Living without plastics – but how? Download as PDF

Living without plastics – but how?

Consume less plastics, recycle more

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Editorial

For a new culture of sorting

Editorial by Jan Peter Schemmel, CEO, Oeko-Institut

I pulled almost 30,000 tetrapacks out of the stream of waste – in a single shift. That was in the mid-1990s, when I spent a…

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For a new culture of sorting
In Focus

A world full of plastics

Consuming less plastics – how does that work?

Worldwide, more than 400 million tonnes of plastics are produced each year. Plastics are ubiquitous in our everyday lives – in…

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A world full of plastics
In Focus

“The European Commission’s Action Plan is pursuing a promising strategy”

Interview with Piotr Barczak (EEB)

The EU has taken various steps to restrict plastics consumption in Europe and boost recycling rates. Piotr Barczak, Senior Policy…

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“The European Commission’s Action Plan is pursuing a promising strategy”

Older issues

eco@work March 2020

Our food – a risk?

Giving up is not hard to do

No meat? On a trek in 1996 in the company of vegans and vegetarians I noticed: it’s actually OK. And I didn’t even find it particularly difficult. Perhaps because pasta, pancakes and a pizza from the camping stove were particularly delicious. But perhaps also because I didn’t immediately become a strict vegetarian but have continued…

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Our food – a risk? - Sustainability in nutrition and agriculture

eco@work January 2020

The 2020 emissions gap

Leading the way on climate action

Climate change is a headline topic at last – in the media, in politics, in public debate. More and more people are aware that now is the time for bold and urgent action. This awareness is partly the result of the tireless protests by the Fridays for Future movement, but the impacts of global warming, including here in Germany, are…

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The 2020 emissions gap - What are the next targets?

eco@work September 2019

Digitalisation

Data: a precious resource

Some say it’s the new oil; for others, it’s the new water. Others describe it as quite simply the most important resource for the 21st century. In our digitalised society, data has immense value. The European Commission estimated the value of the data economy for the EU alone at €272 billion in 2015. But to a very large extent, data… more

Digitalisation - Strategies for more sustainability

eco@work June 2019

Less emissions, more quality of life

Pathways out of transport breakdown

Every day, anyone who lives in a city or conurbation can see that in many places our transport system is on the brink of collapse. That is the case in my home city, Berlin. Every morning I cycle past kilometre-long lines of vehicles crawling bumper to bumper through the city. The number of hours that many people in Munich, Berlin or… more

Less emissions, more quality of life - How to make transport sustainable?

eco@work April 2019

Forests: For climate and biodiversity

Forest management – the rational approach

Forests have been part of our lives since time immemorial, constantly interacting with human communities. A forest is a high-value ecosystem which makes vital contributions to biodiversity, soil conservation and climate regulation. It also provides us with some of our most important natural resources, including wood, the material… more

Forests: For climate and biodiversity -

eco@work January 2019

The social side of the energy transition

Energy transition for all

The transition to sustainable energy is a major societal venture. Back in 1980 the Oeko-Institut described the challenges of an energy supply “without oil and uranium” in its groundbreaking study that coined the term “energy transition” (Energiewende). The issues today are the phasing out of coal, the further expansion of renewables,… more

The social side of the energy transition -

eco@work October 2018

Sustainability – An Export Success?

The Oeko-Institut: the international dimension

Much of our current thinking and work on the environment, climate and resource conservation relies on transnational cooperation. The international climate process, the sharing of ideas across borders about the risks associated with nuclear energy and appropriate phase-out strategies, energy efficiency standards at European level,… more

Sustainability – An Export Success? - Environmental protection and human rights: the international dimension

eco@work June 2018

Knowledge and science

A farewell and a fresh start

As you know, the Oeko-Institut is hardly a newcomer to the field of independent environmental research. We recently celebrated our 40th anniversary, and yet in some ways, we are still regarded as a start-up – a place for thinking about new ideas, with radical yet always well-reasoned proposals for a sustainable future, dynamic and… more

Knowledge and science - Facts about alternatives, not alternative facts
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