Young generation enthusiastic about sustainability - FÖJ team visits Steinbeis

21.08.2018 - Participants in the Voluntary Ecological Year at Stadtreinigung Hamburg learnt about waste paper recycling, the circular economy and renewable energies during a visit to the plant. The Voluntary Ecological Year (FÖJ) has been in existence for 25 years. It is an opportunity for young people aged 16 to 26 to spend 12 months working in environmental protection and nature conservation. It gives them the opportunity to understand ecological interrelationships, to actively work for the preservation of the ecosystem and to win other people over to the cause of environmental protection. In the last 25 years, around 43,000 young volunteers have opted for this programme. Currently, around 3,000 young people throughout Germany complete a Voluntary Ecological Year every year.

FÖJ team from Stadtreinigung Hamburg learns about ecologically integrated paper production

Participants in the Voluntary Ecological Year at Hamburg's municipal cleaning service asked for a guided tour of the Steinbeis factory. As part of their short film project "The path of waste", they explored the questions: "What happens to the waste from the paper and organic waste bins?", "How does paper recycling work?", "How is new printing and copying paper made from waste paper?", "How is compost and energy in the form of biogas made from organic waste and how is electricity and district heating made from residual waste?". Steinbeis was able to show and explain a number of topics to the FÖJ team, Nele Loos, Finn-Morten Klein, Theresa Kemps and Swantje Nielsen, using the ecologically integrated production site.

Waste paper recycling,_low-CO2 production and resource conservation

The starting points for the sustainable preparation and processing of waste paper into new printing, magazine and digital paper are the waste paper yard and the waste paper sorting plant. The use of 100 per cent waste paper as a raw material protects the natural resource of wood. The energy required for the paper machines is supplied by the low-emission combined heat and power plant on site. This saves a lot of energy compared to energy consumption in the traditional paper industry. Everything that enters the mill is 100 per cent recycled (processing of residual materials). During a tour of the mill, the four dedicated visitors from the Hamburg city cleaning service were able to find out more and take the shots for their film project.

Voluntary Ecological Year - sustainability in practice

The film by the FÖJ team from Hamburg is primarily intended for educational purposes. It supports educators, pedagogues and teachers in their educational work in kindergartens and primary schools. In this way, representatives of Generation Z - also known as the YouTube generation - act as role models. The fact that planet Earth is being "plundered" and can barely keep up with the replenishment of resources and raw materials calls for a rethink and sustainable action. A generation that recognises its responsibility for nature and environmental protection contributes to reducing the ecological footprint and securing resources for the next generation.

FÖJ is in demand - it is advisable to apply in good time

The Voluntary Ecological Year is extremely popular alongside the Voluntary Social Year. Demand is growing and vacancies are filled relatively quickly. If you want to secure a place on 1 September of any given year, you should therefore apply early. The individual federal states are responsible for organising the content of the programme. The participants' places of work are non-profit organisations that focus on nature and environmental protection issues.

The film "The path of the rubbish" - to be seen on YouTube

Commitment means taking action, showing attitude and putting ideas into practice. The participants in the Voluntary Ecological Year at Stadtreinigung Hamburg set an example with their commitment. It was fun to familiarise the young people with an industry that consistently exploits the potential of the circular economy and sustainability. We are pleased that we were able to make a small contribution to the work of the "young filmmakers". Click here to watch the film on YouTube: https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULyUeiPA4Yk&t=4s

FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE VOLUNTARY ECOLOGICAL YEAR:

Förderverein Ökologische Freiwilligendienste e.V. foej. de/
Voluntary Ecological Year BUNG Youth https://www.bundjugend.de/ueber-uns/freiwilliges-oekologisches-jahr/
Bund Naturschutz, Voluntary Ecological Year https://www.bund-naturschutz.de/bund-naturschutz/stellenangebote/freiwilliges-oekologisches-jahr.html

Cover picture: Melissa Askew on Unsplash