How sustainable online retail works in Würzburg, Germany

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From July, Zukunftshaus Würzburg will offer a sustainable delivery service for product hire and repair equipment. The pilot project, which is being supported by adelphi and the Wuppertal Institute, aims to promote a sustainable, community-orientated way of life.

There are companies that only sell B-goods, fashion platforms that breathe new life into recycled fabrics, and manufacturers that pay attention to environmentally friendly packaging materials. However, the shipping of products still poses a major hurdle in terms of sustainability and causes a considerable ecological footprint. Zukunftshaus Würzburg aims to change this with its bicycle courier delivery service starting in July.

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Zukunftshaus Würzburg is a shop dedicated to promoting sustainable living and conscious consumption. It makes sustainable consumption suitable for everyday use in four areas: Buy, Rent, Swap, Repair. Zukunftshaus Würzburg is being scientifically supported by adelphi in the project "City Centres as Places of Sustainable Consumption" (SONa). adelphi is carrying out the project together with the Wuppertal Institute, where two other pilot ideas (from Schwentinental and Duisburg) are being supervised.

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City centres as places of sustainable consumption

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To the Pilot project

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Ein Ladenfenster vom Zukunftshaus Würzburg zeigt Produkte, die man kaufen, und Geräte, die man reparieren kann. Dazwischen stehen Schilder zur Erklärung: "Miete alles, was du nur selten brauchst" und "Lass deine Geräte reparieren". Zudem erklärt sich das Projekt noch auf Zetteln: "Wir sind das deutschlandweite Pilotprojekt für nachhaltigen Konsum und Innenstadtentwicklung. Gefördert vom Bundesumweltministerium. Begleitet von adelphi und dem Wuppertal Institut."

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A centre for conscious consumption with a sustainable delivery service

From July, a delivery service will be offered for rental and repair items in conjunction with Radius, a bike courier certified for the common good. This means that people in the city of Würzburg can have their repaired device delivered to their home or have a rented item collected when they have finished using it.

In addition to the physical offerings, Zukunftshaus emphasises the importance of community participation and education. With pilot projects like this, individuals are encouraged to get involved in creating a more sustainable future by providing them with the knowledge and tools to make environmentally friendly choices. The basic idea of Zukunftshaus is to make sustainable living accessible and attractive to a wider audience, fostering a community united by the goal of environmental and climate protection.

And with success: within the first year, the shop for sustainable consumption rented out 1,400 items. Its commitment earned it first place in Bayern 2 Radio's "Das gute Beispiel" (“The Good Example”) competition and second place in the WVV Environmental Award. Matthias Pieper, CEO of the Würzburger Zukunftshaus cooperative, sees these awards as a clear sign of a shift towards sustainability: "Everyone talks about sustainability and how important it is, but far too little happens in everyday life. And that's certainly because it was complicated and fortunately it no longer is thanks to the Zukunftshaus."

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Die Teilnehmenden des Zukunftshaus Würzburg stehen vor dem Laden und lächeln in die Kamera.

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Future vision and pilot projects for sustainable consumption

At the beginning of 2025, a video trailer will be produced for all three cities, showing interviews with initiators and customers and providing guidelines for other locations with similar projects. In this way, many more city centres can take a step towards sustainability that benefits their citizens.

Until then, some evaluations and monitoring by adelphi and the Wuppertal Institute are still required. In addition to interviews with stakeholders, the sustainable consumption team will provide expertise during the pilot phase and develop the action guide with a checklist and policy recommendations to ensure the success of these initiatives.

The delivery service for the shopping area of Zukunftshaus Würzburg will also be piloted at the end of the year. This service will initially be limited to the city of Würzburg. The aim is to optimise the use of local resources. If orders are needed from further afield, the rule is: order less, but of high quality and ideally collect from a packing station that is accessible without a car.

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Zukunftshaus Würzburg

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Website in German