On Saturday, January 11, 2025, six residents of the asylum seekers' center on Joseph Haydnlaan went to the regular stop of the mobile packaging-free store of Loos Utrecht, at 12:30 p.m. at Buurten in de Fabriek. A woman and five men bought various packaging-free organic groceries with vouchers. With this, we collected additional information from the autumn 2024 trial with subsidised organic groceries on Kanaleneiland. Nuts were the most popular, and some also bought candy. Participant 1 bought raspberries in chocolate, roasted and salted pistachios, and vegan barourworms for her children. The barourworms are suitable for a halal diet, as it does not contain gelatin based on pig skin. Participant 2 bought roasted and salted pistachios. Participant 3 bought walnuts, chocolate, chia seeds and mixed nuts. His tip for the future is to organize trips to farms to learn more about organic farming methods. In an earlier asylum seekers' center near Maastricht, he worked as a volunteer on a farm. Participant 4 bought mixed nuts, hazelnuts and pistachios. Participant 5 did not want to buy many organic products in the future. The objection is that he has a low-salt diet and is therefore not allowed to eat a lot of salted nuts. Moreover, the doctor discovered in a previous asylum seekers' centre that he has diabetes. That is why he should not eat too many sweets. Now he bought peanuts, pistachios, and mixed nuts, half with and half without salt.  All participants liked the purchased products, and liked the mobile store of Loos Utrecht. The shopkeeper was also friendly and good. On January 29, I will hang the report of this trip to Loos Utrecht at A Beautiful Mess, during the next meeting that De Voorkamer organizes there.

Duurzaam Utrecht 2030 nieuwsbrief januari 2025

Laat u inspireren door dit voorproefje van ' Duurzaam eten met smalle beurs in Lunetten '

On 29-11-24, “ Duurzaam Utrecht 2030 ” held a workshop to discuss the results of the Trial with “ Subsidized Organic Groceries” in Kanaleneiland. The event brought together participants from diverse backgrounds to engage in an open conversation about future steps for local residents of Kanaleneiland. The trial's outcomes were presented, and a range of suggestions were explored, all of which are detailed in the report available here . Among the various suggestions, one stood out as particularly promising: the use of the U-Pas to purchase organic food. Many workshop participants supported this idea, emphasizing that enabling U-Pas credit for organic groceries could make these products more accessible to low-income residents. This suggestion has been forwarded to city council member Jantine Zwinkels in the hope it will be discussed further in upcoming council meetings. The workshop also touched on other creative ideas. For example, some participants highlighted the potential of incorporating halal food options, which are already relatively affordable and widely accessible to the Muslim population in the Netherlands. Students contributed suggestions focusing on reducing food waste while promoting organic consumption. They proposed initiatives to distribute farmers' leftover produce or imperfectly shaped fruits and vegetables, which could provide low-income students with affordable organic options while lessening the burden on farmers. The workshop showed how important it is to include vulnerable groups in these discussions. The trial made the most vulnerable feel safe enough to join the event and participate, which in itself is a successful result. Their presence added valuable perspectives and helped highlight the challenges they face, showing that they felt included and were not ashamed to discuss their own issues. It was clear that when people feel included and listened to, they are more willing to participate and help find solutions. This event gave a voice to those who are often left out, creating a space where everyone could contribute. If policymakers could take the opinions of the most vulnerable in open discussions like these workshops, they could better understand how important the role of organizations like “ Duurzaam Utrecht 2030 ” is in bridging the gap between top-down and bottom-up approaches. These dialogues provide an essential platform for collaboration and mutual understanding, paving the way for meaningful and inclusive change.

Ontmoet ons 10 december bij LIFT! 2024 pitchavond in Leidsche Rijn

“Sta toe dat U-pashouders met hun tegoed ook biologisch eten mogen betalen.” Dit is de opvallendste wens van bewoners van Kanaleneiland die deelnamen aan onze proef met biologische boodschappen . Om hieraan te voldoen, moet de gemeente Utrecht de regels veranderen, want nu mag het U-pastegoed niet voor eten en drinken gebruikt worden. Noor Ul Ain presenteerde vrijdag 29 november haar rapport met deze en andere aanbevelingen, tijdens de workshop die studenten Event Management van de Hogeschool Utrecht voor Duurzaam Utrecht 2030 organiseerden. Hebt u het gemist? Geen nood, in de decembernieuwsbrief leest u alles over deze en andere activiteiten die we afgelopen maand organiseerden.

Winter is approaching and the cold easily becomes unbearable for all types of international students In the University College Utrecht campus. Within the campus, heating is included in costs and is not regulated by usage– which leads students to often abuse of heating without consciousness. EcologiCo is a student committee focused on bringing awareness to sustainable practices, creating events, and engaging with students in regard to climate action. I am part of this board, apart from interning here at Duurzaam Utrecht 2030 , and we received some training together last week alongside Energie U representatives. We will be insulating heaters within campus buildings, which are getting older and do not have the most effective insulation. We wish to create more effective heating to reduce the intensity of heater settings and ensure that fewer resources are used. This is a first step towards a bigger insulation campaign, all in the hope of lowering gas consumption. Until now, campus fees (rent and facility costs) have increased yearly due to heating behavioral patterns within a gas crisis, leading to an expensive outcome. Students often blast their heaters at setting 5 without closing all windows or use the faucet’s hot water every time they wash dishes and do not use the kettle. We want to tackle these behavioral choices further by creating a conscience around resource usage. Here are some pictures from the training, we learned how to use two types of aluminum insulation foil applications. One that is put directly on the heater’s backside, and one that is on the wall directly. The point of this is to reduce the amount of heat that is lost towards the outside wall, which in old buildings such as the ones we have on campus is often the case.

Het Knooppunt's tasting night

Brainstorm Energy saving at UCU campus on 5 November 2024