As AUC’s sustainability committee, we do our best to make life on campus as sustainable as possible, by providing a place to bring your compost behind the dorms (how does the compost work?) and cultivating our own fruits and veggies, organising Down To Earth dinners and DIY/recycling workshops. However, we are aware that sustainability reaches far beyond our ‘bubble’, and fortunately, the city of Amsterdam has an incredible number of sustainable initiatives to offer. Whether you are new to AUC, or you’ve been here for a while, we hope this guide will help you discover some new inspiring places and connect with like-minded people around the city. Because at the end, a sustainable future is a cause that we all share, both within and beyond our community.
Food Taste before you waste is an organisation run by mainly volunteers that have all committed to preventing food waste as much as possible. It was founded in Amsterdam in 2012, but now also operates in different cities around the country. They pick up surplus food and organise many different activities, such as weekly dinners with locally sourced food that would otherwise have gone to waste, created by professional cooks. They also organise food cycle markets, where they serve and offer surplus food, either for free or based on a pay-as-you-feel principle. This way, they aim to not only contribute to sustainability, but also make it more accessible to those with less financial resources. If you are looking for a way to contribute to sustainability around Amsterdam and acquaint yourself with 9the people behind) these initiatives, volunteering with Taste before you Waste is an amazing opportunity. You can even count it as your CPI! We also highly recommend checking out their blog, they’ve got many great sustainability-related tips. Cafe de Ceuvel and InStock are restaurants tackling food waste and making the culinary landscape of Amsterdam more sustainable. Instock is a bit closer, but de Ceuvel is definitely worth the bike ride, as they also often organize many sustainable events and parties. De biologische Noordermarkt was the first organic farmers market in Amsterdam, founded in 1987. Being located in the vibrant Jordaan, they’ve come to play a prominent role in the street life of Amsterdam and are one of Amsterdam’s pioneers in the sustainability scene. Each entrepreneur has a different specialty, but they all share one cornerstone: products must be fresh, local and organic. However, the Noordermarkt is not very budget-friendly, as is the case with many organic products. A market that is much closer, and also allows for zero-waste shopping given that you bring your own bags & containers to fill your groceries with, is the Dappermarkt. It’s often much cheaper than the supermarket and also a fun place to go and talk to people from around the neighbourhood. TooGoodToGo is an app that also focuses on preventing food waste, by posting leftover food for a strongly reduced price. Many bakeries, restaurants, and supermarkets (including Spar! Could sustainability possibly get any easier?) participating.
The baking lab is a circular bakery and cafe at Oostpoort (+- 5 min by bike). Each of their products is created according to a zero-waste ideology. They use residual heat for their ovens; recycle fruit fibres for their breads and desserts and even find ways to use old bread in order to enhance the quality of new breads. They also do workshops.
Little Plant Pantry has delicious plant-based, and mainly locally produced ingredients on offer and operates from a zero-waste ideal, using as little packaging as possible, and selling only environmentally friendly pre-packaged products. They are located in Amsterdam West, at about a 20 minute bike ride from the dorms, and the bike ride is more than worth it. Fun fact: the tasty oats from our oat milk making workshop came from Little Plant Pantry!
Shopping The vintage clothing scene in Amsterdam is infinite, but the markets at IJhallen and Waterlooplein are definitely two of the most prominent players in secondhand clothing and furniture. Did you know that IJhallen is the largest flea market in Europe? Clothing library LENA in the Jordaan lets you borrow amazing clothes from sustainable, up and coming designers and has a gorgeous collection of vintage picks as well. They work with a point-based subscription system, labelling each piece of clothing with a number of points. You can then choose the clothes you like according to the number of monthly points you signed up for. It’s in the Jordaan area, which is often considered the heart of Amsterdam. Plastic Free Amsterdam is a business that was founded by two students who wanted to limit plastic waste by making products from sustainable companies more accessible. They sell alternatives for many single-use products, and over the past few years, they’ve grown substantially, now offering lots of different sustainable and mostly affordable products.
Education The Jungle is a cultural center revolving around sustainability and is only located 10 minutes away from our campus. They organise sustainability information sessions, debates and free markets for things people want to get rid off, but also fulfill an important role in the cultural landscape of Amsterdam East, by organising dancing workshops and open mics. Lastly, they advice the local government on topics regarding sustainability and are an important advocate of e.g. climate justice.
Did you know? Both the Academic Building and – since a few months – the dorms too, use geothermal energy to stay warm & cozy!
PS – for more tips like this, check the UvA Green Office Green Guide, or SUSCOM’s policy briefs (can be found on their AUCSA webpage)!
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