Kavala: A celebration dedicated to reducing food waste with a taste of sustainability
Kavala welcomes the Replate Festival, an all-day celebration dedicated to reducing food waste and raising environmental awareness. On Saturday, September 27, Faliro Park will become a meeting place for residents and visitors who want to learn, participate, and taste ideas for a more sustainable lifestyle.
The festival is organized by the environmental organization incommon, in collaboration with the municipality of Kavala, as part of the European FoodWISE program. Kavala is one of five Greek municipalities (the other four are in the regional unit of Chalkidiki) where the project is being implemented, with the aim of reducing food waste, especially in coastal areas with high tourist traffic.
Throughout the day, the public will have the opportunity to participate in experiential workshops, presentations of good practices, cooking demonstrations using “forgotten” ingredients, and interactive activities for young and old alike. The main focus of the festival is to raise awareness of the phenomenon of food waste, which affects not only the economy and society, but also the environment.
The Replate Festival aims to encourage visitors, young and old alike, to view food management in a new light: as an act of caring for the planet, solidarity, and responsibility. As the organizers note, every plate saved from the trash is a step towards a more sustainable tomorrow.
“We are coming to Kavala with the aim of putting the importance of reducing the waste generated daily in household and business kitchens on the public’s agenda,” Vangelis Vragoteris, a researcher on circular economy issues and assistant project manager at incommon, told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency. “This specific household waste,” he points out, “accounts for about 50% of the total weight of waste that a municipality has to manage, according to the National Waste Management Plan (ESDA) 2020-2030. Less waste means less pollution and less impact on the environment, health, and the economy.”
Mr. Vragoteris emphasizes, speaking to APE-MPE, that it is important for consumers to manage the food they buy better, so that they do not have to throw it away because they have too much or because it has gone bad, and to cook only the amount of food they need each day. “Our goal,” he explains, “is to inform and raise awareness, and so far we have seen a great response. In the five municipalities, we met people who knew nothing about the issue, but also people and businesses who not only knew about it, but were fully aware and were implementing good practices.”
Read the full article by Vasilis Lolidis, correspondent for the Athens-Macedonian News Agency in Kavala here (in greek).
