Food waste was the central theme of this year’s Green Exchange. Organized for the twelfth time by the Environmental Protection Committee of the Student Government of the University of Debrecen, the event focused on environmental awareness and attitude formation awaited those interested in the Dísudvara of the Main Building.
According to the data of the National Food Chain Safety Office, about 1.8 million tons of food waste are generated in Hungary every year, and one person throws almost 65 kilograms of food in the trash. A significant part of this amount is made up of unnecessarily purchased goods and spoiled food.
The ecological footprint of industrial and agricultural production is huge, according to surveys, 30 percent of purchases end up in the trash. This phenomenon presents challenges to economies in many areas. For the knowledge centers, such as the University of Debrecen, it provides new tasks in the field of education and research in relation to environmental protection, recycling, food science, and maintaining biodiversity, among other things. That is why it is important that conscious consumer behavior and environmental protection are also visible in the student communities
– said László Stündl.
According to Janka Karacs, the president of the Environmental Protection Committee that organized the program, even small steps in the area of food waste can bring huge results. As he said, the goal is for the students to be enriched with the latest information and useful advice every year, and to get a glimpse into the life and operation of green communities, sustainable organizations, and companies.
The XII. At Zöld Börz, they presented, among other things, a completely plant-based diet and composting in short presentations. Those interested could find out which raw materials should be reduced or even completely avoided in order to do as little harm as possible to the environment, our planet, and the next generation. In addition, the practicalities of the recycling process of organic materials were discussed, as well as how household waste should be composted even in the apartment.
At the event, visitors could receive useful information from almost twenty exhibitors. Among the exhibitors were the environmental protection organizations of the region, among others, the Future of Debrecen, the Nagyerde Cultural Park, the Natural History Museum, the Hajdú-Bihar County Food Rescue Association, HungAIRy, the Tiszatáj Public Foundation, and the Green Circle.
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