Not all rubbish is the same. Rubbish only becomes rubbish when we throw something away. However, not everything we throw away is useless. Many things can be used to create new things. This process is called »upcycling«. We discussed its added value, particularly for businesses, with Susanne Förster on „hsp live at 11“.
The hsp team came across Susanne whilst the office was being refurbished. The hsp headquarters in Hamburg-Bahrenfeld has been undergoing refurbishment for some time now. As part of this, all workstations are being modernised and all monitors replaced. But what to do with the old, yet fully functional screens? Load them into the van and take them to the recycling centre? That didn’t seem quite right to us. Whilst searching for a solution, Benjamin from hsp got in touch with Susanne Förster.
Susanne is the managing director of Nutzmüll e.V. The organisation was founded 40 years ago and accepts donations of goods to refurbish or repurpose them. It pursues sustainable goals such as waste prevention, reuse and upcycling. Susanne emphasises the importance of networking. After all, there are always people who want to get rid of things and those who need them. Only extensive networking can bring these two groups together. This is precisely the approach taken by the monitors at hsp. All the monitors were donated to Nutzwüll e.V. and have now found new homes.
Sustainable supply rather than hasty disposal
The charity takes care to accept only donations in kind that are reusable or serviceable. Should there ever be anything that needs to be disposed of, the charity will do so in an appropriate manner. For example, Nutzmüll e.V. has entered into an agreement with the housing association SAGA and takes charge of all bicycles whose ownership can no longer be established. If these are in such a dilapidated condition that they cannot be made roadworthy, they are dismantled and disposed of properly.
However, Nutzmüll e.V. is not a charity car boot sale where anyone can help themselves to whatever they like and take away 20 monitors for their new business. Donated items that are still in working order are passed on to people in need. These people must provide proof of their need. They include low-income earners, refugees and similar groups. The monitors donated by hsp were also distributed accordingly to people who cannot simply afford a computer setup.
The association is not a recycling centre
The charity is keen to emphasise that it does not engage in recycling – only upcycling. This means that new items are made from old components or objects. For example, the charity regularly receives pieces of lorry tarpaulin, which are turned into bags and other small accessories. The products are sold via the association’s own online shop. But who makes all these wonderful, one-of-a-kind items? Here, the association relies on the long-term unemployed, for whom this work represents a step back into employment. This means that the association not only tackles issues relating to resources and the environment, but also supports people who are out of work.
So how does donating work? Anyone wishing to make a donation in kind can send the charity a list of the items, along with photos. Experts from the charity assess the items offered and decide which ones can be put to good use. The charity uses its own vans for collection. In the case of the donation from hsp, the handover went smoothly; after all, the charity runs four workshops in Bahrenfeld, right next to the company’s headquarters.
Some companies are passing on the benefits, whilst others are delighted
Susanne would like to see companies do exactly what hsp has done. Instead of taking discarded appliances and furniture to the recycling centre or having them collected by a waste disposal company, contact the Nutzmüll e.V. charity. This is because the manufacture and delivery of every single new appliance causes massive environmental damage. The enormous consumption of electricity and water, the disposal of toxic substances generated during production, and the emission of pollutants both during the transport of components and the finished products themselves – all of this can be avoided through thoughtful re-use.
Susanne also mentions the charity DER HAFEN HILFT! e.V., which accepts and distributes donations in kind. These include household appliances, furnishings and furniture. If a company is looking to downsize or purchase new furniture, there’s no need to scrap the old office desks straight away. There’s always a company in Hamburg in need of office desks.
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