, pasta, salami, cold cuts, fresh eggs and other products that do not require refrigeration. These packages can be purchased for almost a third of the original price, with a discount of up to 60%. In practice, this means a “Munch price” of 1200 HUF for a package worth around 3000 HUF, and 600 HUF for a package worth 1500 HUF. The operation of the system is simple: the selected package must be reserved via the free mobile application or the website, then paid for and collected in the store within a specified time slot.

Customers took home almost half a million Munch bakery packages

Since the launch, the most popular SPAR Munch packages have been bakery products, with approximately 500,000 being sold since the service was introduced. More than 400,000 of the fruit and vegetable Munch packages, 203,000 of the refrigerated Munch packages, and 23,000 of the packages that do not require refrigeration were sold. Customers show the greatest interest in these packages in the cities of Szeged, Debrecen, Győr, Miskolc, and Pécs, as well as Budapest. There is significant interest in baked goods in Hatvan and Dunaújváros, while fruits and vegetables are the most popular in Sárvár and Kozármisleny. The strongest demand for refrigerated food is in Abony and Hatvan. According to statistical data, the busiest months are January, February, and September, but a higher demand is experienced in summer and during the Christmas period.

In the SPAR food rescue programme, food that isn’t sold through Munch is not wasted either. The high-quality products are given to people in need in cooperation with the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta. Finally, food that is not purchased through Munch before the expiration date or does not reach the Charity Service is offered by SPAR to animal shelters and wildlife parks. As a last resort, animal food waste is turned into biogas, while non-animal waste is composted as biowaste – where possible.

Further information on the operation of the food rescue initiative can be found at the following link: https://www.spar.hu/munch

14.04.2025

E.ON installs kestrel boxes on the banks of Rákos stream

Member News

Red kestrel nesting boxes have been placed on E.ON Hungária Group’s high-voltage pylons in the Zugló district of Budapest.
The nest installations were done by a specialist from the Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society according to Zugló’s request.
More than 170 artificial nesting boxes host birds of prey on E.ON’s network in Pest County, Budapest and Transdanubia.

E.ON Hungária Group has placed red kestrel nesting boxes on pylons along the Rákos stream. The 132 kV high-voltage network’s pylons along the stream are suitable for nesting, according to Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society recommendations. The installations also provide a safe breeding site for red kestrels, free from human disturbance and other predators. The wild and tended areas of the stream’s banks are an excellent place for the kestrels to find food such as voles, lizards and grasshoppers.

These shelter areas for birds are made of wood, are waterproof, and are protected from the sun by an aluminium cover. E.ON mounted them at a height of 6 metres on the high-voltage poles. The condition of the nests, their occupancy and the development of the nestlings inside will be monitored by volunteer experts from the Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society.

The red kestrel is a common bird in the capital, breeding in tall buildings, fixed windows, gaps in buildings, and occasionally occupies the nests of other birds, such as crows and magpies. It nests in a number of streets in Zugló, and breeding pairs are known to inhabit the roofs of Budapest’s Geological Museum and Hungary’s Parliament building.

Last year, E.ON measured an 80 per cent occupancy rate for these artificial nest boxes on high-voltage power poles. So far this year, the electricity company has provided more than 170 artificial nests for birds of prey, and plans to install more throughout the year.

11.04.2025

Sustainable aviation fuel available in Budapest from January

Member News

Budapest Airport, part of the VINCI Airports network, has achieved an important milestone in sustainability. Budapest Airport’s subsidiary, Airport Fuel Supply Ltd., has successfully passed the audit criteria for the introduction of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at Ferenc Liszt International Airport. Certification is a prerequisite for the airport operator to provide airlines with the minimum 2% sustainable aviation fuel from 1 January 2025, as required by the relevant regulation.

One of the biggest current challenges for airports operators is combining the increase of air mobility demand with the need to protect the climate. In addition to all actions implemented to reduce direct airport emissions (such as energy efficiency, the electrification of vehicles, the development of renewables, etc.), in the short to medium term, the introduction and wider use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is currently one of the solutions to act on airport scope 3, by reducing aircraft emissions.

Budapest Airport tested the commercial use of SAF in 2023, in cooperation with MOL, Wizz Air and AFS Ltd., with the aim of preparing Budapest Airport’s fuel supply system for the obligation coming into force in 2025, which requires airport operators above a certain level of traffic to provide a minimum 2% sustainable aviation fuel to airlines from the beginning of this year. A prerequisite for fulfilling this obligation is to meet a stringent set of sustainability criteria, which Budapest Airport’s subsidiary, AFS Ltd. successfully passed last November, and thus acquired the required ISCC EU certification.

The raw materials used in the production of SAF include vegetable or animal fats, that cannot be recycled elsewhere, which are converted into a premium-quality renewable product through special processes, thus reducing the greenhouse gases emitted by aircraft. This new generation of sustainably produced fuel, in its pure form, could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% over its lifecycle, compared to fossil jet fuel. SAF is currently permitted to be blended with conventional fossil-based kerosene of up to 50%, to ensure compatibility with aircraft, engines and fuelling systems. SAF is also compatible with existing airport infrastructure, minimizing additional investments.

“Sustainable aviation fuel emits about 80% less carbon dioxide compared to conventional kerosene and can therefore make a significant contribution to the decarbonisation of the aviation industry,” emphasized Francois Berisot, the CEO of Budapest Airport, who also underlined: “The availability of sustainable aviation fuel at Budapest Airport is a very important milestone and will greatly contribute to the future reduction of Budapest Airport’s indirect carbon emissions from its corporate value chain activities.”

In addition to reducing indirect emissions, and in line with VINCI Airport’s environmental policy, Budapest Airport’s priority is to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions from direct airport operations by over 90% by 2030 at the latest, and achieve Airports Council International’s (ACI Europe) Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 5, which certifies that the airport has reached and maintains a net zero carbon balance in its direct scopes (Scopes 1 and 2) and has addressed indirect emissions sources (Scope 3).

ReFuelEU Aviation promotes the increased use of sustainable aviation fuels, as the single most powerful tool to decrease aviation CO2 emissions. The measure is part of the Fit for 55 package to meet the emissions reduction target of 55% by 2030. It sets requirements for aviation fuel suppliers to gradually increase the share of SAF blended into the conventional aviation fuel supplied at EU airports. The RefuelEU directive requires (at certain airports above certain traffic levels) the provision of at least 2% sustainable aviation fuel for airlines from 01.01.2025.

The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Commission. The opinions expressed are those of the author only.

07.04.2025