Introducing CS Students' Sustainability Initiatives: Aalto Foodsharing
Who are you?
I am Ronja Tammenpää, a first-year Creative Sustainability student in the Design track and an initiator of Aalto Foodsharing.
What is Aalto Foodsharing?
Aalto Foodsharing is an interdisciplinary grassroots community that has been saving and sharing food waste at Aalto since March 2024. We are inspired by Foodsharing, a global and distributed movement against food waste. We dream of a food waste-free campus where every Aaltonian considers their part in food circulation. We also want to be a pilot example of effective food-sharing inspiring a nationwide network and public advocacy. Our activities consist of picking up food from collaborating restaurants and shops, sharing them at two community fridges on campus, and organizing events and education about food waste.
When and why did you get involved in Aalto Foodsharing?
I was initially faced with the amount of grocery shop food waste through dumpster diving when traveling around Europe. I worked on a community project in Denmark where dumpster diving is quite common, and we could feed the whole group of 15-20 people with food waste. When returning to Finland I wanted to find out what the situation was like here. Dumpster Diving is legal in Finland as long as the bins are not locked, which is quite rare, but some exist. I found an open bin near my home in Tapiola but immediately was faced with the issue of saving too much food for my household to consume.
I already knew about the , so I wondered if we could set one up in Aalto. I first contacted Test-Site, and they knew TOKYO (Aalto ARTS Students' Association) might have a space. By chance, they also had an extra fridge. The newly opened K-market Maarinsolmu was also on board with donating their food waste to us. So, I asked the Otaniemi Food Giveaway group if anyone would be interested in setting up a fridge, and that’s how our initial team kicked off.
What have you learned from this initiative?
I have learned that it’s more important to make things happen than to make them happen perfectly. To make a community initiative actually community-based, I have had to let go of control and my personal ideas of what should happen and let the wisdom of the collective field take over. I have also learned that there are people who are excited to do the tasks I’m not if they just have space to be in charge of their own part.
Ronja Tammenpää, Aalto Foodsharing founderI have learned that it’s more important to make things happen than to make them happen perfectly.
What kinds of impacts has Aalto Foodsharing created?
First of all, we have saved thousands of kilos of food from being wasted! We have gotten a lot of positive feedback from students, some even saying the initiative has helped with their food insecurity. The community and events have connected people with similar interests together. We have opened the discussion of food waste in the Aalto ecosystem by speaking with most of the shops, restaurants, and canteens. Soon we will start saving canteen lunch leftovers regularly. We have also reached out to the broader waste-reducing community in Finland by presenting our initiative at the Dodo urban eco-activist community, Jalotus Sustainable Lifestyle Center, and Oulu Food Waste Festival.
What are your plans for Aalto Foodsharing’s future?
We are becoming more professional step by step. We plan to become an AYY association to be an established actor in the community. We are reaching out in different directions: informing Aalto staff about our initiative, contacting all the food actors in Otaniemi, and offering our help on a national level to set up food-sharing initiatives and community fridges around Finland.
Do you have any advice for people thinking of starting a sustainability initiative?
I have great quotes from someone else:
- “Take it easy, but take it.” Go for what you care about with determination but do not force it. Things will unfold exactly as they need to.
- “It’s only sustainable if it’s also fun.” A sustainability initiative can only be sustained if people are excited to do the work. Celebrate your little milestones!