Thursday January 26th

Today at lunch-time TCD's Hogwarts-style dining hall became a hub of activity around reducing food waste! At 11:55, crowds of students were gathered at the door waiting eagerly to enter and receive their two-course vegetarian lunch made of delicious and nutritious food that had almost been left to rot in a bin, despite being fit for human consumption.

The ingredients were generously donated by Keelings and went into creating lentil and tomato soup, vegetarian burritos and fruit salad. A large box of Stop Food Waste rice and pasta measures was cleared out as diners made their way to the 'freebie' table at the top of the hall, walking away with a smile on their face at the new addition to their kitchen cabinet that will undoubtedly save them money and precious bin space! Each of the 16 tables had Bounce energy balls scattered over it (snacks which usually cost at least €3), along with literature from both Voice and WeShare on the idea behind Food Rescue, the environmental cost of wasting food, and information about Falling Fruit, a WeShare project which brings people together to collect gluts of fruit and nut from gardens.

For those who preferred to discuss food waste issues and solutions, a World Café took place at four tables at the top of the hall. At each table a different topic was discussed, from redistribution solutions with FoodCloud, to gleaning and dumpster diving with WeShare. TCD Environmental Society chatted to diners about how to go plant-based, and Friends of the Earth facilitated discussions about how to get involved with environmental activism.

This won't be the last collaboration between Voice and TCD Enviro Soc...so watch this space!

The event was funded by a Dublin City Council Local Area 21 grant.

Join the Falling Fruit list here http://weshare.ie/dublin/falling-fruit-2016/