Local markets: have you noticed how much food is wasted?

WASTE IN DISTRICT MARKETS

Anyone who frequents a local market , any local market in our cities, can attest to the waste that occurs every day: an enormous quantity of still-edible food, primarily fruit and vegetables , which promptly ends up in the garbage. And then there's paper , plastic and polystyrene bags, and cardboard boxes , which transform the space, once cleared of stalls, into an open-air landfill. Until the garbage trucks arrive (if they arrive at all). At a considerable cost, yet another waste, for this daily disposal operation.

READ ALSO: Turin volunteers who collect leftover food from markets and give it to the poor

RECUP MILAN

Can this waste be avoided? It can and must be. And in some cities, some are already succeeding. This is the case in Milan , where there are 94 open-air local markets. The Recup association works here every day , with around thirty volunteers (students, retirees, and the unemployed) who, towards the end of the workday, pass through the stalls and collect the goods, up to 450 kilos of produce for each market.

Once the fruit and vegetables are collected, they are delivered. Recup is connected to several local volunteer organizations that provide assistance to families in need, ensuring the food ends up in the right hands. The Milanese experiment is also working in Turin and has started in Rome , at the Alberone market. The key is to network with these experiences, perhaps involving district councils and local organizations. Imagine how the waste landscape at local markets would change if every neighborhood had a mechanism for recovering unsold food destined for the garbage cans.

( The cover image and those in the gallery are taken from the Recup association's Facebook page )

READ MORE: Solidarity refrigerators, seven have opened in Bari. Why wait to do the same throughout Italy?

RECOVERY OF LEFTOVER FOOD IN DISTRICT MARKETS

The same goes for paper, cardboard, and plastic bags. Here too, the goal is to make existing initiatives in Italy go viral, like the Edizione Precarie association in Palermo. This women's cooperative travels the markets of the Sicilian capital, collecting all the packaging that needs to be disposed of. They then transform it into recycled envelopes and stationery . Essentially, the fight against waste in local markets has given rise to a small business, one that is highly artisanal and of excellent quality.

( The video is taken from the Recup association website )

HOW TO SHOP WITHOUT WASTE :

• Shop at the farmer's, choosing your supplier through this site. And respect the seasons.
• Discount shopping: when it's really worth it. Here are the products to choose from and the real discounts.
• Grocery shopping lists and cooking leftovers: here's how to combat food waste.