Cologne/Hanover, Germany (PROTEXT) - The United NationsEnvironment Programme, UNEP, has agreed to a joint project atEXPO 2000 in Hanover in collaboration with Duales SystemDeutschland AG. Both partners will present concrete solutions formajor ecological issues at the Dual System's "cyclebowl"pavilion. The main focus will be on comprehensive, holisticvisions like the closed-cycle economy and the sustainableutilisation of limited resources like water and soil. In additionto this, the two organisations are also planning additional jointactivities at the world exposition. "It is becoming increasingly clear that consumers aredeveloping a genuine interest in how the products they buy aredisposed of after they have been used," explained Prof. KlausTöpfer, UNEP's current executive director. In addition to priceand quality, this factor is now playing an increasingly importantrole in purchasing decisions. This growing consumer awareness isalso an important signal to manufacturers, warning them to acceptresponsibility for their products and move away from the throw-away society. According to Töpfer, government and industry mustnow both act to make more progress in this direction. "We thus expressly support the principle of the closed-cycleeconomy as exemplified in the work of the Dual System and thecyclebowl. In the closed-cycle economy every manufacturer of aproduct is responsible for returning its component parts to thematerial cycle," said Töpfer. He then went on to explain thatthis concept was first legally implemented in Germany's PackagingOrdinance, which is now serving as a model for similar systems inmany European countries. Töpfer added that it is necessary toextend the scope of the closed-cycle economy and productresponsibility concepts, applying them to other sectors ofbusiness and industry as well. Wolfram Brück, managing board chairman of Duales SystemDeutschland AG, views the collaboration with UNEP as a specialtribute to the successful work of the Green Dot system. "Ourcooperation with UNEP shows that our efforts to prevent andrecycle waste have been seen and appreciated," he said. At thesame time Brück also pointed out that a great deal still remainsto be done in the development of the closed-cycle economy,particularly with regard to the further automation of sortingprocesses, improved quality of recycled materials and lower costsfor industry and consumers. "Despite the many difficultchallenges facing us, there is simply no alternative to theclosed-cycle economy as the only viable, sustainable way of doingbusiness," underlined Brück. Since 1992 the Dual System hasrecycled over 30 million tons of packaging marked with the GreenDot. The United Nations' environment organisation UNEP wasestablished in 1972. Prof. Klaus Töpfer, Germany's formerenvironment minister, assumed the position of executive directorin 1998 and has been in charge of the organisation since then.UNEP's headquarters are located in Nairobi. Its main objectivesare the improvement of global environmental conditions and thestandard of living for people all over the world. The concept ofsustainable development, as framed in the Agenda 21 of the worldenvironment conference in Rio de Janeiro, plays a pivotal role inthese goals. UNEP's Division of Technology, Industry andEconomics (DTIE) in Paris supports decision-makers in governmentand industry, helping to further the implementation ofenvironment-friendly and sustainable production processes, thushelping to make more effective use of natural resources. One ofthe key objectives is to couple reduction of environmentalpollution with better products, greater customer satisfaction andlower costs for industry. ots Original Text Service: DualesSystem Deutschland AG Internet: http://recherche.newsaktuell.deContact at Duales System Deutschland AG: Dr. Heike SchifflerDirector of Communications & Marketing Contact at UNEP: Divisionof Technology, Industry and Economics Production and ConsumptionUnit 39-43, Quai André Citroen 75739 Paris Cedex 15, France Tel:(++33) 144-37 4-50 Fax: (++33) 144-3714-74 For more informationplease visit our website http://www.gruener-punkt.de/expo2000.The Dual System is participating in EXPO 2000 with its ownpavilion, the cyclebowl. Situated in the western part of the site("Gelände West"), the cyclebowl is open each day during the worldexposition from June 1 to October 31, 2000 from 9.30 am to 9.30pm.
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