In the municipality of Apeldoorn the month September was all about preventing waste and more reuse.
The total amount of residual waste has to be a maximum of 30 kilo per person per year in 2025 in Apeldoorn. We are already separating 75% of the household waste into raw materials like paper, plastic and biowaste and we will continue to increase this percentage.
Although the municipality of Apeldoorn is doing well in the amount of residual waste (currently around 61 kilo per person per year ) and the raw materials separated (80% in 2020), The total amount of household waste is decreasing. So it is important to reduce the amount of waste – more attention to preventing a product to become waste.
Discover two special weeks in Apeldoorn.
Waste free week 7 – 13 September 2021
The first week of September was a week of preventing food waste. For that Apeldoorn's alderman gave away a bag with tools to prevent food waste. In the bag there was:
- A measuring cup in order to make no more than necessary for the number of people you are cooking;
- Stickers for in your refrigerator and freezer telling you where to keep a certain product in order to let it last longer;
- A recipe booklet of the Animal Protection organization with all kind of recipes for bread. A lot of people give bread to the animals, but that is unhealthy for them (too salty).
Every day a kind of food was emphasized ordered in the amount of most wasted. Waste free heroes posted examples of how they prevent food from becoming waste. Number one is bread, second is dairy, third vegetables, fourth fruit, fifth potatoes and finally meat. Every day of the week one particular item was addressed. The last was about leftovers.
The Waste Free week is a national week organized by the foundation Together against Food waste. Some key numbers and info:
- The week was organized together with 130 partners – including our waste collector Circulus-Berkel who represents 9 municipalities.
- On 4.5 million loaves a sticker was pasted linking to a URL telling what to do with old bread.
- 650 School classes educated on how to prevent food waste.
- A lot of attention on TV, newspapers and socials was given on the subject.
- All together inspiring millions of Dutch people to buy, cook and preserving waste free.
Zero Waste week 18 – 24 September 2021
The Zero Waste week Apeldoorn was organized by a citizens’ initiative called Zero Waste Apeldoorn. The initiator and figurehead behind this initiative is Tiphaine Bresser. With her initiative she already organized cleanup events, zero waste shopping in Apeldoorn and workshops for making your own deo, cream, laundry detergent, etc. The website www.zerowasteapeldoorn.com also includes a map of Apeldoorn covering all the spots where you can:
- Bring your own trays and bags for waste free shopping;
- Bring your own cup for coffee or tea to go;
- Find repair cafés;
- Find mini libraries (take and bring a book);
- Find second hand shops.
Last year the idea arose to organize a whole week with all kinds of activities. Together with CODA (museum), Foenix (thrift shop) and the municipality of Apeldoorn Zero Waste Apeldoorn has organized a whole week including:
- Litter clean-ups on the World Cleanup Day;
- Lectures by the founder of Zero Waste Netherlands and the Zero Waste project combined with a sustainable market;
- Guided tours at Foenix, Tomra (supplier of packaging machines) and for the bio design exhibition at CODA;
- Shopping at the best addresses for vintage clothing and learning how to repair clothing;
- Workshops making your own deo and laundry detergent or seed bombs (for kids);
- Providing people at the biological market with tools for living zero waste – a small bio waste container for in the kitchen, self-made bags for vegetables, fruit and bread and the tools from the waste free week;
- Shopping zero waste tour;
- Cycling along the picking and vegetable garden of which Apeldoorn is rich in concluding with a Vegan Friday diner.
During this week a lot of shops offered a discount. In the Netherlands, Apeldoorn is the first city organizing an full zero waste week.
Discover the Zero Waste week through an inspiring summary video:
