With every wasted piece of food, valuable resources are also lost

Zeba, Allmig and the canton of Zug are working together against food waste, and, at the Zuger Messe, are presenting tips and tricks to avoid food waste in everyday life.

When you enter Hall B2 of the Zug trade fair 2022 (Zuger Messe), you won't have to look far for the special exhibition "Food Waste". A large number of small posters showing crooked fruit and vegetables hang from the ceiling, and a life-size tree rises above you. You then come to the special exhibition, where colourful stalls are waiting to teach you more about food waste.

For the first time, a special exhibition on the subject of "Food Waste" will take place at the Zuger Messe this year. The Zeba waste management association, Allmig, a plant for the recycling of green waste, and the Office for the Environment of the Canton of Zug (Amt für Umwelt) have joined forces to bring the topic closer to the population.

"We also work together in everyday life," explains Esther Delli Santi, project manager for Resource Conservation at the Office for the Environment. Thomas Meierhans from Allmig adds: "Zeba collects the waste and brings it to us, and the Office for the Environment supports and controls the process." Zeba also has an avoidance mandate, says Managing Director Heidi Oswald. It’s important to make the population aware of food waste, because:

"No waste at all is the best waste."

One third of all food is wasted
Huge numbers give a first overview of the topic at the special exhibition stand. One-third of all food is wasted, which is 330 kilogram per person. Each person thereby loses CHF 600 a year due to food waste.

The special exhibition on food waste at the Zug trade fair impresses with a life-size tree.
The right portioning is important to avoid waste
Jeanne (left) and Livia Meier collect answers for the competition on the tree from the Zeba stand Photos: Roger Zbinden
Young and old are interested in the interactive videos of Allmig    Photo: Thomas Biasotto/PD
 

"We want to shake people up and make them aware of how big the impact really is," explains Esther Delli Santi. "Many people say, 'I don't throw anything away' and don't realise how much waste actually comes together." Whether it's the chocolates you give away for Christmas that you don't like, or the rest of the sandwich you throw away before you get on the bus. Food waste is generated faster than you think.

Tips and tricks for avoiding food waste in everyday life
Most of the exhibition is dedicated to tips for avoiding food waste. "We are working here with the 'For the love of food' exhibition," explains Esther Delli Santi. This can be rented from Verein foodwaste.ch

Various stations here provide useful tips for reducing food waste in everyday life. For example, a small refrigerator shows how food should be stored, and visitors can learn how to portion properly only using their hands.

In addition, people are informed that valuable resources are also being lost with food waste. If you throw away a yogurt, for example, you not only throw away milk, sugar and fruit, but also the many hours of work and energy invested in its production.

From green waste to electricity and compost
If food waste is generated despite your best efforts, it’s important to dispose of it correctly, explains Thomas Meierhans. Allmig recycles around 25,000 tons of biogenic waste per year and, on its stand, it explains how waste should be properly separated. In animated short videos, Allmig shows how it produces electricity and compost from green waste.

Four stations provide information about the collection, sorting, fermentation and composting of food waste. Allmig also presents various products that it offers for sale. The soil mixtures can be used in your own raised bed or garden, and the green waste is thereby returned to the ground.

"We want to cast a light on the whole path of food waste," explainsThomas Meierhans. "In the canton of Zug, for example, it’s very special that all the green waste ends up in one plant." Meat waste, for example, can also be disposed of with the organic waste in Zug.

New green-waste bag
The Zeba waste association has now introduced a new green-waste bag (we reported on this last week). The compostable bag with a volume of approximately 130 litres offers space for the garden waste that doesn’t fit into the green waste container. The sacks can be purchased at the cost price of five francs for two bags at any Zug Ökihof, or can be ordered on zebazug.ch .

Competition with unusual prices
Visitors to the special exhibition can also look forward to a competition. If you pay attention at the stand, you can quickly find the right answers, and could win a subscription to "UglyFruits", or a cookbook and gift basket filled with rescued food.

"It's important that people realise that they can also eat fruit and vegetables that do not meet 'the standard'," says Esther Delli Santi. Consumers should not be deterred by crooked vegetables. She explains:

"The more we address this, the sooner the standards can be softened."

The special exhibition "Food Waste" can be visited until the end of the Zug trade fair at Stand B2.61. Further information can also be found here.
 

How much do you know about food waste?

How much food waste is thrown away in Switzerland every year?

From 1,000,000 kg to 4,000,000,000 kg ?

In Switzerland, 2.8 billion kg of food waste is thrown away every year.

Which foods are thrown away the most?

Fruit and vegetables?

Cereals?

Dairy products?

Fruits and vegetables account for 42% of food waste. Cereals amount to 22 %, and dairy products to 18 %.

How many litres of water does 1 kg of bread consume?

50 litres?

10 litres?

1,000 litres?

Correct answer 1 kg of bread consumes 845 litres of water.

How much uncooked rice is equivalent to one serving for a person?

2 handfuls?

0.5 handfuls?

5 handfuls?

Correct answer: 2 handfuls

Thanks for playing along!

This quiz is based on information from the exhibition.