Focus: e-waste! The European Week for Waste Reduction is here again!

The European Week for Waste Reduction is held every year in the last week of November, this year between 22 and 29 November 2025. Launched in 2009 in the interest of a sustainable future, the participating countries in the initiative use their own ideas to raise awareness of conscious waste management, waste prevention, product reuse and the importance of recycling materials. The focus of this year’s action week is on the problem of e-waste. Millions of tons of e-waste are generated in the European Union member states every year, while less than half of this is still collected and recycled. This means that huge amounts of hazardous substances can be released into the environment, while a lot of raw materials are wasted.

If you also imagine a cleaner future, where we live consciously and pay attention to our consumption, do not produce unnecessary garbage and do not waste valuable food unnecessarily, then join and take part in the thematic programs of the week!

Re:Palota thematic action week – Cycle of values

Hotel Palota Lillafüred has been working for many years to combine its historical heritage with the approach of the modern age: preserving value, yet responsibly innovating. In recognition of our sustainability efforts, in 2024 we were awarded the gold level of the Good Travel Seal certification system of the international organization Green Destinations. With the program series Re:Palota – Cycle of values, we join the European Waste Reduction Week, also linked to this year’s focus topic, the conscious management of e-waste. Some of the programs will continue during the Advent period. For us, Re:Palace is not just about recycling, but also about rethinking: how we can give new life to the values ​​of the past, while responsibly shaping the future.

Our programs during the thematic week
November 22-30, 2025

Programs:

Re:Palace Bookcase inauguration

The Re:Palace Bookcase is a special, exchange-based bookshelf, where every volume invites you to a new adventure: bring a book, take one away! The shelves of our salon’s patinated bookcase will take on a new role – it will become a place for communal reading and sharing of values. On the occasion of the inauguration, we will celebrate the cycle of culture with a short literary reading and an intimate conversation, where books, like the values ​​of the Palace, come to new life in the heart of Bükk.
Location: Hotel Palota – Salon
Date: November 28, 2025 19:00

Re:Palota Point – Give new life to your old device!

Bring your old, bored or non-functional, smaller electronic devices – be it a hairdryer, mouse, mobile phone or charger – and drop them off at Re:Palota Point, where every piece will be put in its rightful place! Those who participate in the initiative will receive a coupon for a forest-inspired drink or cocktail in our lobby bar, as a thank you for doing something for nature with us. And if you share your story on your social media using the hashtag #repalota, you too can be featured in our educational post series, in which we will introduce the most inspiring participants and their ideas.
Collection period: November 22 – December 15, 2025
The selective removal of collected e-waste is provided by our official partner, MIREHU Nonprofit Kft. What do we accept? Small-sized equipment, IT and telecommunications devices (<50 cm) - toys, mobile phones, routers, keyboards, tablets, GPS devices, small kitchen appliances, hair dryers, razors, electric toothbrushes, radios, MP3 players, headphones, small speakers, etc. Re:Palota interactive information stations Topics: food waste | e-waste | everyday green tips Locations: restaurants, lobby, community spaces Discover the green thoughts of the Palace during a walk! During the theme week, information boards placed at various points in the hotel will guide you through how we can reduce waste together - both on the table and in technology. The boards contain playful tips and mini quiz questions: how to use less and still eat better? What is the hidden value of recyclables in everything, and how can new life be born from old devices? Look for the green Re:Palota icon, walk through the stations, complete the quiz available with the QR code and take part in the draw, where you can win GastroExpress tickets, a Palota thermo cup and a Postcards from the Palace book! The program runs between November 22 and December 15, 2025, with the draw on December 18, 2025. During the interactive walk, guests can also gain insight into the sustainability solutions that have been successfully operating at the Palace for a long time at the information stations: - Glass solution in the minibar: we have replaced PET-bottled drinks with returnable glass products, and we ask guests to collect their own bottles separately. - Water rethought: a premium water dispensing system operates in our restaurants, bars and events, with washable Palace bottles. - Thermo cup for nature: our guests can take their own, logoed, reusable thermo cup with them on excursions. - Waste compaction system: we reduce the volume of garbage and the environmental burden of transportation with modern compaction equipment. - Paperless information and digital administration: we have introduced online check-in and e-invoicing, digital totem poles and displays replace printed materials, all booking, billing and voucher administration is done by email; unnecessary papers are recycled. - Selective waste collection: we collect paper, plastic, green waste, batteries, oils, hazardous and electronic waste separately. - Plastic-free kitchen: we have abandoned single-use packaging and straws, jams are served on the tables in glass bowls. - Refillable bathroom products: we use large-sized, wall-mounted dispensers instead of single-use bottles. - Supporting local values: we work with local producers, artisans and sustainable suppliers. Re:Palace Furniture Competition - New life for old furniture The walls of the Palace preserve the stories of many decades - now this furniture can get a new chapter. The aim of the Re:Palace Furniture Competition is to find a new home for the hotel's old, discarded, but still in good condition pieces - beds, armchairs, chairs, tables, lamps, cabinets - and continue to serve the community. We are looking for applications from organizations, institutions and communities that would like to give their Palace furniture a new function: maternity homes, children's homes, nursing homes, social institutions, community centers, art schools, civil organizations, hospitals, rural libraries or cultural workshops. The submitted applications will be evaluated by both public voting and a professional jury. The aim of the program is to ensure that the spirit of the Palace - preservation and re-creation - continues beyond the walls: where warmth and a sense of home are most needed. The details of the application will be published on November 22 on the Hotel Palota Lillafüred website.