No waste, no gain

In our capital, almost three-quarters of household waste ends up in one and the same garbage bag. And a large part of it is food waste. Such a shame, thinks De Gezonde Stad. This organization strives for—indeed—a healthy city and a circular economy.

That is why, at the end of November, the foundation is opening the first Zero Waste Lab in the Netherlands in Amsterdam’s Dapperbuurt: a neighborhood lab for social and circular innovation, as it is officially called.

Value coins

The idea is that Amsterdammers hand in separated waste, which is then upcycled and recycled in their own neighborhood. But there’s more. The Zero Waste Lab is also a training center for people who are distanced from the labor market. There, they are trained to become so-called resource experts.

Hand in more separated waste, and you’ll receive more value coins.

But even in a circular economy, nothing comes for free. In exchange for their separated waste, local residents receive value coins that give them discounts at neighborhood shops. This encourages them to get involved in their own neighborhood and to hand in a much larger proportion of the city’s waste separately. In short: no (separated) waste, no gain. Or actually: more (separated) waste, more gain.

Neighborhood economy

At the same time, the system encourages people to do their grocery shopping at their own neighborhood shops. And that completes the economic circle. If it is up to Zero Waste Lab, many more neighborhood branches will follow throughout the Netherlands in the future.

More info at De Gezonde Stad.