Sustainability
Did you know what can be done nowadays? In a world, or society, that throws away so much, there is a lot to be done and many ways to improve.
When it comes to food, a store can simply write something off in its accounts and then throw it away.
But there are better ways.
Over the years, I have participated in various projects and associations that do just that. Because it simply makes sense and makes people happy. You network with like-minded people.
And everyone benefits from it. Some do it simply to save money, others to try something new, and others to save food. Yes, it’s about saving.
I have been active in the Foodsharing.e.V. association since 2018, depending on how my work and family life have allowed, because as a mother you have a lot of responsibilities.
The main thing is that as a food sharer, you register on the portal and meet up with others at agreed meeting points and take food that is still good with you.
You can “move up” and take a test, which also includes health training, or more specifically, food hygiene training. You receive an ID card and are allowed to rescue food yourself at participating businesses.
Here in Germany, it started in Berlin and has already developed into a good network, at least in larger cities.
Not everyone can believe what I’ve seen during pickups.
Once it was an entire car trailer full of organic oranges from Italy that had nothing wrong with them, no blemishes, no discoloration, nothing. When asked, we were told that the wholesale market, which buys such quantities here to then sell them to smaller retailers, had ordered too much.
Haha, what a reason. And what a shame.
Another time, I saw the same person picking up a car trailer full of cauliflower. They were very large and fresh, but there were a few small dark spots on them. If you’re not squeamish, you can just cut them off. Of course, you are responsible for checking everything for edibility yourself, and if something is damaged or moldy, you have to throw it away.
What you have to be is quick.
You can’t leave rescued food, at least fruit and vegetables, lying around in the warm for too long. In my opinion.
I now always have baking soda and salt at home, cheap table salt for 20 cents, as I use quite a lot of it for washing.
Soaking for 20 minutes and then rinsing with cold water removes germs and other things. However, there are differences between whether you should use baking soda or salt, for example.
For salad with soil on it, and also for some fruits such as raspberries, I like to use salt because it washes everything nicely.
For waxed apples and oranges, whether organic or not, I use baking soda.
Of course, it’s best if you can get everything in organic quality. It depends on what you have access to.
After washing, fruit can be cut into pieces and frozen. Some vegetables can also be frozen, or you can put them in the refrigerator and use them over the next few days.
I peel bananas and often freeze them straight away, for example for nice cream or smoothies. I don’t freeze potatoes, as I find that they become mushy. It’s a good idea to have good freezer bags and a large freezer.
I’ve had to buy a second one so that everything for the family fits in there.
I have also gradually bought lots of containers that are suitable for freezing. For example, at our local DM drugstore, they sell glass containers with lids that are suitable for freezing and dishwasher-safe.
Nowadays, it’s easy to network and participate in meetings outside of direct pick-ups. There is also a participatory cooking dinner where meals are prepared together using rescued food.
It’s fun, a lot of fun actually. Of course, you have to plan ahead and set aside time for it. Sometimes it works out well, sometimes you have less time for it.
If you’re a Food Saver and have a card, you can pick up food by bus and subway, on foot with bags, or of course by bike and trailer or car. Everything is well organized, and after being introduced to a team, you help decide where you want to pick up, whether it suits your fellow volunteers, and whether you can transport the quantity.
Before COVID-19, I often saw 10 Ikea bags full of good organic bread rolls made from sourdough that were easy to freeze.
There were many with different grains and walnuts baked into them.
You can’t imagine the quantities involved.
That’s why I love the opportunity to save it.
I often see ravens rummaging through trash cans here in the city, picking out leftover kebab wrappers made of aluminum foil. And people are too squeamish to recycle good stuff.
Fortunately, there are many who are changing their minds.
Sure, when I go shopping at the supermarket, I want fresh produce that isn’t wilted and will last 1-2 weeks.
Almost everyone feels the same way. Even when I invite people over or organize parties, I buy everything fresh.
I think nature has grown everything beautiful for us, so it’s a shame to let it go to waste. Also, the fact that bananas, for example, are transported all the way to Germany and, of course, to other northern countries, and then thrown away as soon as they get small spots on the outside, even earlier.
But from then on, they are especially sweet and completely fine on the inside.
I always take care with fish and minced meat, especially in the summer months.
I buy them fresh when family members want to eat them.
The top priority is to ensure that the cold chain is not interrupted for products that need to be refrigerated.
In my experience, Vegan food lasts longer.
Everyone has to decide for themselves what they like, what is best, and trust their senses. Smell it, look at it—that says a lot.
To good to go
Recently, I’ve been using the To Good To Go app more and more again. I used it a few years ago, but then lost sight of it because I had too much work to do, as there are, of course, time slots for collection that you have to stick to.
