National Sustainability Day: cricket on a cocktail stick
Ever tasted a cricket? Last Friday, on National Sustainability Day, students, staff and anyone else interested had an opportunity to taste 'cricket on a cocktail stick'. It was also the day on which the UvA Sustainability film was launched. The aim of the day was to become more aware of one's environment and learn how to contribute to a pleasant living environment in a sustainable way.
Crickets on the menu
Eating crickets is more sustainable than eating meat and fish, claims Bart from the Microbar. The Microbar is a converted caravan from which Bart serves insects. It is an accessible way of acquainting people with eating insects. Despite the fact that insects have been proclaimed as the food of the future, people often still consider it strange to have crickets on the menu. Crickets grow to maturity in just six weeks and require very little food themselves. Meat production takes longer and feeding the livestock is expensive. More than 800 people tried out a cricket. The most frequently heard reaction was: 'it tastes like a ready-salted crisp'.
Soup made from unwanted vegetables
Around 5 to 10% of all fruit and vegetable in the Netherlands is wasted because of the way it looks. The Kromkommer organisation campaigns to reduce waste through projects across the entire food chain. On Friday, visitors had the opportunity to sample Kromkommer soup made from vegetables deemed too ugly for consumption. The glasses of beetroot soup and tomato soup proved a real hit.
Sustainability film: 'Watch what we are doing and join us!'
A film crew has recently been active on the Roeterseiland campus taking footage of all of the sustainability measures. The result is a great little film. Visitors on a green carpet looked forward to the Sustainability film that was shown in the hall of building E. View the UvA Sustainability film below.
Sustainable water consumption
The Join the Pipe Foundation campaigns for sustainable water consumption. It is the world's first social network of tap-water drinkers with a dream: clean drinking water for everyone in the world. There are various taps around the Roeterseiland campus where fresh drinking water is available. On National Sustainability Day, Join the Pipe provided information and visitors were able to purchase discount water.
Do your bit for a sustainable environment! Buy a Join the Pipe water bottle and help to support more water projects in Africa. On the website, enter the discount code 'uvaduurzaam' for a EUR 5 discount on your water bottle.
An impression of National Sustainability Day:
