Sustainability Action Days 2021
"People Make Tomorrow"
The Sustainability Action Days 2021 – People Shaping Tomorrow – are this year under the motto “ Realizing the Global Goals for Sustainable Development together: Actively shape your future!” and will take place from September 18th to October 8th, 2021.
NaKu is contributing videos addressing two important topics. One topic focuses on raising awareness about "Recognizing Counterfeit Bioplastic Bags." This is particularly important to us, as the Austrian ban on plastic bags means that retailers are only permitted to sell certain (very lightweight) bags made from bioplastics (renewable, plant-based raw materials, compostable). The second topic, for which we have produced a video, explores and clarifies the issues of "Plastic Pollution, Microplastics, the Circular Economy, and Bioplastics." Both videos can be found on our YouTube channel and at the end of this article.
Video contribution Sustainability Action Days 2021 - "Recognizing counterfeit organic bags"
In recent times, however, counterfeit organic bags have been appearing on the Austrian market, which are declared to be biodegradable plastic, but in reality are not. Apparently companies, but also ultimately consumers, are being duped.
The supposedly biodegradable bags are usually made of polyethylene, a much cheaper raw material made from petroleum. It is deliberately pointed out that the bags are biodegradable, but there is no certification. However, bags that are still approved for trade require a (test) certificate such as the OK compost seal from TÜV Austria. But here, too, people are deceiving, because we have even found bags with a forged seal.
It takes a bit of expertise to be able to tell the difference between bags made of bioplastics and bags made of conventional plastics. We have shot an educational video that will be made available to the general public during the Sustainability Action Days 2021.
Video contribution Sustainability Action Days 2021 - "Plastic pollution, microplastics, circular economy and bioplastics"
How do the huge amounts of plastic actually end up in the sea, where they ultimately break down into microplastics? What are the dangers and threats of microplastics and how do microplastics get back into the human food chain? What can we do about mountains of plastic waste and how can products made from bioplastics replace conventional products made from petroleum-based plastics? What about recycling and the circular economy? What do the 3 Vs mean - "avoid, reduce, improve"?
All these questions are dealt with in our video contribution and should give you helpful information and tips for a more sustainable and cleaner environment. This video amount will be uploaded to the portal of the Sustainability Action Days 2021 at the end of August, but you can watch it in advance on our YouTube channel or right here afterwards.
Video "Recognizing fake organic bags"
Video "Plastic pollution, microplastics, circular economy & bioplastics"
Background information on the Sustainability Action Days 2021
The Sustainability Action Days have been held since 2013. With over 2.870 contributions to date, the Action Days make an important contribution to achieving the globally pursued Sustainable Development Goals. Since 2015, the Action Days have also been part of the Europe-wide initiative "European Sustainable Development Week".
The Sustainability Action Days are sponsored by the sustainability coordinators of all federal states and the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK). Furthermore, more than 50 partners support this initiative and help to make it visible to a broad public.
The web platform for the Sustainability Action Days can be found at this link.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions about the Sustainability Action Days
What was the motto of the 2021 Sustainability Action Days?
The 2021 Sustainability Action Days were held under the motto “People shape tomorrow” and focused on actively shaping the global goals for sustainable development.
What topics did NaKu cover in the videos?
NaKu contributed two videos: one explained how to “recognize fake organic bags,” and the other addressed topics such as plastic pollution, microplastics, the circular economy, and bioplastics.
Why was the issue of “fake organic bags” so important to NaKu?
Following the Austrian plastic bag ban, counterfeit bags bearing the organic label but made of conventional petroleum-derived polyethylene increasingly appeared on the market. NaKu wanted to help the public distinguish genuine bioplastic bags from conventional plastic bags.
