Close the Food Circle

Food waste is a problem that can only be solved with the participation of citizens. By joining forces, we can limit the environmental, social and economic burden it generates . A step-by-step guide for the proper management of organic waste was designed, developed and tested at a Greek Municipality (Papagos-Cholargos) as part of the project.

What can motivate us to use the organic waste (brown) bin?

What do we need to know for separating at source properly?
What tools do we need in our kitchens and neighborhoods so that organic waste doesn’t end up in the landfill, burdening the environment and the economy?
How can 40% of our waste be utilised?

This project has been developed based on a system of awareness raising and activating the public around the issue of organic waste management.

Completed project | Implementation period 2022-2023

Separation at source starts from...?

Through the project we learn what food waste is all about and how it can be properly managed. Starting from the Municipality of Papagos-Cholargos, we designed and implemented activities, created and provided useful tools and saw in practice what is needed for the effective management of a new recycling system, that of organic waste/bio-waste through the organic waste (brown) bins placed in the neighborhoods (a legal obligation of Municipalities as per Law 4819/2021).

The active participation of all interested parties (municipal authority, citizens and businesses) formed the basis of the project as it aimed to achieve a gradual change in our attitude towards organic waste and thus to shape a new mentality and behavior, that of separating our waste at source in order to utilise it instead of throwing it away.

We went from theory to practice by getting into the kitchens of restaurants and cafes, talking with cooks about what goes into and what… is left over in each recipe; with the little brown kitchen bins we entered into households, open markets and schools, and submitted requests to the Municipality of Papagos-Cholargos to expand its network of organic waste collection bins. In other words, we all contributed to keeping food waste away from the landfill! Because separation at source starts with us, at home, at the office, at our business, at school.

How do we create a new trend?

Mobilization activities

What goes in the organic waste (brown) bin? Discussions about cooking at neighborhood activities.

Activation actions

Mapping of organic waste bins network in the Municipality of Papagos-Cholargos

Awareness-raising actions

Discussions with consumers at open farmers’ markets about the value of our food waste.

Engagement tools

A fridge magnet with all the instructions for using the organic waste (brown) bins and a small brown kitchen bin as a kickstart.

The hidden value at our kitchens

Our team goes out onto the streets and invites everyone to reduce our environmental footprint starting from something we do every day, consuming food.

we are talking to citizens about the process of separation at source
we provide useful tools & manuals
we give practical advice
we carry out experiential workshops for children and adults
we stay in touch by emails, phones & viber groups
we are constantly updating you through our social media channels

incommon-The hidden value at our kitchens

The aim is to change the prevailing perception that exists around organic waste, from "trash" to a potential "treasure", and to facilitate the transition to a more circular way of living by returning organic waste to the production cycle (as a soil enhancer). Thus, the biggest challenge is to successfully formulate a collective environmentally-friendly behavior.