More and more municipalities and universities are using Blue Angel paper

Mönchengladbach, the district of Viersen and the University for Sustainable Development in Eberswalde took first place. Berlin wins the title of "Most Recycling Paper Friendly City", which was awarded for the first time. "Up-and-comers of the year" are the district of Celle and the Technical University of Braunschweig. The city of Essen and the district of Höxter receive special awards as "multiple winners". The new paper atlas published by the Initiative Pro Recyclingpapier and its partners achieves record participation with 230 municipalities and universities.

The 96 large and medium-sized cities participating in the city competition use an average of 89 percent Blue Angel paper. 80 districts are taking part with an average recycled paper quota of 80 percent. The competition records an average of 67 percent of paper with the Blue Angel in the 54 participating universities. Together, the municipalities and universities save 137 gigawatt-hours of energy and 600 million litres of water. This is confirmed by the updated life cycle assessment for graphic paper by the Federal Environment Agency.

"The extraordinary commitment of the cities, districts and universities is all the more gratifying in view of the special challenges in paper procurement last year. The Blue Angel is becoming the standard in more and more administrations," says Ulrich Feuersinger, spokesman for the Initiative Pro Recycling Paper.

The Paper Atlas has been documenting paper consumption and recycling paper rates in German cities every year since 2008, in universities since 2016 and in rural districts since 2018. The cooperation partners are the Federal Ministry for the Environment, the Federal Environment Agency, the German Association of Cities, the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, the German Association of Districts and the German Association of Universities. The competitions are under the patronage of Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke.