Herakliou 3
Kaimakli
1037 Nicosia
Cyprus
- Environment/Sustainable development
Zero Food Waste Cyprus is an initiative based in Nicosia that first took place in February 2018. It all started with the vision to prevent food from being thrown away, which contributes to climate change as well as food inequality.
Through the involvement of young volunteers , food that would have otherwise been wasted gets collected from the "OXI" food market on Saturdays, and from the Kyrenia market on Wednesdays, and re-distributed to anyone in need.
The initiative is based on volunteering work from its 3 board members, Alexia Kalourkoti, Pantelis Kyriakides and Demetra Theodotou. The Wednesday market is run from Fatih Segmen.
Currently there is no funding, apart from periodical funding opportunities for initiatives and volunteering teams.
Our mission is to promote a circular economy of food by reducing food waste and providing to people in need. We also aim to raise awarness about food waste and inform about the environmental aspects, as well as provide solutions on individual bases and on public bases (reduction of food waste, composting etc.)
Our objectives is to expand to more markets across the island so we can save more food from the landfills and reach more vunlerable people.
Our main projects and activities are the "Saturday Aftermarket" in which we are collecting food that would be wasted at the "OXI" food market every Saturday and the "Wasteless Wednesdays" in which we are saving food from the Kyrenia food market every Wednesday.
ZFWC can contribute to the Network by providing its members' knowledge on sustainability and in ways of promoting circular economy in the island, especially regarding food waste. More specifically, as our iniative with its actions covers various SDGs (SDG 2, 3, 11, 12, 13), we can contribute in the awarness and promotion of Sustainable Development Goals. Last but not least, as ZFWC has a bicommunal character, we can contribute by informing and working towards sustainability and peace building through activism across the divide.
We would like to have the opportunity to expand our network, to gain through the experiences of being part of this Network and its actions, to develop our initiative through it and be able to further promote sustainability and a circular economy.