You register, create a user account with your details, including bank details, and enter your address. You can search nearby, but you can also specify other locations, for example, places you are traveling to. So, if I know tomorrow that I will be in another city, I can reserve something there, pay for it, and then simply pick it up. Cancellations can be made 2 hours before the pickup window or time. I’ve already picked up snack bags containing sushi, a sandwich, and a small vegan rice bowl. There were also teriyaki skewers in there once.
But I like the fruit and vegetable bags best, or sometimes the surprise bags.
Of course, you know that the quality is good at Edeka, for example. Others you have to try out. I also like organic baked goods. The bread is saved, you get a large bag, and you can slice it at home and freeze it.
At home, I would also bake and then eat it for a week.
Most recently, we had a surprise bag from an Italian shop for selected Italian items and bistro that also offers lunch. It contained homemade pasta, two different varieties, a ball of mozzarella, some fruit, and vegetables. All for 4-6 euros, and nothing had to be thrown away.
Of course, I also bought something in the beautiful shop that day. Because it was the first time I had been there.
So, as you can see, there are many aspects to it. It also allows you to get to know smaller shops that you might never have gone into or that you would never have noticed in a big city.
I got into all this when I was younger, naturally attracted by the savings, as you had to learn a lot, undergo retraining, and take exams. I stayed because of the sustainability aspect. I plan to do it for as long as possible because it’s just so much fun.
And supermarkets don’t have to throw away so much food that is still good and often packaged.
Thanks to to good to go, I have already gone on wonderful walks, discovered new things while walking, traveled to new areas, and discovered new shops.
I have noticed that organic bread is better for me, as the sourdough does not cause digestive problems.
Pickups also encourage you to be more active, as office jobs involve a lot of sitting and working at a computer, even if you can raise your desk. For example, evening walks of 20 minutes each way are very beneficial: you get something new and tasty, do some exercise, get some fresh air, and then sleep better. It’s a win-win.
Association Leben ist Fülle e.V. (Life is Abundance)
Many see limitations, I see richness and diversity.
This is a good transition to an association I recently discovered that even uses this as its slogan or, rather, its name.
It is called Leben ist Fülle e.V. (Life is Abundance).
I met Maria years ago at Foodsharing. She founded an association about three years ago.
The association obtains food from manufacturing companies by the pallet load and distributes it to people.
However, a small donation is required, as the association also incurs costs for transporting goods such as organic tomato sauce from Verona in Italy by truck. Employees who then unload these pallets and collect payment also have to be paid.
I’ve been there twice so far. And the atmosphere is great. Of course, they don’t sell fresh fruit and vegetables, but packaged items such as tomato sauce, green tea with jasmine, organic cookies, vegan milk, ramen noodles, and other things. For example, 10 packs of ramen noodles cost 1 euro.
There are different scenarios: sometimes the association has to buy something from the companies, but often it is a donation. The latter has a longer shelf life. For example, olive oil for 3-4 euros.
From what I have learned, this happens when companies have overproduction, when large grocery stores do not purchase the goods because they have too much, or when manufacturing companies completely remove a product from their line because the competition is too great and they cannot sell it in time before the best-before date expires.
The association does a great job, buying these wonderful food items, sometimes also dietary supplements, and giving them to people who can purchase them for a donation. A small amount is set for each product. Whether it’s tomato sauce for 50 cents, 10 packs of pasta for one euro, or something else, you’ll find what you’re looking for here.
At the moment, the association and its members in the WhatsApp group have grown to over 500 people. The goal is to at least double that number, to over 1,000.
So click on the association’s website, write a message there, join the WhatsApp group, and work with others to save good food.
Here is the link to the association:
Of course, the association is a non-profit organization. Anyone can participate, regardless of their profession or income.
I think it’s important that food is saved.
It’s located in the north of munich.
You can also donate to the association via:
So support the association. I sometimes go there when I need something they offer, but I also often participate in other projects.
Another such project is a participatory shop.
FoodHub. There, you are accepted into the cooperative, pay a cooperative share and become a member. I was already there about a year after it was founded. It’s really nice there. There’s a lot to buy, delicious organic fruit and vegetables and other food, as well as household goods such as sponges. Members save a lot when shopping, as this form of retail eliminates the middleman and everyone gets cheaper prices. However, you have to help out there a few times a month.
Due to time constraints, I haven’t become a member yet. But it’s a wonderful idea to meet like-minded people, work in a small shop yourself and shop at lower prices than in a comparable organic shop. In addition, celebrations and hands-on activities are lovingly planned and carried out, and there are guided tours for those who are interested. If you subscribe to the newsletter, you’ll also receive delicious recipes for the current season.
Here is a link to the website of this lovely participatory supermarket:
These are my current sources of sustainability, which, as you can see, mainly revolve around food. Haha.
Of course, there’s more, that’s clear.
But more on that in the next article.