Nhood Hungary received a special award for the “Pass it back, Bro!” campaign organized at Auchan Korzós

At Nhood, we are aware of our ecological responsibility, which is why we strive to make decisions that have a positive impact on our environment - not only when developing real estate, but also when operating shopping centers. For this reason, in order to operate more sustainably and reduce waste production, we included the shops and restaurants of Auchan Korzós in the circular economy in a number of ways over the past year.

On behalf of Auchan Korzó, last year we joined the Jane Goodall Institute, the KÖVET Association, the Protection Association and the Foundation for Africa in their annual campaign called "Pass it back, Bro!" which aims to collect used mobile devices. During the campaign period, customers could find collection points where they could drop off their used phones, GPS, tablets and accessories in a total of 21 stores of the six commercial partners of the shopping centers we operate.

Due to the good results of the campaign, the eco-conscious initiative was continued this year, with the spring campaign running from 22 March to 15 June 2023. The previous partners were joined by a new tenant - Cserépváros - with three locations in Budaörs, Dunakeszi and Soroksár.
We placed floor stickers in front of the drop-off points to draw attention to the collection of used mobile devices.  The collection points at the Auchan Korzó shopping centers were Full GSM, IGB, ProPhone, Multi Mobil, GreenTech, Mobilpont, Tello Phones and the aforementioned Cserépváros shops. 

The aim of the "Pass it back, Bro!" campaign is to collect as many old or non-functioning mobile devices, GPS, tablets and chargers as possible, thereby promoting the circular economy. Obsolete mobile phones make up about two-thirds of all hazardous waste in the world, even though precious metals can be recycled from them, thus reducing the mining of the ores required for their production.

So, when customers return their unused electronic devices, they are in fact contributing to the preservation of the natural habitats of many African species such as gorillas, bonobos and chimpanzees and are also helping local communities. 

The “Pass it back, Bro!” campaign is not only popular at Auchan Korzó shopping centers. Thanks to the initiative launched in 2018, more than 7.5 tons of unused mobile phones were collected at 1,111 different collection points across the country, which is a stunning result.
The most successful companies in the campaign received awards under the Jane Goodall Institute's program. We are pleased to report that Auchan Hungary won the top prize, while Nhood Hungary received a special communications award for the national campaign appeal and the successful activities.

In connection with the project, Dóra Diána Szemerédi, Head of CSR at Nhood Hungary said:  

"Thanks to the joint work as well as the cooperation of our customers, since spring 2022, nearly 700 devices have been collected at Auchan Korzó shopping centers and donated to the Jane Goodall Institute. We are very proud of both the collaboration and the special communications award, because in addition to the practical results, the awareness-raising is just as important for us. We would like to spread the message to as many people as possible about the importance of sustainable development and environmental awareness, such as selective waste collection and a circular approach. We will continue the campaign in the autumn, and we count on the cooperation of our partners and customers in the future as well."

András Kádár, Secretary General of the Jane Goodall Institute commented: 

"We call these mobile collection boxes 'boxes of hope' because they give hope to all primates, chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos and local communities in the Congo for a better life. The “Pass it back, Bro!” campaign, as well as our latest "Pass it on, Bro!" campaign which aims to donate appliances that can still be used, is a way to support projects such as "Ports and school boats to Uganda", which we launched to help children living on Lake Bunyonyi in western Uganda to get to school and back home safely. In 2022, 18 piers and 3 school boats were built, which provide daily safety for more than 600 children and 40,000 people living in the area. If you, your company or your educational institution would like to adopt or support a school ship or a port, please don’t hesitate to contact us via the website of the Jane Godall Institute. We thank you for your help!”