Martin Baumann

Fully committed to the environment – Can you please tell us more about Umwelt Verein Tirol?

Sure. Due to state law (TAWG, § 14), Tyrolean municipalities are obliged to set up a public waste collection service and to provide waste counselling. Between 1992 and 1997 the province of Tirol trained municipal employees to become Tyrolean waste advisors as part of a first training offensive. Those trained at that time met several times a year to exchange experiences and in 1994 founded the Association of Tyrolean Waste and Environmental Advisors.

Information, advice and exchange – The Tyrolean environmental advisors are the first point of contact for all kinds of environmental issues. Where are they active and how does one become an environmental advisor?

The field of activity of waste and environmental advisors ranges from the respective home municipality to supra-regional waste and environmental advisors who are employed by a waste association and look after several municipalities in the association’s area. Waste counselling therefore takes place in some form in every Tyrolean municipality. All Tyrolean waste and environmental advisors are members of the Umwelt Verein Tirol (Tyrolean Environmental Association) and thus automatically also members of the Austrian Waste Advisory Association (VABÖ). In 2021, the second training offensive of the Office of the Tyrolean Provincial Government started. Basic training courses for ‚competent persons‘ will be offered in all Tyrolean districts. Building on this, training courses are offered to become Tyrolean waste and environmental advisors.

Passing on knowledge skilfully – Your environmental education programme aims to create environmental awareness, especially among children, at an early stage. Which workshops are offered by the Umwelt Verein Tirol?

Since not every person is equally suited to imparting knowledge, raising awareness and sensitisation, the Umwelt Verein Tirol (UVT) has employed several environmental educators on a contract basis. In 2012, Umwelt Verein Tirol developed the Environmental Education Programme (UBP) with numerous different environmental topics together with educators from the former PÄDAK, now the University of Education Tyrol. The UBP currently comprises 22 different workshops and experience- and practice-oriented teaching units that are tailored to the respective age and target group. They range from kindergartens to primary and new secondary schools, from polytechnic courses, vocational schools, middle and high schools to special workshops for associations, institutions and organisations.

Visibility at all levels – In which initiatives is Umwelt Verein Tirol also actively involved?

The UVT is primarily involved in projects and initiatives that aim to create awareness for resource conservation, sustainability and climate protection. Examples include the initiative Green Events Tirol and the ReUse project Tyrolean School Bag Collection. The Green Events Tyrol initiative positively promotes a sustainable Tyrolean festival culture. Organisers receive personal advice and the GET homepage makes it easier for them to organise their event in a sustainable, climate-friendly way. The communication tool also informs visitors about the sustainable measures.

The ReUse project ‚Tyrolean School Bag Collection‘ succeeds in creating and establishing the awareness of the population for ReUse collections. Moreover, it is sustainable from an economic, ecological and social point of view and corresponds to the waste hierarchy of the AWG 2002 = preparation for reuse with social added value. Objectives: Waste prevention with social value creation = ReUse collection and raising awareness of the population for ReUse collections.

Green Filming in Tirol – What opportunities and possibilities do you see for Green Filming in connection with the services of the association or the Tyrolean Environmental Advisors?

We see the national development in the field of ‚green filming‘, also through an award with the Austrian Eco-label, as very positive.

It is great that Cine Tirol has jumped on this ‚bandwagon‘. We are happy to support their efforts in the province of Tirol and look forward to a constructive and sustainable cooperation.

Contact:

Umwelt Verein Tirol
Martin Baumann
Dr.-Hans-Gollner-Straße 9
6112 Wattens
Tel.: +43 664 1695060
Mail: info@umwelt-tirol.at

www.umwelt-tirol.at