First national ZERO Food Waste challenge launched

HAS University of Applied Sciences and a number of partners are organising the first national ZERO Food Waste Challenge. The challenge will start on 13 September 2022.

The aim of the ZERO Food Waste Challenge is to raise awareness among as many university students as possible about the amount of food that is needlessly wasted in schools, institutions and the food industry. Through the challenge, they will devise and implement solutions together. This will help us to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 12.3: to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030.

Brabant edition

Last year HAS University of Applied Sciences already held the first Brabant edition of the ZERO Food Waste Challenge with a relatively small group of students from 4 universities. "We have learned a lot from this Brabant edition", says Antien Zuidberg, lecturer Design Methods in Food at HAS University of Applied Sciences. "We are now using our experiences for the national edition."

Online master classes

The partners will kick off the national challenge on 13 September with a physical kick-off meeting. Students can then follow a series of online master classes consisting of webinars and SMALL challenges.

SMALL and BIG challenges

Besides the master classes with the SMALL challenges, the students can also work on a BIG challenge of a company, institution or school.

Certificate and award

All participants will receive a certificate at the end and the group of students or the student with the most impactful food waste challenge project will receive a ZERO Food waste challenge Award. This will be presented around 12 March 2023 by the Foundation Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling (Together Against Food Waste).

The partners are HAS University of Applied Sciences, Aeres University of Applied Sciences, Inholland University of Applied Sciences, Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Food Valley Circular, Foundation Jong Leren Eten, Foundation Samen Tegen Voedselverspilling and Rabobank.

Has.nl