NALED, EsoTron and GIZ launch the initiative for collecting 1.000 tons of food waste
Starting from 1 November, NALED in cooperation with EsoTron and with the support of German Development Cooperation (GIZ) launch the initiative for collecting 1.000 tons of food waste, with the goal of reducing the emission of 750 tons of carbon-dioxide. The action will last until 1 November 2021.
- Since an extremely low number of facilities that prepare and serve food use the services of food waste collection operators, during the initiative, all waste of this kind produced by the participants – organizations and companies in Serbia, will be given to an authorized operator for treatment – said Slobodan Krstović, Head of Environment Protection Unit in NALED, at the interactive workshop for the representatives of hospitality and other facilities.
Even 99% of food waste produced by hospitality objects and public facilities with their own kitchens and cantinas end up in landfills, emitting greenhouse effect gases that pose a direct threat to the environment. The workshop aimed to present the solutions for preventing the creation of large amounts of waste, and for using the already generated waste.
- The idea of this initiative within the project jointly implemented by GIZ, NALED and EsoTron, is to make a contribution towards responsible waste management. Food waste is not only an environment issue, but also an economic problem, since it is not treated as a resource. Through combined actions by the public, private and civil sector, we wish to encourage all stakeholders to treat food waste as a resource – said the Coordinator of GIZ Open Regional Fund for Serbia Zorica Bilić.
The workshop participants were also presented with a Guide for adequate management of food waste, offering practical advice for responsible management in seven steps.
- Research shows that only 13% of hospitality objects already use the services of food waste collection and treatment operators, while the majority of managers think that food waste is most commonly thrown into garbage and transported to landfills. We wish to change this, and to make a joint step towards preserving the environment by properly treating waste - explained Bojan Gligić, one of the authors of the Guide and the Regional Manager of company Esotron, that deals with waste collection and treatment.
The initiative for collecting 1,000 tons of waste will be implemented in cooperation with EsoTron, that will collect the waste and properly take care of it, under promotional conditions. Interested companies may apply to participate in the initiative via e-mail esotron@esotron.rs or phone number 021 621 66 27. More information about the initiative can be found at the website www.otpadodhrane.rs.
