"From the community for the community": Amlikon-Bissegg produced disinfectant and donates proceeds
In spring, the community of Amlikon-Bissegg collected old liquor and made disinfectant from it. The proceeds are to be donated to those in need in the community.
On November 17, on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the Macardo Distillery, a check of over 1150 Swiss francs was presented to the community of Amlikon-Bissegg. The amount was raised through the project "Collection campaign of old schnapps for disinfectants". In April, the municipality collected 500 liters of schnapps from residents. "The willingness of citizens was very great. Our goal was far exceeded," says municipal councilor Paul Sauter, who is responsible for the health and social affairs department.
One bottle for each
At the local Macardo distillery, the schnapps was finally processed into disinfectant. "200 liters of distillate and 1,000 bottles of disinfectant ultimately resulted," says Martina Bössow, owner of the Macardo distillery.
Just a few days later, the disinfectant was available for sale at the village store and at Macardo itself. Sauter says, "Every taxpayer was given a coupon to buy a bottle." The idea was to give all citizens of the community the opportunity to purchase a bottle and to prevent hoarding purchases. In the beginning, he says, demand was very high. "The distillery and also the village store produced and sold the remedy at cost," says Sauter. As a result, she says, their product was cheaper than in a pharmacy. It still has disinfectant, but it is now accessible to all, he says.
Great demand
The idea for the project came from the owners of Macardo Distillery, Andreas and Martina Bössow. "We received many requests to offer disinfectants. Finally, in a conversation with the members of the local council, we came up with the idea of collecting unwanted alcohol in the community and turning it into disinfectant," says Martina Bössow. In making the disinfectant, they followed WHO guidelines. Bössow says, "Distilling the liquor posed no problem. The only difficulty was obtaining the plastic bottles to fill the remedy." That's because, due to the lockdown, a wide variety of manufacturers could no longer produce any. "It's a project from the community for the community," Sauter says. Because the proceeds of the project will now be donated to those in need in Amlikon-Bissegg. "The municipal council will decide in the foreseeable future to whom the money will be distributed," says Paul Sauter.
Author: Deborah Hugentobler