Located a short distance from Bucharest and easily accessible from heavily trafficked areas, Pădurea Râioasa is a clear example of the way in which peri-urban forests come to bear more and more often the consequences of an unbalanced relationship between community, traffic and environmental responsibility.
Through the Refresh project, now in its 7th edition, Asociația pastel and Kaufland Romania covered an area of 265 hectares in the Râioasa Forest and collected almost 5 tons of waste. This initiative aimed to draw attention to a reality that is repeated in many green areas on the outskirts of large cities: the abandonment of waste is no longer just an episode of negligence, but a symptom of the constant pressure placed on easily accessible natural spaces.
The action was attended by 80 volunteers, together with their families and members of the local community. In addition to the practical component of waste collection, the project also included an educational dimension, through the involvement of Romsilva Bucharest representatives, who accompanied the teams on the ground and provided the participants with information about the biodiversity of the forest, the species in the area and the importance of protecting a forest ecosystem so close to the city.
“Through Refresh 7.0, we wanted to go beyond the idea of a simple greening action and talk more clearly about the fragility of forests in the vicinity of cities, those green spaces that we have close to us, but which we often end up treating as places of transit. For us, this project means care for nature, but also an exercise in collective responsibility.” he stated Andreea Oprea, Executive Director Asociatia pastel.
In the field, volunteers identified and collected various types of waste, from packaging and bottles to intentionally abandoned garbage bags, tires and other bulky waste. The situation confirms the real pressure on a peri-urban forest exposed to car traffic and uncontrolled use, but it also shows how important quick intervention is, in partnership with the private sector, the community and the administrators of the forest fund.
“At Kaufland Romania, we believe that involvement in the community makes sense when it produces concrete effects and leaves behind more than a day of volunteering. Refresh 7.0 is a project that responds to a real and very current need: protating natural spaces near cities, where human pressure is most visible. We are happy to be part of this initiative and to contribute to a model of responsibility that brings together companies, volunteers and local communities”he stated Katharina Scheidereiter, CSR Manager Kaufland Romania.
With this edition, Asociația pastel continues the series of projects developed under the #NicioLunăFărăOFaptăBănă mission and brings to the fore an increasingly relevant theme for urban and peri-urban communities: protecting nearby nature, before its degradation becomes normal.
The project partners are: Kaufland Romania, VARD (strategic partner) and Romsilva Bucharest.
***
About Kaufland Romania
Kaufland is among the largest retail companies in Europe, with over 1,550 stores in 8 countries, over 155,000 employees and a network that has currently reached over 190 stores in Romania. Taking on environmental and social responsibility is an essential aspect of Kaufland’s corporate policy. The company’s credo is the idea that the world can be a better place through everyone’s involvement, which is why in 2018, Kaufland developed the “Involvement Makes a Difference” platform, under the umbrella of which all social responsibility actions are communicated. Most of the company’s CSR projects are carried out in partnership with regional or national non-governmental associations and aim to implement complex social programs aimed at large groups of beneficiaries. For more details visit www.kaufland.ro.
Kaufland employs people with disabilities nationwide. Those interested can apply online, at careere.kaufland.ro – where the list of vacancies is available, by e-mail at [email protected] or at the phone number 021.9132.
For more information, please contact: [email protected]
About the Pastel Association
With over 69 active projects in 5 years of activity, all dedicated with soul to over 45,000 direct beneficiaries, Asociația pastel is doing good. Our goal is to build a society where good is done with recurrence, month after month, under the mission of #NoMondayWithoutGoodDeeds.
The needs are multiple in Romania and, for this reason, we direct our attention both to children from disadvantaged backgrounds and to the elderly, children with special educational requirements, to the environment, to social projects. Each calendar month is dedicated to a project, and additionally, together with our partners, we also carry out dedicated CSR projects.
More details about our projects here: https://asociatiapastel.ro/. We are also present on Social Media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok.
The pastel association continues the vision of the pastel communication agency, which in 2018 launched an internal communication program through which the entire team assumed that a month would not pass without doing a good deed.
