In line with its sustainability efforts, SPAR Hungary has launched innovative initiatives in the field of recycling. This has enabled the company not only to reduce costs, but also to reduce the amount of waste generated.

“SPAR Hungary allocates significant resources to renovate its existing stores every year, so that customers can enjoy the highest quality service in an aesthetic and comfortable environment. In line with this approach, we modernised several stores in 2024, during which, in addition to modernisation, operations became more sustainable. During the modernization process, we try to assess which of the previous furniture and equipment we can continue to use in the future, in the spirit of cost efficiency. In addition, we also want to run our logistics processes, one of our biggest daily tasks, as sustainably as possible, which is why, for example, we recycle equipment, increase efficiency with a circular economy pallet reuse scheme and minimize the environmental impact,” explained Márk Maczelka, head of communications at SPAR Hungary.

Most of the old furniture will not become waste

Environmental awareness is an important aspect when modernizing SPAR stores, so the company renovates, transforms, and rebuilds the furniture and equipment that can still be used in the renewed environment. This is what it did in the case of the hypermarket located on Balatoni út in Székesfehérvár. As part of the renovation costing more than 1.2 billion forints, modern refrigerator units were installed in the shop floor, but several units were repurposed from previously used materials. In the case of the SPAR supermarket, which opened in the centre of Békéscsaba on the site of a former commercial facility and cost 212 million forints, all the previous furniture was preserved, which, when renovated, fits into the standard, sophisticated environment.

Furniture that cannot be used in the modernisation process will be used by a new owner after sale, and that which condition does not allow for further use will be properly disposed of according to current waste management regulations.

New trucks with recycled refrigeration units

In February 2024, SPAR Hungary’s truck fleet was expanded by six new 24-tonne trucks. The chassis of the newly purchased vehicles were equipped with refrigeration units dismantled and then renovated from older trucks. The implementation of the cost-effective and environmentally conscious solution was preceded by a thorough survey and planning, and after the idea proved feasible, the trucks which were rebuilt with renovated structures were put into operation. The company was able to achieve cost savings of more than 60% when compared to the price of new units.

CHEP’s circular pallet rental system generates 26 tonnes less waste

SPAR Hungary has been working with CHEP Hungary Kft. since 2001, which operates a pallet rental system.  The aim is to ensure that pallets rotate in a circular manner in the supply chain, thereby increasing efficiency and minimising environmental impact. The pallets are rented from CHEP by the supplier partners, then the products placed on them are delivered to SPAR warehouses, and finally the empty pallets are collected by CHEP from the warehouses. After the pallets are inspected and repaired, they get sent back to the supplier companies, thus making the process circular. The advantage of the CHEP pallet rental system is that no member of the supply chain must buy and keep pallets in stock, nor does it have to bother with replacing them at the transfer points. In 2024, more than 334,000 CHEP pallets arrived at SPAR warehouses, significantly contributing to increasing efficiency.

The system is extremely beneficial in terms of environmental sustainability: CHEP pallets continuously flow through the supply chain, new pallets do not have to be purchased and manufactured again, so fewer trees are cut down. In SPAR’s case this meant 273 trees saved in 2024. In addition, trucks travel shorter distances due to the lack of pallet exchanges, which resulted in cutting approximately 329 tonnes of carbon-dioxide emissions last year. Due to the fewer pallets used in the circular system, the amount of scrap is also lower, so according to calculations, 26 fewer tonnes of waste is generated annually.

AutoWallis is delighted to join the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH) corporate community. As a member of the organisation, we contribute to the advancement of sustainable business in Hungary with our regional experience, practices and innovative solutions.

AutoWallis, as a central player in the automotive retail and mobility services market, covers the entire mobility ecosystem, from car wholesaling and retailing to vehicle leasing schemes lasting from a few minutes to several years. The company is committed to promoting sustainable transport solutions in line with its motto ‘Driving together’.

A prime example of this is the mobility business, which helps reduce the environmental impact of urban transport by offering environmentally conscious, access-based car sharing and rental services, while providing a convenient and practical alternative to private car ownership. The company’s portfolio also includes a wide range of electric and hybrid vehicles to help reduce the environmental footprint of road transport.

In May 2025, AutoWallis joined the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH) community of member companies. The company aims to contribute to the promotion of sustainable business practices in Hungary through its experience, practical operations and innovative solutions.

This year we published our audited Sustainability Report 2024, which reflects our company’s commitment to environmental protection, social responsibility and ethical corporate governance (ESG). The key messages in the report include AutoWallis’ emissions reduction targets, its efforts to develop a sustainable supply chain, and its initiatives to support employees and communities.

AutoWallis is delighted to join the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH) member company community. As a member of the organisation, we contribute to the advancement of sustainable business in Hungary through our regional experience, practices and innovative solutions.

We have gained a wealth of valuable experience in developing our ESG strategy and reporting processes, and we understand the challenges of data reporting and transparent reporting, which we are happy to share with BCSDH member companies to support them in improving their ESG processes.

• Website design can play a role in climate change mitigation as the Internet is a major contributor of carbon emissions.
• ON is setting a good example: by redesigning its website in a climate-friendly way, it will achieve a 35% reduction in carbon emissions, equivalent to 4 tonnes of carbon per year. 
• ON’s website revamp is based on Carbon.Crane’s verified, internationally recognised methodology.
• The new website provides a better user experience.

The World Bank estimates that if the internet were a nation state, it would be the world’s fourth-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, contributing up to 4% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide. This is partly because servers that host websites consume vast amounts of power, making their efficiency crucial. Reducing websites’ GHG hinges on the solutions used for their development.

This issue was top-of-mind for E.ON Hungária Group, which chose eco-friendly web development consultancy Carbon.Crane to revamp its website.

As operator of the electricity grid in Budapest, Pest County and the Transdanubian region, as well as the gas grid in six counties in Transdanubia, E.ON also provides forward-thinking energy solutions to residential and corporate customers across Hungary. Thus, its website receives significant traffic.

Not only has the website redesign achieved emission reductions measurable in tonnes, E.ON’s site is now also more user friendly.

One key factor towards this positive change was optimizing the use of images: characteristics such as size, resolution and format directly affect power demand from background servers, and consequently, the amount of energy consumed overall (and the corresponding carbon dioxide produced).

Next, E.ON’s team deleted duplicate or unused sub-pages, i.e. those taking up unnecessary computing power – as all content on the web server consumes energy; for unused pages, a total waste of energy.

Additionally, the autoplay of video content has been eliminated. By limiting this function, E.ON eliminated the energy consumption associated with video content not requested by users.

According to Carbon.Crane’s analysis, a single page was responsible for nearly 15% of the total carbon emissions on E.ON’s website, and just 12 pages accounted for 50%. Considering the entire website consists of more than 1,000 pages, achieving significant cost savings only required action on a select number of pages.

For E.ON’s revamped website, the reduction is 35%, which is equivalent to 4 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year. Not only is this website revamp a benefit to nature, but also to customers: they now enjoy a faster-loading website providing a better user experience due to the climate-friendly interventions carried out by E.ON’s digital marketing team with help from Carbon.Crane.

As the first energy enterprise to use Carbon.Crane’s methodology – certified and internationally recognised in 2024 – to measure the emissions of its website, E.ON is a trendsetter demonstrating its commitment to innovation and sustainability.