Bivouacs will be made from waste cans and placed in Slovenian mountains.
On World Earth Day, the project "Mountain Bivouacs for White Peaks" officially began with the signing of a partnership commitment. This is a project in which discarded cans will be collected in special containers at 14 locations of the most frequented hiking descents in Slovenia. The collected cans will then be processed into usable aluminum, from which bivouacs will be made and subsequently placed in the Slovenian high mountains.
The "Mountain Bivouacs for White Peaks" commitment was signed today by partners Planinska zveza Slovenije (PZS), Pivovarna Laško Union, SloPak, Talum, Impol, and KOV. The signing of the commitment marks the start of an awareness project on the importance of caring for a cleaner environment with an emphasis on Slovenian mountains, within which three mountain bivouacs made from waste cans will be placed in Slovenian mountains. This closes the circle from a discarded waste can to a usable new bivouac.
The project is divided into three phases. The first phase included preparations for the project and coordination among numerous partners. Now follows the collection of cans, and for this purpose, special yellow containers will be placed at 14 locations across the country, at the most frequented hiking descents. The collected cans will be processed into usable aluminum, which will be the main material for making new bivouacs.
To erect three bivouacs, they will need to collect around 1000 kilograms of aluminum or about 200,000 cans, estimates Urban Kramberger from Pivovarna Laško Union, who believes that with the help of people who go to the mountains, they will collect a sufficient number of cans.
If everything goes according to plan, the bivouacs will be manufactured by June, August, and September next year and will find their new home in the Slovenian high mountains. The first bivouac will be placed near Akom in the Martuljek Mountains above Gozd Martuljek, where Bivak 3 za Akom already stands. The locations for the remaining two planned bivouacs are currently not yet known.
"Bivouacs are important for safety in the mountains as they provide shelter from adverse and sudden weather conditions. Sometimes bivouacs had additional significance so that alpinists could sleep closer to the walls due to poorer accessibility. When talking about bivouacs, we must emphasize in the same breath that it is important to behave responsibly in bivouacs, clean up after ourselves, firmly close the doors, and not enter them with crampons in winter. The use of bivouacs should be reserved only for emergencies. From this perspective, we welcome the "Mountain Bivouacs for White Peaks" initiative, as it not only addresses an important nature conservation aspect but advocates for concrete actions that will leave a mark also for visitors to Slovenian mountains," said Jože Rovan, president of Planinska zveza Slovenije.
The main purpose of the project stems from the desire to renovate bivouacs that have been standing in Slovenian mountains for 80 or 90 years, explained Rovan. "With three bivouacs, we will cover current needs, and I will be very pleased if this is repeated in time, because there are some points where it would be good to erect new bivouacs where there are none yet," he said.
This partnership commitment, in addition to environmental issues, also addresses Slovenian craftsmanship and industrial excellence, as companies SloPak, Talum, Impol, KOV, which will primarily handle the collection and processing of cans, have joined it. "Slopak is committed to responsible environmental management and therefore proudly participates in the project that contributes to reducing environmental pollution, especially in our mountains. We call on all hikers and walkers to join the collective action to reduce waste in Slovenian mountains. Making bivouacs from cans is a practical example of circular economy and sustainable practices by all stakeholders. This addresses global challenges such as depletion of natural resources, waste, and environmental changes," said Boštjan Aver, director of Slopak.
"All of us who will participate in the initiative in one way or another will actively contribute to realizing the concept of circular economy in practice and with joint forces shape a more sustainable future," added Nataša Vodušek Fras, head of public relations at Talum.
"We will combine our engineering knowledge and, in collaboration with Talum, create technology that will support bivouac production. We hope that the project is just one in the mosaic of joint collaboration and connection of Slovenian industry," says Jakob Kraner, lead developer on the bivouac project at the Impol group.
The project is part of the broader environmental initiative of the Laško brand and the alpine association under the concept Small Steps for White Peaks, where together with project partners they strive to preserve mountain habitats and operate in nature conservation in Slovenian alpine and pre-alpine areas.
Source:
https://www.caszazemljo.si/ekologija/iz-odpadnih-plocevink-bodo-izdelali-bivake-ki-bodo-postavljeni-v-slovenskih-gorah.html