Articles on reuse from the former Hungarian versions of Waste Diver (Kukabúvár)

Choose the refillables! campaign

A “wasteboat” on Danube

In 2002 HuMuSz launched a campaign to save refillable bottles. The direct reason was that in summer 2002 Pepsi, the second biggest soft drink company in Hungary, ceased using the two-liter deposit return bottles for soft drinks. HuMuSz had protested and had brought an action against it at the time when Pepsi popularized one-way bottles in its advertisements. ”Of course” Pepsi had declared earlier that it didn’t intend to cease deposit-return system. Such events were followed by the summer announcement. HuMuSz was so disgusted by it that it called upon the eco-responsible consumers to boycott Pepsi products.

As part of the campaign HuMuSz organized a spectacular boat trip on Danube. Three activists rowed a few kilometers down the river on a “waste-boat” to the building of the Ministry of Environment. The press highly appreciated the efforts of the boatmen. If the activists had walked into the ministry wearing suit and tie nobody would have probably been interested in them. But this way the minister gave the boatmen a tiny paper boat in the presence of the press in order to express the ministry’s opinion that “ they were in the same boat”. The minister’s statement could be seen on two nationwide tv channels: “ I buy refillable bottles!” From this we could draw the only conclusion that the ministry’s PR department had done a good job. HuMuSz was really pleased about the tiny paper boat and the personal confession but it considered more serious measures necessary so as to save deposit-return system…

Winter 2003

We were rolling up the waste...

Because of the delay of the government’s decree on deposit fee we held a demonstration on 18. November at Batthyányi square together with the “Another world is possible!” network. We were celebrating two sorrowful anniversaries: it had exactly been 1o years since the ministry called up to enact the new law about deposit-return system. It had exactly been 1 year since the Minister of Environment promised that the new law would be enacted by 1. January 2003. Our activists, being dressed up as the previous ministers of environment, were rolling up a carpet made of disposable plastic bottles thus representing that none of the ministers had done anything but rolling the problem thus causing everybody stamping about a huge pile of waste. They do and so do we.

The current Minister of Environment, being invited to the demonstration, said that the first version of the new law about the deposit-return system had been finished and the harmonizing had already started. The minister spoke either about a secret process or –and it is more possible- about his plans. According to our knowledge of that time it was an exaggeration to speak about draft plans. We were given a treatise on the night before the demonstration which consisted 7 different versions altogether. We were happy to find among them a proposal of HuMuSz which was made years before. At the same time HuMuSz found the situation intolerable since the law should have been enacted on 1. January 2003. Photos

Ecological balance at the Ministry of Economy

In mid-February 2004 we demonstrated at the Ministry of Economy because we thought that this ministry was strongly against refillable containers. At last the Ministry of Environment decided to make some changes. It submitted 3 proposals: modifying the product fee law, the law about exemptions and the law about deposit-return system. The product fee was planned to impose on every single piece (earlier it had to be paid on kilograms) but this meant a significant increase of expenses. What’s more the plan proposes a return rate that is increasing step by step till 2010 and is different in the various sections (beer, soft drink, wine). In case of not fulfilling the determined rate an additional product fee –penalty if you like – should be paid. They wanted to force the market to sell refillable bottle products in a certain rate.

However the Ministry of Economy, which was representing commercial chains and packaging companies, was against several parts of the modified product fee law. It also tried to delay the deposit law which in fact was in a decade late. This was the reason for our march at the building of the ministry.

On the spot we quickly set up a pair of tremendous two-beamed ecological balance one of which pans was filled with one-way containers and in the other only one of the 40 times refillable bottle was put. The refillable bottle weighed a lot more in the ecological balance showing that it is more environment-friendly than the disposables. Following this we asked the representative of the Ministry to stand up for the interest of the environment and to support the draft plan of the Ministry of Environment. We didn’t expect a warm hug from the representative but his flat rejection came out of the blue. We could only hope that the last decision would not depend on him.

Second hand books at university

(by Green Club in Gödöllő, one of our member organizations)

The idea struck me when I was reading an old issue of Waste Diver about the Italian second hand book fair. There at the beginning of the term students sell their books from the previous term to the newcomers and they buy their “new” ones from the seniors. Thus students have interest in protecting their books from being damaged.

This system can hardly be used in Hungarian schools. Publishers issue new books almost every year. Teachers often require the latest books – which are often different even in the same school. Moreover if students are not finished with the books by the end of the term it is almost impossible to swap them. When I was a child it worked quite well though within the family. Brothers, sisters and cousins sometimes 10 people could use the same book. It must be realised that it is not possible today.

However at universities the situation is different. Although science develops from time to time the books and lecture notes are in circulation for a longer period of time. There are dozens of massive works which embrace a whole branch of discipline. These books are really expensive some of them cost 5-10 000 forints (21-42 €) so I decided to organize a swapping market. It was a Tuesday when we loaded about 15 tables with our staff to sell. The keen interest resulted in a cheerful market atmosphere. Everybody was haggling and bartering. The skilful people could get rid of their stuff quickly while others could sell only a part of theirs. All in all demand was a lot bigger as there were loads of interested people.

We are planning to organize this market next year as well under the same circumstances. I’ve had the idea that if we could make a tradition of this book market in Gödöllő, later on other universities would follow in our footsteps.

This year on the occasion of Buy Nothing! Day HuMuSz didn’t organize a street action but – together with Talentum Club and Waste Diver Society – invited to the HuMuSz House all who have old, outgrown, needless but usable goods which they would like to swap for something else.

Working method of the market: One of us is behind the registration counter valuing the goods that are brought by the visitors. There are four categories altogether, from the less valuable to the most valuable, signed by colours which are as followings: yellow, orange, red and green. People get coloured tickets in return to their goods and their staff is taken to the table of the belonging category. Here goods from other people can also be seen. If you catch sight of something you like you can “buy” it with your ticket of the appropriate colour. (Naturally tickets are exchangeable. For instance an “orange” item can be taken for four yellow tickets. It might sound a bit confusing but in reality it is quite simple. Try it!)

The kind of stuff brought in has been broadening since the first market was held. Though second hand kitchenware, fancy goods, fashion jewellery are presented in a certain proportion toys, children’s clothes, books, CD’s and spare parts for PC’s have appeared in greater amounts recently.

The most precious category was built up of electronic goods and new or repairable furnishings (such as linen, lamps and even sewing table). For a similar or a bit lower price people could get scarce, unique or more-volume handbooks or technical books, almost new clothes and unique fancy goods as well. The clothes left from the market were taken to one of the charity organizations by HuMuSz. The remained books can be taken from HuMuSz House. After the market we usually set up a “free staff” box in which anyone can browse freely.