FreiRess: Conserving resources in the leisure sector

Антон Мазаев_stock.adobe.com

Leisure time is a source of relaxation, pleasure and self-realisation. We meet friends, pursue our hobbies or go travelling. Leisure activities are of great ecological relevance, as we also use natural resources and raw materials in our free time. These are not available in unlimited quantities and their use can have negative environmental consequences. Products and services in the leisure sector are sometimes associated with a considerable demand for raw materials.

The demand for raw materials in the leisure sector is made up of many different sub-sectors. For example, durable leisure and consumer goods such as sports equipment or pets and garden products, motorised leisure goods, digital consumer goods as well as cultural and music events, sporting events, leisure parks and other services directly or indirectly consume relevant quantities of natural raw materials. 

An analysis of German private household consumption of raw materials shows that the "leisure, culture and hospitality" area of demand accounts for around 13 %. Translated into absolute tonnages, the raw material rucksack of cultural and leisure activities comprises 80 million tonnes or an average of just under one tonne per person per year. A more sustainable development of resources and raw material utilisation can only succeed if efforts are made in all areas to reduce the environmental impact. The leisure sector is therefore an important factor in the sustainable use of natural resources.

The aim of the  project is to quantify the consumption of raw materials and greenhouse gases in the leisure sector and to derive fields of action and options for action for resource-conserving and climate-friendly leisure. The research project will discuss and analyse questions relating to the definition of the area of demand, the level of raw material consumption in the leisure sector and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. Following on from this, the project raises questions such as: What options for action are there to promote resource conservation in the leisure sector? What can circular and resource-saving leisure activities look like and what examples of best practice already exist?

More information about the project: www.umweltbundesamt.de/freizeitressourcen