Caritas and Wolt have teamed up to give old Wolt backpacks a new life by turning them into stylish accessories. The blue Wolt backpacks have become a common sight in Vienna, but instead of disposing of them when they are no longer needed, they are now being recycled in collaboration with Caritas and Volkshilfe.
Joscha Domdey from Wolt Austria explains that the large blue backpacks used by the delivery drivers need to be replaced regularly for quality, safety, and hygiene reasons. Rather than throwing away the old backpacks, a new initiative was launched with Caritas and Volkshilfe. The Wörkerei project now transforms these old backpacks into trendy shoppers, cardholders, and waist bags.
The Wörkerei project, a collaboration between Caritas, Volkshilfe, and AMS, provides young people between 18 and 24 with temporary employment in the field of craftsmanship to help them transition into the workforce. This includes sewing, which is a key part of the process of repurposing the old backpacks.
Safije Eder-Jenuzi, the head of Wörkerei, expressed excitement about the extensive project with Wolt, highlighting the opportunity to showcase their skills and promote their products to a wider audience. The project not only benefits the individuals involved but also contributes to sustainability by transforming around four tons of old advertising banners into fashion accessories each year.
Initially, products from 15 backpacks have been repurposed into a range of items such as shoppers, backpacks, cardholders, and waist bags. These items can be ordered through the Wolt app starting from June 12th, with all proceeds going towards supporting the Wörkerei project. The long-term collaboration aims to donate all discarded backpacks to Wörkerei in the future to continue giving them new life.
In summary, the collaboration between Caritas and Wolt to recycle old Wolt backpacks into fashionable accessories is not only environmentally friendly but also provides valuable opportunities for young individuals to gain vocational skills and support their transition into the workforce. The project showcases the potential for creative and sustainable solutions to repurpose materials and benefit the community.