Repair instead of throwing away: avoid electronic waste!

Frankfurt’s City Councillor for Climate, Environment and Women, Tina Zapf‑Rodríguez,
emphasises the importance of resource conservation

On the occasion of the launch of the Frankfurt programme for the European Week for Waste Reduction, Tina Zapf‑Rodríguez, City Councillor for Climate, Environment and Women for the City of Frankfurt am Main, praised the numerous and varied offerings of the “Frankfurt can be waste‑free” network during a press appointment.

“We not only have to learn again to repair things — we also have to understand that they are repairable. So much is lost far too quickly with electronic devices that could actually have a second life. And when a repair is not possible, then at least the valuable raw materials should be recovered and returned to the cycle. We cannot pretend any longer that infinite resources are available to us. The many creative participatory offers show that rethink­ing and sustainability can be fun — without any raised finger,” said Tina Zapf‑Rodríguez at midday.

Numerous network partners of “Frankfurt can be waste‑free” came to GWR gemeinnützige Gesellschaft für Wiederverwertung und Recycling mbH on Friday noon to present their work as part of the press appointment. GWR is a non‑profit company in which unemployed people gain access to the labour market through practical and needs‑oriented employment and qualification. In addition, devices that are no longer functioning are repaired there and sold cheaply in the Neufundland secondhand store. Together with GWR, FES is implementing the reYOUrs project, which returns still valuable objects from bulky waste back into the cycle.

GWR Managing Director Gregor Langweg said: “Far too often, things that can often be repaired with little effort are disposed of carelessly. I am proud that at GWR we extend the usable life of devices, conserve resources and can offer the repaired devices for resale at a low price in Neufundland.”

This year’s motto of the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWAV) is “Repair Instead of Throwing Away: Prevent Electronic Waste!”, because electrical and electronic end‑of‑life devices are among the fastest‑growing waste streams.

The network “Frankfurt can be waste‑free” organises the varied offerings around EWAV in Frankfurt and was founded back in 2017. Currently, 25 committed individuals, initiatives, associations, municipal departments, educational institutions and companies belong to the network; it is coordinated by FES Frankfurter Entsorgungs‑ und Service GmbH.

EWAV programme in Frankfurt:

Externer Link zu https://frankfurt-kann-abfallfrei.de/ewav/

Frankfurt can be waste‑free – the network partners:

Billabong, the Family Centre and Multigenerational House Riedberg

BUNDjugend Hessen

Die Auffüllerei – Unpackaged Shop Bornheim

ever & again

FES GmbH

Food Coop Klaa Karott

Foodsharing Frankfurt am Main e. V.

Frankfurter Verband, Meeting and Service Centre Heddernheim

Greenpeace Frankfurt

ikonomo

Kaleidoskop

Children in the Gallus Centre e. V. / Multigenerational House

Klimaworkshop Frankfurt

Lust auf besser Leben gGmbH

Friends of Nature Frankfurt

Neufundland, a company of GWR

“Save Plastic” – Private initiative to avoid plastic in everyday life

Samt & Sonders XXL / Secondhand market of the Diakonie Frankfurt and Offenbach

Clean Frankfurt project office #cleanffm

Frankfurt am Main City Library Central Library

Talley Hoban, Cutting Ambassador

Tarahumara Fans

Environmental Exploratorium e. V.

Environmental Learning in Frankfurt e. V.

Consumer Advice Centre Hesse e. V.

Diaper‑free

Environment Agency of the City of Frankfurt am Main