Protecting resources and avoiding waste
Reducing and avoiding waste is very important to us. As with many issues around sustainability, this can only be done together.
In recent years we have managed to reduce the packaging of finisher and helper shirts by 90%. Leftover clothing (such as helper and finisher shirts) has always not been thrown away, but donated to aid projects for needy children, e.g. in Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
The starter bags for the participants are designed for multiple use and are made of durable material. The bottles on the bike course are of course also reusable and a popular souvenir for many guests and starters. On the run course and at the finish line, cups made of cardboard are used, which can be recycled better than disposable plastic cups, which unfortunately can still be found at similar events today.
The night before(!) the race, the bike course will be completely cleaned by our partner "hofmann denkt" to provide the athletes with the best possible course.
Immediately after the event, several "garbage squads" will make sure that the cheering zones and all areas around the course are cleared of trash. During the Triathlon Fair, the trash containers will be emptied daily, the waste will be sorted in a state-of-the-art recycling facility and then most of it will be recycled.
We have been appealing to all our trade fair exhibitors for years to also take the topic of the environment and sustainability very seriously and to do without plastic and other unnecessary packaging as far as possible.
The starter bag is now digital. This means that there will no longer be any paper or plastic flyers in the start bag (high-quality gifts from our partners and sponsors for athletes will, of course, still be in it).
All cheering materials handed out to spectators on race day have been made completely sustainable since 2021, e.g. the popular green clapping cards are made from 100% corn starch.
All signage is made of wood and is reused to a large extent each year, as are blow-ups, banners and flags.
For several years, we have eliminated plastic tableware at the helper party as well as during the Bernbach Pasta Party in favor of reusable stainless steel plates and cutlery. In the future, disposable tableware will also be dispensed with in the beer gardens in the Triathlon Park.