Nationalpark-Haus Wittbülten Nature Center in Spiekeroog Uses Recyclable Blue4est® Checkout Receipts
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- Alternative material chosen deliberately in line with message of responsibility
- Educational institution bolsters role as a source of inspiration in contexts related to tourism and the environment
- The blue receipt with no color developers can be disposed of as wastepaper and clearly stands out in comparison to standard receipts
The Nationalpark-Haus Wittbülten nature center on the North Sea island of Spiekeroog, in Germany, has been using Koehler Paper’s Blue4est® “blue checkout receipts” ever since the country’s law requiring mandatory checkout receipts went into effect on January 1st, 2020. This choice has enabled the institution to provide visitors with an environmentally friendly solution when it comes to the checkout receipts printed every day at its exhibition, shop, and café areas.
Philosophical Consistency Leads to Environmentally Conscious Solution for Receipts
The decision to use Blue4est® was made out of conviction: For the nature center, conventional thermal paper products were inconsistent with its own philosophy regarding the use of resources and materials.
“We were actually pretty upset about the printed checkout receipt law in the sense that it didn’t really work with existing disposal systems and was completely incompatible with our message of sustainability. Obviously the part about providing people with a receipt in case they need one was never a problem, so switching over to Blue4est® was the logical choice for us,” explains Swaantje Fock, the Director of Nationalpark-Haus Wittbülten Spiekeroog GmbH. Sebastian Früh, the Director of the Thermal Paper Division at Koehler Paper, agrees that the decision was only logical: “Blue4est® is an environmentally friendly solution for daily use by cash registers, and the Nationalpark-Haus Wittbülten nature center is a perfect example of how our blue receipt paper can be smoothly integrated into ongoing operations.”
Blue Checkout Receipt Uses Zero Chemical Color Developers and Is Compatible With Paper Waste Stream
Blue4est® is based on a special functional layer that works without any chemical color developers. Its unique color is not actually printed, but is instead the result of a physical reaction in the paper itself: The latter contains tiny air bubbles that refract light in such a way that the surface looks blue. When heat is applied, these structures change, revealing a darker layer underneath – this in turn results in a pattern that matches the image being “printed.” Of course, this makes the resulting checkout receipts clearly stand out from conventional ones.
Blue4est® paper can be disposed of in normal paper waste streams and is food-safe, making it suitable for applications in direct contact with customers and food as well. In addition, Blue4est® is compatible with conventional thermal printers and can be integrated into existing processes without the need for modifications.
Environmental Education as a Guiding Principle: Inspiring Visitors and Businesses
As a certified biosphere partner, the Nationalpark-Haus nature center views itself as an ambassador for environmental protection and natural conservation. Accordingly, it incorporates these aspects into all of its decisions – from designing exhibits to its daily operations.
With around 70,000 visitors every year – of which about 25,000 are drawn to exhibits and events –, the institution is one of the island’s prime destinations.
The Nationalpark-Haus nature center also sees its exhibits and activities as an opportunity to spark ideas, provide inspiration, and show ways to take action in day-to-day life. “Of course, if you want to raise awareness about acting responsibly, you need to walk the walk yourself. And that goes both for our big decisions and for the small details in our daily routines,” Swaantje Fock underscores. Not surprisingly, the institution’s own role is clearly defined in this regard: “We see ourselves as a role model, and it’s precisely in the areas of tourism and culture that we want to focus even more strongly on solutions that conserve resources.”
Continuous Development as a Goal
Accordingly, the use of Blue4est® technology is another building block in Nationalpark-Haus Wittbülten’s continuous development process – the goal being to consistently implement a philosophy of using materials responsibly and drive change both within and beyond the island.
Best regards
Alexander M. Stöckle Corporate Director Marketing & Communications Press Spokesperson
Koehler Holding SE & Co. KG
Tel: +49 7802 81-4749 Fax: +49 7802 81-5749 mailto:alexander.stoeckle@koehler.com