Clever buying for office and school … and the environment will be happy about it!  

This is the title of the initiative of the Ministry of Life, which was launched more than five years ago, and which is - in cooperation with the Austrian stationery trade – still running successfully today. 

Why was the initiative launched?

Even about 20 years ago the topic was very popular among teachers, parents, and pupils.  
Then the general interest in eco-products waned and also in trade less and less environmentally friendly school articles were found.  
 

After all a new impetus emanated from the environmental programmes for schools, such as the Austrian Eco-label for schools and teacher training colleges, ÖKOLOG or KIKK [Kluge Köpfe im Klimabündnis  -  (clever heads in the climate alliance)]. Each of these environmental programmes stipulates that buying for school should be as environmentally friendly as possible.  In order to organise it in a way which is as easy as possible for pupils and parents, the Ministry of Life has developed with “Clever buying for school” practical assistance in the form of materials, concrete product recommendations, criteria, and an offer of consulting services. As an important cooperation partner the Austrian stationery trade could be gained in 2006.  Jointly with the big chains of the industry the stationery dealers concerned called, within the framework of the action “UmweltTIpp” (environmental tip), the attention to recommendable school articles in their shelves.  In 2011 the action has been extended to include also the office sector.  In this context the large field of office materials, which are also used at secondary schools, but first and foremost in the office and administration sectors, is being scrutinized.

To whom is this initiative addressed?

“Clever buying for office and school” aims at:
•    Teachers, parents, and parents’ associations
•    All bodies maintaining schools such as cities, communities and private schools  
•    All pupils of secondary modern schools, grammar schools or secondary schools with focus on mathematics and science
•    Stationery  dealers and apprentices of the stationery trade
•    Purchasers for office and public procurement

What is the objective of the initiative?

The initiative “Clever buying for office and school” aims at  

•    calling attention to high-quality, environmentally friendly, and cheap office and school materials,
•    highlighting those articles from the broad range of offers, which comply with the criteria of “Clever buying for office and school”,  
•    assisting in being able to find these school and office articles simply and easily in stationery trade without having to search for a long time,
•    popularising Eco-label and quality features which characterise such products,
•    making available concrete product information also for professional purchasers and educational material for the use at schools as a source of inspiration for teachers.    


The websites of the initiative “Clever buying for office and school … and the environment will be happy about it” give support with a broad service offer > go back