Cup fee, free train and wood card: how Europe tries to pollute less

A foreigner who arrives in Europe soon notices that environmental concerns have gained more space in their routine in recent years. On the avenues, carts with huge stickers claim to be less polluting. When picking up a coffee, there may be an extra charge for the cup. And upon arrival at the hotel, the card handed over at the reception can be made of wood, no longer plastic.

The changes are part of the strategies of governments and companies to achieve the pollution reduction targets they have assumed and, thus, help to contain climate change and global warming.

The 2015 Paris Agreement set the objective of ensuring that the average temperature on the planet does not exceed 2ºC compared to the pre-industrial era. However, the planet is headed for a warming of 2.6°C by the end of the century, warned the UN in October. Below are some examples of how Europe is trying to avoid this on a daily basis:

cup fee

At the Christmas Market in Geneva, wine, chocolate, coffee and various hot options are sold in disposable cups. The base price is 6.50 francs (R$37) per drink, plus a 0.50 franc (R$2.84) fee per glass. If the customer returns the empty container later, he gets the value back. If you discard it in the trash or elsewhere, you lose money.

Returns are made by credit card, as most stalls do not accept cash. The measure seemed to work well: on a site visit, the Sheet did not see glasses in the trash or lying on the floor. The event was held near Lake Léman, which borders Geneva and has crystal clear water.

In Spain, Starbucks gives a discount of 0.40 euros (R$ 2.24) if the customer brings their own cup. The chain is testing in other countries to lend the item to customers, who would pay a deposit when picking up the drink, to be returned when the glass returns.

free trains

Spain and Germany created programs to expand access to short and medium distance trains. In the Iberian country, there are free trips on routes of up to 300 km. The program was adopted in September and will run until at least December 2023.

To use the benefit, you have to pay a fee of 20 euros (R$ 112). If, in four months, the user makes at least 16 train trips, he gets his money back.

In many cases, tickets must be booked in advance, which created problems: many people made reservations but did not show up to travel. To avoid this, the government has imposed punishments for those who do not board the chosen train. Cancellation can be done up to two hours before departure.

“We are going to convert this policy into something structural and see the concrete results of public transport to reduce CO2”, said María Montero, Minister of Finance of Spain, when announcing the expansion of the program, which should cost 700 million euros (R$ 3 .9 billion).

In Germany, the government is negotiating the creation of a monthly ticket of 49 euros (R$ 274) that would give access to all short and medium distance trains throughout the country. The current expectation is that the program will start in March 2023.

In the summer of this year, the German government offered a 9 euro (R$50) ticket that gave unlimited access to local and regional trains. More than 52 million tickets were sold. The government estimates that the measure prevented the emission of 1.8 million tons of CO2, equivalent to planting 90 million trees.

In addition to pollution, countries also seek to make access to transport cheaper as a way to contain the effects of inflation on the cost of living.

green deliveries

Some of the trucks that arrive in the center of Madrid at dawn to deliver goods are less polluting. Clothing retailer Primark, for example, has adopted trucks powered by biogas to deliver to countries such as Spain and the United Kingdom. They emit 90% less NO2 than diesel engines, and have quieter engines. The fleet is being expanded little by little.

In November of this year, in Belgium, CCEP (Coca-Cola Europacific Partners) started delivering drinks to bars, restaurants and supermarkets with electric trucks. The initial proposal is to electrify one fifth of the fleet, which will help the company reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030. Each electric truck can travel 200 km per day, enough for a good part of urban routes, and will be recharged in night.

The change does not come only from the good will of companies: cities like London and Madrid have adopted laws to restrict the circulation of polluting vehicles in their central areas.

In the British capital, for example, there is a daily charge of 12.50 pounds for trucks and buses whose engine emits more pollutants than tolerated in the Euro 6 standard. In August 2023, the charging area will be extended to the entire city.

wooden hotel card

In some hotels, the access card to the rooms is made of wood. The material that surrounds the chip is of certified origin and can be made from various plants, such as bamboo, cherry and maple.

The item is coated with a layer that makes it waterproof and biodegradable, and can also receive cutouts or embossed designs. According to the manufacturers, the wooden card has similar durability to plastic and can be used more than 100,000 times before being discarded.