{"id":125971,"date":"2021-04-23T14:10:16","date_gmt":"2021-04-23T12:10:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=125971"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:34","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:34","slug":"these-handy-tips-can-help-reduce-the-amount-of-waste-that-ends-up-in-your-bin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/04\/23\/these-handy-tips-can-help-reduce-the-amount-of-waste-that-ends-up-in-your-bin\/","title":{"rendered":"These handy tips can help reduce the amount of waste that ends up in your bin"},"content":{"rendered":"

En route to a waste-free planet, a number of students have set to work on their waste \u2013 or rather: on cutting back its volume. Including Lena Burgdorf \u2013 one of the organisers of this year\u2019s Zero Waste Week<\/a>. Looking ahead, she shares a number of strategies that students can follow to fill fewer bin bags.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Cleaning the park, Covid proof. Lena is in the middle.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\town archive<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cSince I moved to Rotterdam, I\u2019ve been able to take some big steps towards a zero-waste lifestyle,\u201d says Lena. \u201cFor example, nowadays I can go to special shops for my groceries.\u201d After starting on her master\u2019s in Global Business and Sustainability at EUR this year, Lena joined Erasmus Sustainability Hub\u2019s Waste Committee. Among other things, the committee works to raise awareness of our collective waste problem, as well as offering handy pointers for students who want to reduce the amount of waste they bring into this world.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can be quite complicated to avoid packaging when you\u2019re out shopping,\u201d says Lena. \u201cIn many cases, you may need something that is only offered as a packed product. At that point, you have to decide whether you really need it, or look for an alternative.\u201d That\u2019s why Lena usually doesn\u2019t do her groceries at the better-known chains. Instead she frequents establishments like Gimsel: an organic supermarket where a lot of the products are sold without packaging. \u201cYou take along your own containers and bags and use those for your groceries. And you can also weigh your products, so you only have to buy what you need. Which is a good way to save money too, incidentally: you aren\u2019t forced to get the standard pre-packed quantities that you see in \u2018regular\u2019 supermarkets. Quite handy actually.\u201d Gimsel isn\u2019t the only supermarket that focuses on sustainability: another example of a chain that offers a responsible range of products is Ekoplaza. \u201cAnd if you\u2019re a student, I also recommend going to the market. You can get unpacked fruit and veg there, and it\u2019s generally a lot cheaper.\u201d<\/p>\n

Make your own<\/h2>
\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\town archive<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

Besides going for unpacked food, there are various other ways to cut back your waste. \u201cWe have this workshop where we explain how you can make your own cleaning products \u2013 which is actually a lot easier than you\u2019d think. In addition, I myself use solid shampoo and tooth powder. They come in these really nice boxes that you can re-use for other stuff afterwards. There are loads of things that are really easy to make yourself: dry shampoo, for example, or hairspray. You could basically go through your home and stop in each room to determine which opportunities there are to minimise waste.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the course of the year, ESH\u2019s Waste Committee organises various activities aimed at tackling the waste problem and promoting a zero-waste lifestyle. \u201cFor example, every month we have this event where we pick up litter. We choose a location, get a group together and go over there to clean it up. These get-togethers can be really nice \u2013 particularly when it\u2019s sunny out.\u201d Lena indicates that these activities aren\u2019t just useful in the sense that some area gets cleaned up: \u201cI think it also helps to raise awareness. When you\u2019re picking up litter, you start thinking about where it comes from and how you could prevent it getting thrown there in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to continue educating ourselves too, which is why we often talk with private sector players and invite speakers from these organisations. We exchange ideas and ask them how they handle waste. PeelPioneers and Rotterzwam are two examples of companies that are active in this area.\u201d PeelPioneers makes packaging from fruit and vegetable peel, while Rotterzwam sells kits that you can use to make your own compost for growing mushrooms.<\/p>\n

Zero-waste cooking<\/h2>

The Waste Committee came up with several new activities<\/a> for this year\u2019s Zero Waste Week. \u201cWe\u2019ll be holding a zero-waste challenge. Everyone who takes part gets two glass jars that they have to fill with all the waste they produce that week. The objective is to end up with as little as possible.\u201d And EUR will be welcoming a lot of speakers over the course of the week. Someone from Clear Rivers will be talking about their recycling project, and Max La Mana, a zero-waste chef from New York will be giving a cooking master class \u2013 the definite highlight of the week in Lena\u2019s book. But there are all sorts of other activities you can take part in besides: from an upcycling workshop to a vegan cooking class.<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Lees ook<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t