The Biodiversity Foundation, a public foundation of the Government of Spain, under the Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, and the Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs have opted for eco-design at the stand with which they participate in the IUCN World Conservation Congress held in Barcelona from October 5 to 14.

The stand of the Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs has been designed using the principles of eco-design to minimize the impacts of the participants and the contents throughout the Congress. Thus, the materials with the lowest impact and suppliers located in Barcelona and nearby areas have been chosen, with preference for those with ISO 14,000 certification or a recognised eco-label.

To build the stand, energy consumption, the use of printing inks and the use of paper have been reduced. Likewise, the wood used is 100% certified, the materials used are recycled, have eco-labeling and have been made by local and national production suppliers. Once the congress is over, all the components of the stand will be reused or recycled.

Thus, to reduce paper waste, attendees receive a “pen-drive”, made with PEFC certified wood and RoHS certificate -ecological certification of electronic components-, and have access to a computer station to download or send by email the information available at the stand. Likewise, the gifts that are given to visitors, such as econos, corn pens, or potato bags are eco-responsible products.

The stand has been designed to create virtually no waste. It is PVC-free and no printing has been made on plastic or vinyl. In addition, all components have been reused from other sources or are rented so that they can be reused in the future. An example of this are local eco-products such as bags made from potato fibre made in Asturias, tables and chairs made from straw bales from the cereal fields of Catalonia and used by the police stables of this autonomous community; the tables have been made with recycled pallets and construction tubes; the carpets are made from recycled car rugs; and the pots have been made of recycled canvas, and T-shirts made of reused fabrics and native plants from Spain.

Through this stand, the Biodiversity Foundation and the Ministry of the Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs intend to demonstrate the functionality of products with low environmental impact, their viability as an alternative to other more polluting products and promote their introduction into the market through the application of responsible purchasing policies. Eco-designed products favour the conservation of natural resources and the environment, in a demonstration of coherence with the objectives of the Congress that is being held these days in Barcelona.