Social responsibility during WCEF2023: No food waste
At WCEF, no food will be wasted. All extra food will be delivered to an NGO that supports homeless people and other people in need.
Food waste is an inherent challenge at large events like the World Circular Economy Forum. The catering company might offer too much food at too many serving points to avoid long queues and to provide a wide variety of options for an international clientele.
However, at WCEF, all uneaten food will be measured so Sitra and their caterers know in the future which food items have been less popular among WCEF participants.
No food will be wasted at WCEF2023. All extra food will be delivered to No Fixed Abode, Vva ry, an NGO that supports homeless people and other people in need. This organisation delivers food daily for homeless people, single parents and retired persons who need help. Vva’s service point is less than 300 metres from the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre, making it possible to deliver warm meals, with an exemption from Finnish law that requires heated food to be classified as waste.
The food will be delivered by students of vocational college Spesia. The students at Spesia are individuals who need special education, individual support and guidance in their studies and employment. The reasons they need support may include, for example, health reasons, learning difficulties, and social or psychological challenges.
In other words, the food programme is triple-sustainable:
- zero waste
- food for a vulnerable group
- practical working experience for students with learning difficulties.
When you attend WCEF2023 you can be assured that Sitra and all the partners are working hard to make the sustainable circular economy a reality – even for something as simple as the food served at the event.