Through the planting of 392 indigenous fruit trees, SPAR Hungary will offset the carbon footprint of its Budapest wine festival partner. As a responsible retailer, the company consciously strives to ensure all reasonable efforts are taken to reduce negative impacts on our world through its operations. This applies to its events, its stores, as well as its production and distribution centres.

SPAR Hungary chose to compensate for emissions which could be attributed to the wine festival by the GreenDependent Institute. This organisation calculated the event’s carbon footprint based on the number of metrics, including the visitor count, event duration, travel, food and drinks, paper used by the organisers, and the energy used at the event for lighting and sound, etc. The carbon footprint of the event amounted to about 8.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted, with over 60% coming from catering and 38% from travel.

Carbon-conscious

During the event’s preparation, SPAR Hungary made visitors aware of how they could be carbon-conscious. Examples communicated including portion control to reduce food waste, using public transport to the festival, or by sharing cars. The company sought to reduce environmental impact by sourcing ingredients for the food served at the festival from local producers and beverages from domestic partners. This initiative thereby supports shorter supply chains. With dishes prepared onsite, it eliminated the need to transport and package food separately. Reusable cutlery and glasses also avoided additional waste. Untouched food was distributed to those in need with the help of the Hungarian Food Bank Association, with the remaining waste processed by Biofilter.

Native fruit trees planted

SPAR Hungary offset the CO₂ emissions through the planting of native fruit trees. According to the experts’ calculations, this requires 392 tree seedlings over five years. The Institute distributed the seedlings to the gardens of educational and welfare institutions in cooperation with the retail organisation. By offsetting the carbon footprint of the event, and planting indigenous trees from the “Fairy Garden” (Tündérkert) orchard in Pórszombat, a gene conservation site in the Zala County, SPAR Hungary has contributed to the conservation of biodiversity and local varieties.

SPAR Hungary has an extensive set of initiatives to reduce environmental impact. You can read more on their dedicated subsite here.

Source: SPAR Hungary

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About SPAR Hungary

The first SPAR Supermarket opened in Hungary in 1992, following the acquisition by ASPIAG (Austria SPAR International AG) of a majority stake in General Kereskedelmi Rt. SPAR Hungary is one of the country’s largest employers, with a network of company-owned and independently run stores operating nationwide.